After a key character’s death at the hands of the beast, the crews of the Erebus and Terror blame the mysterious Lady Silence and bring her aboard.

Everyone is still shell-shocked following the brutal death of Captain Franklin, with newly-promoted Crozier (Jared Harris) assuming command, and flashbacks that help explain why he undertook this foolish mission in the first place. We also have a contemporary switch in locale to Franklin’s wife (Greta Scacchi) back home trying to persuade the admiralty to send out a rescue mission – the trouble is that they never really had much faith in its success and are resistant  to throwing good money after bad.

The beast is now confident enough to pick men off the boat and all eyes are on the Inuit girl whose father was accidentally shot by the sailors. Can she really control it, as some believe? Even so, she doesn’t deserve the Ill treatment by Hickey (Adam Nagaitis) who receives the titular punishment – a brutal 30 lashes – for his actions, in the episode’s most uncomfortable moment. Crozier needs to maintain control while also keeping up morale, but both are slipping away

Verdict: The tension ratchets up as the screw turns tighter in this bleakest of tales that has no chance of a happy ending, it’s just a matter of discovering which disaster or tragedy will happen next. But like rubberneckers at an accident we can’t help but be drawn in to watch the misery. 8/10

Nick Joy