Summary
As a tense psychological thriller that emphasizes the paranoia of its characters,The Terrorrelies on a series of surprising twists and revelations to succeed – including around core characters like Adam Nagaitis' Cornelius Hickey. As the characters in the story are pushed to their limits, each of them undergoes intense psychological pressure, revealing the essence of their personality to the audience. In some cases, this results in moments of courage, cowardice, or despair. In the case of Mr. Hickey, however, the show reveals something potentially even more sinister.
Although he is a clear villain in the story,Hickey is perhaps one of the most interesting characters inThe Terror. One of the details that sets him apart is his reluctance to adhere to Royal Naval structures and hierarchies, consistently displaying insubordination to the officers on boardThe Terror’s Franklin expedition. Initially, this seems like a character quirk. However, as the story begins to unravel, it eventually becomes clear that Hickey is more than he seems, setting the stage for him to play a key role in some of the show’s more horrific moments.
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The Terror’s Mr. Hickey Is An Imposter - Twist Explained
The Real Mr. Hickey Died Before The Expedition
Inthe final episode ofThe Terror, season 1, it is revealed that the Cornelius Hickey viewers have become familiar with is not, in fact, the real Hickey at all. Instead,he is an imposter, who heard about the planned expedition from the real Hickey back in London. After being seduced by stories of the Sandwich Islands and the promise of a voyage that was only set to be a year-long, he decided to murder Hickey, taking his place on the crew. Of course, he could not have foreseen that the Franklin expedition would have gone so disastrously wrong.
Like many of the most effective plot twists,The Terror’s Mr. Hickey reveal doesn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, it makes perfect sense in hindsight. Since he’s unfamiliar with Naval customs and regulations, it explains why Hickey is so bold when it comes to trying to further himself on board ship.It also explains why he is so willing to commit horrific violence, such as the murder of Farr and Irving, and why he revels in the chaos of the failed mission – deliberately sabotaging the crew’s chance of allying with the Inuit. The fact that he’s been an imposter all along actually makes these actions more believable.
How Mr. Hickey’s Role Changed From The Book That Inspired The Terror Show
There Are Some Important Similarities
In some ways, Hickey plays a very similar role in bothThe Terrorseries and the novel of the same name on which it is based. In both versions,he is the main human antagonist who constantly seeks to sow discontent, laying the groundwork for mutiny and eventually spearheading the push towards cannibalism. He plays a similar role in many of the stories' main set pieces, including murdering his fellow crewmates when contact with the Inuit becomes a possibility.
One of the lessons of the novel is how the isolation and extreme hardship fundamentally alters everyone on the fateful Franklin expedition.
However, in making Hickey an outsider,The Terrorfundamentally alters a crucial aspect of his character. One of the lessons of the novel is how the isolation and extreme hardship fundamentally alters everyone on the fateful Franklin expedition. The fact that their corruption comes from within in the form of Hickey is a powerful metaphor for the potential for evil that works for everyone. In making him an imposter,the show provided a more believable explanation for some of his more eccentric behavior.However, it also slightly altered one of the original story’s most important messages.
Why Changing Mr. Hickey Makes Sense In The Terror
It Was A Change That Needed To Be Made
Portraying Mr. Hickey as an outsider ultimately made many of his choices, which would seem very strange if made by an experienced professional sailor, make total sense. As an arch-survivor,he has no scruples when it comes to how far he’ll go to stay alive. He is also unfamiliar with the freedom afforded by the wilderness, perhaps explaining why it seems to affect him so profoundly. His consistent boundary-pushing is distinctly un-naval, making him a disruptive presence that helps advance the drama of the story. Whatever it means forThe Terror’s wider message, there’s no doubt that aspects of the change work well.
Other factors might also explain whyThe Terrorchanged Mr. Hickey from the book. One concern might be the fact thatThe Terroris based on a real storyinvolving real people. Insinuating anything so dark about a real figure from history when next to nothing is known about what really took place is potentially fraught with risk. In many cases, adaptations change core components of the original story at their peril. However, as far asThe Terroris concerned, the Mr. Hickey twist is both justifiable and effective.
