Summary
The Terroris a harrowing horror story incorporating psychological strife and physical hardship, but perhaps the heart of the story is a mysterious and terrifying monster that stalks the show’s main characters. Because of the show’s emphasis on psychological disintegration and how extreme suffering can push anyone beyond breaking point,The Terroris not a traditional monster-themed horror. Nevertheless, the importance of the series' monster cannot be understated.
Based on the 2007 novel of the same name,The Terroris a fictionalized account of the real-life Franklin expeditionthat fatefully set out to discover the fabled Northwest Passage through the Arctic. Since the real mission ended in disaster in an era where remote communication was impossible,little is known about what actually happened. However, the series provides an explanation that simultaneously builds on the reality of what can happen when a group faces adversity and isolation while also incorporating fantastical horror elements. In this regard,The Terror’s monster is absolutely crucial.
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The Crew In The Terror Were Hunted By A Monster Called The “Tuunbaq”
It’s Central To The Show’s Story
After HMS Terror and Erebus become encased in ice in their attempts to continue their exploratory mission, it’s clear that the situation inThe Terrorseason 1is dire. The crew is beset by numerous difficulties, including freezing temperatures, resource management, and increasing restlessness and suspicion of one another. However, as pressing as these concerns are, they are soon overshadowed by the arrival of the so-called “Tuunbaq”.
First mentioned in the show’s opening episode, “Dead and Gone”,the Tuunbaq is a composite of a real creature and a supernatural presence. Initially, the crew believes it to be a giant polar bear that has developed an unusual fixation on the boats. The first interaction involves the Tuunbaq wrecking some supply sleds being used to transport goods between the two ships. However, when marine David Bryant shoots and kills a local shaman, it’s clear that there is something unnatural about the Tuunbaq.
As the drama escalates, the Tuunbaq increases its attacks on the crew, killing key players like Franklin. It also shares a connection with Lady Silence,who in turn strengthens this bond by cutting her tongue out in its presence once she has been released– developing some ability to control it. This causes the Tuunbaq to leave the party alone – until the massacre of an innocent Inuit family following encouragement bythe villainous Cornelius Hickey. This pits the Tuunbaq against the rapidly deteriorating crew once again, until a final showdown in which Crozier manages to successfully strangle it to death.
The Netsilik people, who are a peripheral presence in the story, clearly revere it, demonstrated by their banishment of Lady Silence after the creature was killed while bonded to her.
While the Tuunbaq is a terrifying presence in the show, killing dozens of crew members and proving to be a formidable opponent, it’s also clear that it is more complex than many horror monsters. The Netsilik people, who are a peripheral presence in the story, clearly revere it, demonstrated by their banishment of Lady Silence after the creature was killed while bonded to her. It is also not completely malevolent, with its hostility towards the crew more indicative of their malign and interloping presence than the Tuunbaq’s own character. As such,The Terror’s monster has a complex and multifaceted role within the story.
The Terror’s Tuunbaq Is Likely Inspired By The “Tupilaq”
It Has A Basis In Inuit Religion
The term “Tuunbaq” was created by author Dan Simmons for his 2007 novel,The Terror, on which the show is based. However, while Tuunbaq is a new invention, it has a basis in real Inuit religion. While not completely analogous,the monster has many similarities to the Inuit “tupilaq”– a kind of vengeful spirit that can be summoned and controlled in order to kill a particular enemy.
According to mythology, a tupilaq can be created by combining various animal parts into the shape of a hideous creature, which a shaman then brings to life. After being placed in the sea, the tupilaq would then theoretically seek out the foe of whoever had summoned it and kill them. However, if the target was more adept at using magic than the summoner, they could turn the tupilaq around and have it attack its creator. This concept of a vengeful spirit stalking enemies across the Arctic is clearly very similar to the behavior of the Tuunbaq inThe Terror.
Why The Tuunbaq Looked Like A Polar Bear
There Are Several Reasons Why It’s Designed This Way
It’s important to note that the Tuunbaq of the series is very different in appearance from the creature in the original novel. In the show, the Tuunbaq is a gigantic bear, with snub-nosed features and an eerily human face. By contrast,the Tuunbaq in Simmons' version is described as having a long neck and walking on two legs. It is also indestructible, as opposed to the show’s version, which is eventually killed. However, while the show made multiple design changes, there are very good reasons why envisioning the creature as a bear makes perfect sense.
It’s not entirely clear from its appearance whether the Tuunbaq is a real animal, or a supernatural force.
For one thing, the polar bear is the top predator in the Arctic. As a result, it makes total sense for the Tuunbaq, which clearly has a deep connection to the environment, to use the bear as an avatar, turning it into the ultimate embodiment of primal fury. Having the creature seem disconcertingly close to a real animal alsoallowsThe Terrorto toe the line between fantasy and something more grounded. It’s not entirely clear from its appearance whether the Tuunbaq is a real animal, or a supernatural force. It could be that the men are imagining its monstrous proportions having spent so long in the bleak wilderness.
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What Did The Tuunbaq Represent In The Terror
It’s Vital To The Overall Message Of The Show
More than being a straightforward antagonist, the Tuunbaq distills everything thatThe Terroris really about. The mystery around its origins, and the deliberate uncertainty of whether it is a malevolent spirit that cannot be stopped or a real animal,reflects the sense of paranoia and uncertainty that permeates the crew’s psychology. Beyond this, however, the Tuunbaq’s fate is a profound message about the broader impact of the crew’s mission and the entire region.
In a departure from the novel,The Terror’s Tuunbaq is shown to take physical damage from the crew. With each encounter, it becomes physically frailer and more scarred, as if their presence in its territory is literally corrosive. This degradation becomes a powerful metaphor for how encroachment and disrespect for the environment can not only be dangerous for the perpetrators, but also corrupt nature itself. It’s telling that,inThe Terror’s ending, the Tuunbaq diesafter consuming forks and poisoned crew members, as well as the toxic Hickey, highlighting how humankind can sicken the natural world.
In its mission to attack the crew, the Tuunbaq arguably represents a determination to push back on encroachment and keep some wild places wild. In a way, the crew’s battle against the Tuunbaq is a microcosm of humanity’s broader attempt to subjugate nature. It’s telling that, eventually, the invasive presence of the expedition does prevail – but only after incredible suffering that undermines any sense of triumph. It may be subtle, butThe Terror’s monster arguably holds the key to understanding this broader message at the core of the series.
