Cornelius Hickey
Background
Cornelius Hickey is a caulker's mate on the HMS Terror in the Discovery Service for the British Royal Navy. He is originally from Ireland.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 1 Go for Broke played by Adam Nagaitis
At the crew dinner, William Strong is eating with Hickey, Thomas Evans, Robert Golding, and David Young. Hickey and the others argue what rank the ship's dog, Neptune has. Young starts to cough up blood and Golding calls for a doctor. After he dies, Young's grave is dug by Hickey, Evans and Magnus Manson, while he is buried by Hickey, who is overseen by Sgt. Solomon Tozer. As Young is being buried his coffin opens and Hickey steals his ring. Franklin gives a speech to the crew about how they will soon accomplish their journey. Six days later, both ships are stuck in the ice and the next morning they wake up to be surrounded by continuous ice.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 2 Gore played by Adam Nagaitis
Lt. John Irving catches Hickey having sex with William Gibson. Irving orders Hickey to repair Francis Crozier's toilet and when he leaves, Gibson worries that Irving will tell on them, but Hickey doesn't think he will. Neptune barks at Hickey as he is caulking Crozier's toilet and after Hickey threatens to caulk him, Neptune leaves a poop on the floor. Hickey hears Crozier walking nearby and hurriedly picks up the poop, which endears him to Crozier. Crozier and Hickey bond over being Irish and Crozier offers him a drink.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 3 The Ladder played by Adam Nagaitis
June, 1847, Hickey sees Gibson ask to speak with Irving. Irving approaches Hickey and Irving accuses Hickey of seducing Gibson. Hickey then confronts Gibson and Gibson breaks off their relationship. Hickey brags that he had a drink with Crozier and Gibson points out, Crozier will drink with anyone. After John Franklin is killed by the Tuunbaq, Crozier gives the speech written by Franklin for Lt. Graham Gore's eulogy, and during the funeral, Hickey defecates on Crozier's bed and reads his resignation letter.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 4 Punishment, as a Boy played by Adam Nagaitis
November, 1847, Tozer complains about how the royal marines are taking the brunt of the Tuunbaq attacks, and Hickey eavesdrops on Tozer's complaints. Corporal Hedges, Private Daly, Hickey, Wilson, Samuel Crispe and Walker are called for watch duty by John Lane. While on duty, Hickey finds Strong's body resting on the edge of the ship and sees the Tuunbaq walking away. He asks Tozer where Lady Silence has her camp. After going missing, Hickey returns with Lady Silence and a fight breaks out when Golding wants to murder her, while Thomas Hartnell wants her to be questioned. Crozier walks into the deck and fires his gun into the air and orders everyone on their knees. He demands to know who is responsible for bringing Lady Silence on board and Hickey takes the blame, as do Hartnell and Magnus Manson. Lady Silence is transferred to the Erebus while the three perpetrators are questioned by Crozier and Fitzjames. Crozier orders that they each receive 12 lashes by Johnson. Hickey continues to argue that what he did saved the others and Crozier angrily has him punished as a boy. Hickey is lashed in front of the crew with his pants down. Afterwards, Hickey goes to his bunk and finds someone gave him some tobacco.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 5 First Shot a Winner, Lads played by Adam Nagaitis
Thomas Darlington tells Hickey to clean up the leaking tar. Lt. Edward Little tells Lt. George Hodgson that Hornby died on the ice and Hickey and Darlington stare as Lady Silence is brought on board. Hickey tries to get information out of Henry Goodsir by using flattery, but Goodsir doesn't fall for it. Hickey asks Gibson questions about what the officers on ship are discussing. Hickey gives Gibson, Young's ring which he stole and again asks Gibson to find out information. As Irving is supervising Manson and Hartnell put Hornby's body into the hold, Manson tells Irving, he and others have heard the bodies of Strong and Evans making noise. Irving threatens Manson who initially refuses to go down and Hickey intervenes. When Thomas Blanky is attacked by the Tuunbaq. Hickey breaks the door down and and sees the body of Darlington.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 6 A Mercy played by Adam Nagaitis
January, 1848, Hickey removes the bandage covering Pvt. William Heather's exposed brain and sticks his finger in Heather's brain. Hickey asks Gibson information about what the officers are doing. He says hello to Thomas Armitage and tells Hartnell that Armitage always wanted to be a Royal Marine, but his deafness in an ear prevented it. Hickey tells him that Armitage owes them for not exposing him as part of the group that kidnapped Lady Silence. Hartnell tells Hickey that he regrets joining him and Hickey walks away. Carnival starts and Crozier and Thomas Jopson arrive later and find the crew drunk. Hickey goes outside to pee and the tents suddenly start to burn. Hickey uses a knife to cut open the canvas and kills Dr. MacDonald in the process. The remaining crew stumble out of the area and the dead are lined up.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 7 Horrible from Supper played by Adam Nagaitis
April 22, 1848, Manson asks Gibson if he thinks the first land camp is up. Armitage tells Golding they would know by now if there had been a Tuunbaq attack on the first group. Hickey seems unconcerned about the Tuunbaq, which elicits a comment out of Tozer. Gibson has the idea to abandon the others and to leave on their own, which he tells to Hickey, Golding, Tozer and Armitage. He also thinks they should see if others would like to join them in their desertion. Irving gives the word, and the group starts their march through the Arctic. Richard Wall serves dinner and Hickey notices Goodsir pull Lady Silence away from the food line.
Hickey has a meeting with Hodgson where Tozer is present, and invites him to join the group of deserters and offers him meat from Neptune. Irving, Hodgson, Armitage, Hickey, Thomas Farr and Pocock are out scouting for animals to hunt when Irving suggests they split up. Irving's group crests a rise and spot a group of Netsilik hunters. Irving goes to speak with them and Farr points out to Hickey that Crozier was right. Irving goes back to where Hickey and Farr were when he notices them no longer on the ridge. He finds Hickey half naked over the dead body of Farr and Hickey stabs him to death. In the past. Hickey comes on board the ship, having taken the place of New Seaman, the real Hickey.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 8 Terror Camp Clear played by Adam Nagaitis
April, 1848, Hickey is telling a group of men about the murder of Irving and Farr and tells them the Netsilik will kill them all. Jopson tells Hickey, Crozier wants to see him and he, Crozier, Lady Silence, Goodsir, Blanky, and Hartnell prepare to leave to go where the Netsilik were killed. As Hickey is leaving camp, he tells Tozer that they need weapons from the armory. Crozier's party arrives at the scene of the murder of the Netsilik and finds it contained a mother and daughter. Hartnell grabs a sack of food on the Netsilik sled and Lady Silence tells Goodsir that the family were friends of hers.
Crozier's group returns and Hickey tells Gibson and Manson to make sure Golding, Edmund Hoar, Thompson, Crispe, Kenley, and Coombs are armed. Hickey and Tozer are arrested and are brought to a makeshift gallows. The trial is given before the surviving sailors. Crozier admits there is no help coming, but tells them that Hickey is a user and has John Diggle open the bag the Netsilik had. Diggle tells the others that the bag has fresh meat and Goodsir reveals that Irving had recently eaten fresh meat. Hickey is given a chance to speak and he tells the others that Crozier had planned to abandon the crew. A laugh rings out in the fog and Henry Collins walks into camp, followed by the Tuunbaq. The Tuunbaq slaughters many members of the camp while Hickey and the deserters steal supplies and leave camp.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 9 The C, the C, the Open C played by Adam Nagaitis
The next day after the Tuunbaq attack on the camp, Hodgson sees Hickey's group and walks up to them. Hickey tells him that they have food and invites Hodgson to join them. At Hickey's camp, Hodgson tells Hickey of the time he ate American ham at a wedding which was the best thing he ever ate. Hickey tells him that they really never knew what they could have been eating from the tins of food and that at this point, anything they eat only needs to serve their needs. Goodsir is examining William Gibson, and Hickey walks in. Hickey asks if Gibson will be able to help haul supplies and when Goodsir tells him no, Hickey grabs a knife and stabs Gibson to death. Tozer tells Hickey about Crozier's camp whereabouts and how they have one of their own in Crozier's group. Armitage thinks they must be making camp for awhile and Hickey decides to make camp close by. Hickey has Goodsir come into his tent and orders him to butcher Gibson and when Goodsir refuses, threatens to kill Hodgson if Goodsir doesn't butcher Gibson. Goodsir brings two sacks of meat and Hickey's group eats the remains of Gibson, including Hodgson. Tozer returns from reconnaissance and tells Hickey that the Tuunbaq is nearby and they should try and return to the ships. He tells Hickey that he saw the Tuunbaq eat Collins' soul and Hickey decides they need a new plan.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 10 We Are Gone played by Adam Nagaitis
Crozier, whose face is bloody, is brought to Hickey's camp by gunpoint by Armitage. Crozier walks up to Hickey who tells Crozier it is the same day of the week as when they first met. Hickey tells Des Voeux to take Crozier to Goodsir to have his wounds cleaned and Des Vouex makes the excuse that Crozier fell. Hickey has a meeting with Crozier and Crozier suggests letting Hodgson, Diggle, Goodsir, and Manson return to the other camp. Hickey tells Crozier that he was the only equal on the entire expedition and tells Crozier he brought him to the camp, because of the Tuunbaq. In the evening, the camp is woken up by Hickey and Crozier is brought outside where he sees the butchered body of Goodsir. Crozier is forced to eat a piece of Goodsir and cuts a piece off of Goodsir's foot and the rest of the camp eat. Hickey gets up and hits Tozer in the head with the buttstock of a rifle, knocking him unconscious. Hickey's camp pull a boat across the land until Hickey orders them to stop and has Pilkington fire his rifle into the air to attract the Tuunbaq. As Hickey tells his group his plan, some members start to get sick and vomit. He tells them that he can't go back and killed the original Hickey. Pilkington yells out that the Tuunbaq is coming and Crozier tells the group that it will go after those that are running first. Tozer starts to make a battle plan as Hickey rambles about gods and empires. Edmund Hoar runs away and as Armitage is about to shoot Hickey, Manson shoots him dead. The Tuunbaq kills Pilkington, Diggle, Hodgson, Golding and then Manson. Hickey cuts off his tongue as Tozer frees himself and Crozier tosses Tozer, Armitage's shotgun. The Tuunbaq eats Tozer and Hickey offers it his tongue. It then eats Hickey's arm and upper torso, before choking and dying.