John Bridgens
Background
John Bridgens is the subordinate officers' steward on the HMS Erebus in the Discovery Service for the British Royal Navy.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 2 Gore played by John Lynch
Spring, 1847, Bridgens speaks to Henry Peglar before he leaves on the survey and gives him a book to read. Later, Bridgens walks in and tells John Franklin and James Fitzjames, the first group returned. Lt. George Hodgson tells Franklin that they saw no signs of the ice retreating and some of their supplies were spoiled.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 6 A Mercy played by John Lynch
January, 1848, Thomas Blanky tells James Fitzjames of how Sir John Ross was willing to leave behind the sick before leaving any equipment behind, of how they built Somerset House. He continues that even in camp, the officers lived a life of relative plenty while the others slept in ditches, and of how he wanted to kill Sir Ross. As he continues, Bridgens overhears him as he waits outside the door.
Later, Peglar knocks on Bridgens' door and Bridgens gives him Xenophon to read and to think how he would prepare for such a journey as the mercenaries undertook in the book. Carnival starts and Francis Crozier and Thomas Jopson arrive later and find the crew drunk. Crozier holds a speech and tells the crew that they need to return to their homes. Crozier tells them that they will be walking to safety. He continues that they should find help from the Netsilik people on their way and should eventually meet up with Lt. Fairholme and his group. Lady Silence stumbles into the crowd and shortly after, Dr. Stanley starts himself and the carnival camp on fire. The fire spreads through carnival and some of the crew are burned to death. Cornelius 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 and Bridgens and Peglar hug each other when they find one another in the crowd.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 7 Horrible from Supper played by John Lynch
April 22, 1848, Lt. John Irving gives the word, and the group starts their march through the Arctic. The crew meet up with Lt. Edward Little's group, who have already set up camp. During the night, John Morfin collapses and asks Henry Goodsir to kill him. The rest of the camp wakes up and Morfin takes the rifle from Pvt. William Pilkington and points it at Crozier. Fitzjames orders Morfin to lower his weapon and Morfin shoots towards him before being shot dead by Sgt. Solomon Tozer.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 8 Terror Camp Clear played by John Lynch
April, 1848, Bridgens is taking care of Henry Collins when Peglar walks into the medic tent. As Peglar shows Bridgens his bruises and sores, Bridgens reassures Peglar that his condition can be reversed and then finds Collins gone, along with the bottle of cocaine. 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 Collins walks into camp, followed by the Tuunbaq. The Tuunbaq then slaughters many members of the camp.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 9 The C, the C, the Open C played by John Lynch
The next day after the Tuunbaq attack on the camp, Crozier asks if anyone has seen Goodsir and Bridgens tells him, Goodsir would never have left willingly with the traitors. Bridgens is working on a patient, who appears to be comatose, and tells Crozier and Fitzjames that the patient is like a diary with all the entries removed. As he is dying, Fitzjames offers his body as food to Crozier and the men and asks Crozier to end his pain. Bridgens tells Crozier which pain killer to use and Crozier euthanizes Fitzjames. Peglar collapses and Bridgens carries him to one of the supply boats. Later, Bridgens reads from a now dead Peglar's journal and of a poem he wrote about the sea. Bridgens, who is far away from camp, looks one last time at Peglar's journal and goes to sleep.