The icebound crews, still reeling from the beast’s confident attack, are sitting ducks, but that doesn’t stop the Captain from organising a party.

Having recognised that their lot is one of perpetual misery, Fitzjames (Tobias Menzies) organises a revel to raise the spirits of the disenchanted sailors, and while this might seem like a frivolous use of their increasingly limited resources – a large portion of the canned food is found to be rotten – there’s a certain logic in trying to raise morale. Unfortunately, the supernatural forces at work here don’t allow concessions for R and R, and what should be a grand night out ends in disaster.

The ever-resilient Blanky (he’s recovering from the recent amputation) recalls how Sir John’s previous expedition nearly led to everyone’s deaths, but they did survive regardless. This small semblance of hope helps focus attention on what actually needs to be done – to walk out onto the ice to try to find salvation in the form of solid land, food or humanity.

When Dr Stanley (Alastair Petrie) finally cracks and begins to burn the party down, we’re treated to some impressive stunt pyrotechnics, including a vicious self-immolation. Unfortunately, while this show could hardly be accused of treading water, this party does feel like a longueur when everyone should really be focusing on getting a move on. The fatal resolution comes as no surprise to anyone – it’s par for the course for this bunch of doomed souls.

Verdict: After the previous episode’s monster-heavy focus, all eyes are on the crew, who dare to have some fun when tragedy is just round the next iceberg. 8/10

Nick Joy