The Terror Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Punished, as a Boy
Lisa Babick
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It was ironic that Cornelius was punished for brutality against Lady Silence on The Terror Season 1 Episode 4 considering the brutality of his own lashing.
He only wanted answers that everyone was seeking, but Francis did not see it the same way Cornelius did.
It's hard to determine if Francis should be praised for protecting Lady Silence or whether he went too far making Cornelius and the others an example of what happens when they defy his orders.
Francis is not a cruel man. He's tired and terrified and deep down he knows their situation is grim. He knows that whatever is after them is something that can't be easily explained.
He knew Lady Silence had the answers, but he wanted to find her on his terms, not anyone else's. It was reasonable not to send the men out in the night because of what he experienced himself when he and Evans went looking for Strong.
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The thing that is after them is evil and tricky, and Francis wasn't about to risk losing any more men.
It's strange that the Tuunbaq didn't kill Francis, but there seems to be a method to the monster's killing. Whether it's being controlled by Lady Silence still hasn't been revealed, but if you believe what Cornelius said, it appears that might be the case.
Francis doesn't like the idea of the woman anywhere near his men. Having her aboard one the ship is risky because who's to say that she won't summon the Tuunbaq to rescue her from her captives?
It probably already knows she's under duress and is patiently waiting. It's playing games with the men on the Erebus and Terror. Why else would it have sliced a man in half and left him there to be found by the others?
It sent a message perhaps to lure the men out into the open so they could see the true nature of the beast for themselves.
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Cornelius and the others were fortunate they didn't lose their lives not only by basically coming face to face with the beast but also when they took the woman. It would have been easy for the Tuunbaq to kill them.
There has to be a reason it let them go and let them take Lady Silence without a fight. And it was ballsy of Cornelius to take the woman after witnessing the ritual.
It would have been understandable if he had run away and not said a word, but Cornelius isn't afraid of much. It was admirable that he took his lashings with barely a whimper -- even the extra ones Francis ordered because they weren't hard enough.
It was disappointing that Francis caved into himself and gave out such a cruel punishment. It wasn't a punishment Cornelius or the others deserved and seemed more like a reaction to his anger at his memory of Sophia rejecting him and perhaps even his anger at Sir John for being the reason behind her rejection of him.
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It wasn't easy for him to hear that Sir John had discussed Francis' situation with Fitzjames. It was a violation for Sir John to do that -- to let another man know of his failures in love.
But Francis also failed in protecting the one thing Sophia asked him to protect. He disliked Sir John, but he was on this expedition because she asked him to look after her uncle.
Francis knows that if he makes it back to England, Sophia will never forgive him for Sir John's death, so this terror he's experiencing is all in vain because he'll never get the only thing he ever wanted.
Francis never wanted to be on this expedition, but sometimes you make foolish mistakes for love -- and he knows he made the biggest mistake of his life.
The only thing Francis can do now is hope for the best and hope that Lady Silence will give him the answers he's seeking. But between the monster and the scurvy lurking in the shadows things are looking pretty grim.
Over to you guys.
What did you think of "Punished, as a Boy"? Did Cornelius deserve the lashings he got?
Will Francis get the answers he's seeking? Is there any hope for this expedition?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts!
If you need to catch up, you can watch The Terror online right here via TV Fanatic!
