Tear Jerker / The Terror

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

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The 1963 Roger Corman film

The Dan Simmons novel

• Captain Crozier's steward Thomas Jopson, in the final stages of scurvy. He's only 30 years old, yet he's been debilitated by the disease so much, he can't move or talk, as if he were an old man. He's lying alone in a tent when he realizes his mates have abandoned him to die and his last words (as he sees the men leave on a boat) are a hoarse "Wait! Wait!" Not knowing Captain Crozier is presumed dead after a run-in with Hickey's band, he dies thinking the Captain (the man he's been serving for 3 years on this expedition and served with prior in the Antarctic, i.e. a man he knows well) made the choice to abandon him.

• Crozier, now known as Taliriktug, burning the Terror and all the remaining traces of his old life and then just walking away.

• Fitzjames' terrible, painful death from an unknown ailment (implied to be botulism from the rotted tins). He starts vomiting and has diarrhea, and then begins to lose all ability to move and speak, all while remaining totally conscious and able to feel the progression of his paralysis. After days of slowly becoming sessile, mute, and unable to function whatsoever, Fitzjames' diaphragm finally paralyses, causing him to suffocate. It's a terrible end to a man who's so far helped led the expedition fearlessly and has supported Crozier throughout much of the time in the ice after Sir John's death. Goodsir being forced to watch and unable to poison Fitzjames to end his suffering due to his Hippocratic oath may also count.

The AMC series

"Captain..."

Go for Broke

• Henry Collins's desperation to rescue Billy Orren after the latter falls overboard. He has to be held back from jumping into the water, but it only gets worse when he sees a body whilst examining Erebus's propeller later on, implied to be Billy.
• David Young's death. He begs Mr. Goodsir not to cut him open after he dies (which Goodsir later has to do) and, though Goodsir comforts him by reassuring him of a peaceful death, dies screaming in fear of a hallucination.

Gore

• Sir John casually remarks to his niece about Crozier being unsuitable as a potential husband for her, and that he ought to marry a woman under a "different banner". He then sees Crozier and realizes that the other man heard every word, and it's clear on his face how deeply he regrets hurting a man he wanted to consider a friend.

The Ladder

• Sir John's witheringly brutal "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Crozier, which hits at every one of Crozier's insecurities. It's the deciding end to any potential friendship between the two. It's more than a little heartbreaking to see Jared Harris' expression crumble in on itself in a display of vulnerability before he attempts to gather up his dignity and leave.
• Sir John probably shouldn't be as sympathetic as he is, since it's his actions that land both ships in a dangerous situation (not to mention his bigoted nature and his cruel "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Crozier). Ciarán Hinds, however, lends the character a certain tragic air and his desire to redeem his reputation is (if selfish) very relatable. As such, his agonizing and brutal death is not only terrifying but very upsetting. His confusion and fear is very keenly felt, as he blunders through the snow pursued by an unstoppable force, all of which is interspersed with snatched glimpses of his life at home. In his final moments, he was as human as anyone: scared, in pain, confused, and desperately missing home. Even Crozier sheds a tear or two at Sir John's funeral.
  • Even before all of this, Sir John shows signs of desperately trying to be liked by everyone around him, probably to make up for the fact that his first expedition to the Arctic ended in disaster. While the man was liked by his crew for always looking out for them...it's clear he wasn't respected.
• After Franklin dies, the men sing "The Silver Swan"
  The silver Swan, who, living, had no Note,
  when Death approached, unlocked her silent throat.
  Leaning her breast upon the reedy shore,
  thus sang her first and last, and sang no more:
  "Farewell, all joys! O Death, come close mine eyes
  More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise.
  More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise."

Punished, as a Boy

• When Lady Jane tells Sophia that she's comforted by the knowledge that Sir John has Crozier at his side, Sophia becomes increasingly distressed before bursting into tears. When Lady Jane asks her what's wrong, Sophia says that she's made a horrible mistake. She doesn't get to elaborate before the Arctic Council summons them, but we find out why later: she asked Crozier to look after Sir John, meaning that she feels responsible for his being there in the first place.
  • Relatedly, as Sophia is pacing around the anteroom, she sees portraits of Franklin and Fitzjames, but none of Crozier. He's a veteran of expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic and an experienced and dedicated sailor, but he's apparently been deemed unworthy of a portrait in the Council's chambers despite his accomplishments.

• Crozier has a flashback to the last time he proposed to Sophia. She is worried about marrying a common-born Irish explorer who routinely ventures to the most inhospitable places on Earth, while Crozier is desperately trying to convince her that he is willing and ready to do whatever it takes to make their relationship work. Then Lady Jane walks into the room and dumps a bucket of ice water over his hopes and dreams.
  Crozier: I will go to sea once more as a first, and be knighted for it. Then I will retire, to live out my years with you.
  Lady Jane: That will not happen.
  Crozier: It must. Nothing else will do.
  Lady Jane: Then this will be the great tragedy of your life, Francis.

First Shot a Winner, Lads

• After his undignified drunken breakdown in which he lashes out at his closest friends, Crozier quietly resolves to go sober. He begs the friends he'd been attacking barely an hour ago for their help, and sympathy. He gets both, without question, making this double as a Heartwarming Moment.

A Mercy

• Marine Sgt. Solomon Tozer desperately trying to save the comatose and (probably) soulless Private Heather, who has basically been his ward since the Tuunbaq disabled him, from being crushed by the stampeding men trying to escape the fire, only to have him slip from his hands and get crushed to death. He's screaming "No, no, no!" the entire time while trying to regain hold of him.
  • The real kicker? Tozer was the one who chose to bring Heather to Carnivale in the first place, simply because he thought the man deserved to be part of the fun. If it hadn't been for Tozer, Heather would certainly have been left in safety on the ship.

Horrible From Supper

• Goodsir, the kindest soul in the entire miniseries, crumbling into tears in the privacy of his tent after witnessing Morfin's death.
• Collins telling Goodsir about his mental troubles; it's clear he's struggling, and what's worse is that there simply isn't much help or medical understanding available for him in his circumstances and time period, and he only declines from then on.

Terror Camp Clear

• The Cold Open between Crozier and Fitzjames, where Fitzjames talks at length about his illegitimacy, the shame it causes him and how he sees himself as nothing more than a Glory Seeker. Crozier is quick to accept him as he is and reaffirm the bond that has grown between them. Fitzjames sheds Manly Tears at this response.
  • One moment that stands out is when Fitzjames admits that he's "not even fully English." The Irish Crozier doesn't respond, but you can tell that he understands what his friend is feeling.
  Fitzjames: My name...even my name was made up for my baptism. James Fitzjames. Like a bad pun. I'm not even fully English.
• Goodsir's words to Lady Silence as she leaves the camp. It's clear that he desperately wants her to stay but knows she is no longer safe amongst the crew, and his belief in the goodness of his peers and Englishmen as a whole seems to be crumbling in the face of reality. His last words to her, in her own language, are a quiet "I'm sorry." And to top it all off, this is the last time they see each other alive.
• Little's reaction to Irving's death and subsequent autopsy. Previously the worst we see him on screen is either frustrated or upset but keeping himself together but after somebody that he obviously considered a friend dies he can barely manage to keep himself from breaking down entirely.

The C, the C, the Open C

• In this episode, nearly every character slides into despair.
• The episode begins with Lady Jane trying to raise funds for a search expedition. Though she's maintaining the same bluff, no-nonsense attitude that she's displayed throughout the series, the strain is starting to show, and it's clear that she's afraid she'll be too late to save her husband, as she in fact already is.
• Fitzjames struggles through such agony that he ends up begging Crozier to mercy kill him, which Crozier does. It's horrible to witness, with Bridgens breaking into tears and Crozier gently easing an overdose into Fitzjames' mouth. The subsequent funeral is just as hard to watch, with Crozier barely keeping it together: this man, whom he hated but became one of his greatest friends and allies, is dead. And he's dead so early into the episode!
  • In addition to Bridgens's tears, even Crozier—who has managed to stay stoic and strong for the men throughout most of their ordeal—begins to cry as Fitzjames lies dying. Jared Harris's performance in the moment is utterly heartbreaking.
• Blanky volunteering to sacrifice himself to lure the Tuunbaq away, rather than slow anyone else down. And he does this at Fitzjames' funeral. Crozier nearly loses it completely. Just to twist the knife in, Blanky's injury is at least partly Crozier's fault.
• Hickey forcing Goodsir to butcher Gibson's corpse for meat.
• Hodgson lamenting his own weakness as he recalls a childhood memory, tears softly rolling down his cheeks while Goodsir listens quietly, pretending to be asleep.
• Hartnell dies in Crozier's arms after being shot by Des Voeux.
  • It's made all the worse by just how sudden it is, and then there's Crozier's line, "You did so well, son. Go. Go be with your brother now," said with tears clear in his eyes.
• Tozer recounts seeing the Tuunbaq eat Collins's soul to Hickey: hugging himself, tears rolling down his face, wearing the most miserable, pitiful expression. For one of the toughest characters on the show, it's a shock to see.
  • It's also difficult to watch Hickey comforting Tozer, as the audience knows full well that Hickey is only manipulating the man to ultimately use him to his own ends. And judging from Tozer's look of resignation, he half-knows this too...but as Hickey is the only one in the mutineers with a plan to survive, Tozer has no choice but to go along with it.
• Peglar dies, and a crushed Bridgens leaves the camp and lies down, waiting to die. We never see him again.
• Near the end of the episode, Sophia decides to emulate Lady Jane's example and steps out into the snow without a coat or shoes to see how long she can withstand the cold. The haunted, anguished look on her face is heart-wrenching; she is clearly realizing that she will never see her uncle or Crozier again. Worse yet, she is burdened with the knowledge that Crozier is only in the Arctic because of her.

We Are Gone

• Jopson's tragic, pointless death. He dies believing that Crozier has abandoned him and spends his last moments hallucinating, crawling across a full banquet table, an indifferent Crozier at the head.
• Crozier coming across Jopson's body a little ways from his tent. The regret on his face is plain to see.
• While the Tuunbaq dying may take away the Cosmic Horror Story element on the surface, when one really considers the implications of its death, it becomes a Cosmic Tragedy Story: with its death, the "civilized" humans have wiped out any remaining mystical magic in the world. Instead of respecting it we had to invade its territory and destroy it by literally feeding it with Hickey's evil soul, and now we're truly alone in a world without magic, just us and our venomous magic-destroying souls.
• Lady Silence/Silna first discovering the dead body of the Tuunbaq, then coming across Goodsir's cannibalised corpse. The latter causes her to nearly burst into tears.
• The last stand of Hickey's mutineers. Despite their actions, the narrative makes it clear that (with the exception of Hickey) they were mostly decent men acting out of fear and ignorance, and they end up facing down a creature they have no hopes of defying purely because Hickey decided to sacrifice his men for his own ambition and vanity.
  • In the case of Tozer, it's even worse when you realise that if he'd stayed alive just a few minutes longer, he'd have been able to help Crozier finish off the Tuunbaq and would probably have made it to the Inuit camp and a decent chance of survival. 'Close is worse than nothing' indeed.
• Des Voeux terrified, alone, and dying of poison, calls to Lady Silence for help, and pathetically (futilely) tries to grab on to her passing sled. Even after all the crap he's done, it's hard not to feel sorry for the man's ignoble end.
• Crozier deciding to hide from his friend James Ross. Crozier is in tears and is clearly torn between continuing to live with the Inuit or running into the arms of his friend and embracing him, but decides to let them believe he is dead.
  • Crozier's empty stare while seal hunting... it's obvious he's a broken man, who is going to be haunted by these events, every single day until he dies.
• The last spoken dialogue of the series: "Your friend took my hands. He said, 'Tell those who come after us not to stay. The ships are gone. There is no way through, no passage. Tell them we are gone. Dead and gone'".

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