“The Terror” deals with one of the greatest mysteries of the seas and the true story is just as terrifying as the fictional version of the series.
“The Terror” is one of the new TV series coming to Netflix this month that is sure to give viewers a real scare. Based on a very real, disastrous expedition in the 19th century, the series depicts every explorer’s worst nightmare.
The Terror and subsequent anthology-style seasons have continued the trend of real-life inspiration, so how closely does the series stick to what really happened on that fateful journey? What happened in the icy depths of the Canadian Arctic?
Here’s a breakdown of the true events that served as inspiration for the horror series, as well as details on how the show portrays things a little differently.
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror explained
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were two Royal Navy warships that left England in 1845 to traverse the remaining unexplored parts of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.
Their mission was to travel the passage and record magnetic data in the hope of finding out if their new findings could be helpful in navigation.
Erebus was named after the personification of darkness in Greek mythology, while Terror’s namesake continues to represent an eerie mystery.
AMCThe crew of the two ships consisted of 129 officers and men, all of whom disappeared under strange circumstances during the expedition.
The expedition of the two ships was led by Captain Sir John Franklin.
What was Franklin’s lost expedition?
Franklin’s expedition was considered “lost” after HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, along with their entire crew, disappeared after crossing the Northwest Passage.
It is a true horror story that comes from a mission that is now considered a “failure.” While the fate of the ship and its crew is still unknown, there are some facts that hint at what might have happened on that ill-fated sea voyage.
The two Royal Navy ships left England in 1845 for the Northwest Passage. This was the last time they were sighted, in July 1845 by a whaling ship.
Disaster struck when both HMS Erebus and HMS Terror became stuck in Victoria Strait near King William Island. Essentially, the ships were trapped in ice and could no longer stay in place.
AMCThe ships remained stuck for over a year and in April 1848 it was decided to abandon them in the hope of survival. By this time two dozen men (including Captain Franklin) had already died, most likely due to hypothermia or starvation.
The remaining men, led by Francis Crozier and the captain of the Erebus, James Fitzjames, set out to search for the mainland. However, they disappeared without a trace.
What happened to the men?
Unfortunately, it is not known what happened to the few survivors who made their way to the mainland, but it is assumed that they all died under various circumstances.
Since there are no survivors or records of what happened, it is impossible to find out what fate befell each individual.
Jane Franklin (John Franklin’s wife) urged the Admiralty to launch a search for the missing crew members in 1848. Numerous searches were conducted over the next few years, but only artifacts from the expedition and the remains of two men were found.
Since then, it has been assumed that the men died over time. The most likely causes of death are hypothermia, starvation, lead poisoning, zinc deficiency and scurvy.
AMCThe hostile environment and harsh conditions undoubtedly played a major role in the deaths of the men, as they were neither prepared to be trapped in such a place nor had the means to venture out into the wilderness.
One of the most sinister details of the expedition are the bones found during one of the searches. Cut marks on the remains led to accusations of cannibalism, first voiced by John Rae in 1854.
The ironic success of the Franklin Expedition
Strangely enough, despite its grim fate, the expedition was considered a certain success, as the two ships actually explored the Northwest Passage and led to a discovery.
During one of the surveys led by Robert McClure, a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific was discovered. The Northwest Passage was not properly navigated until 1906 during an expedition on the ship Gjøa.
In 2014, a Parks Canada search team found the wreck of the Erebus in Queen Maud Gulf. Two years later, the Arctic Research Foundation found the remains of the Terror south of King William Island (in a body of water called Terror Bay, mind you).
The wreck is now a protected area and diving expeditions and research work continue to take place.
How much of the series is based on fact?
“The Terror” is inspired by the mystery surrounding Franklin’s lost expedition and describes the difficult circumstances of the voyage of the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, but gives the fate of those involved a fictional and supernatural twist.
When it comes to adaptations of real events, that’s the million-dollar question. In the case of The Terror, the events of the series are based on Franklin’s lost expedition, but offer a fictionalized answer to what happened to the crews of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.
The series begins in the same way: HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set off on their expedition, get caught in the ice and have to survive under the harsh conditions. (Warning: Spoilers!)
As the show progresses, however, it becomes clear that something else is stalking the survivors. Things get bizarre when it turns out that the crew is being hunted by terrifying man-eating spirits called Tuunbaq. (Think polar bears, but even more terrifying.)
It’s a twist that’s more reminiscent of a horror movie than an accurate retelling of history.
Of course, we will never know exactly what happened to the crew of the two ships, but it is safe to say that they were probably not hunted by mutated monster mammals.
For more true stories, check out all of this month’s True Crime and Documentaries. You can also learn more about the reality behind some of this year’s biggest hits, like the true story of Hit Man and Longlegs.
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