John Franklin
Background
Sir John Franklin is the captain on the HMS Erebus in the Discovery Service for the British Royal Navy. He is married to Lady Jane Franklin and his niece is Sophia Cracroft.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 1 Go for Broke played by Ciaran Hinds
Franklin is surveying the ice as Henry Collins gives orders to William Strong on training another. Franklin walks up to James Fitzjames who notices the compass is becoming less reliable. Collins tells Franklin that Francis Crozier is requesting an ice report and Franklin tells him to relay to Crozier that he and Fitzjames will be joining him for dinner. At the officer's dinner, Fitzjames tells the diners consisting of Franklin, Crozier, Lt. Edward Little, Dr. MacDonald, Lt. John Irving, and Lt. George Hodgson about the time he was shot in China. Crozier sarcastically asks Fitzjames to recount the time he was assigned to guard bird guano. Franklin mentions that Reid noticed a patch of ice that doesn't appear to be summer break-up ice, but isn't concerned. Crozier has a meeting with Franklin and Fitzjames about David Young and Dr. MacDonald tells them Young has dark blood in his stool and he may have tuberculosis. Franklin suggests Dr. Stanley have a look at young and decides to have Young brought to his ship. Fitzjames complains to Franklin about Crozier and his negative attitude.
A large piece of ice hits the Erebus and Lt. Graham Gore tells Franklin the status of the ship and that the propeller is jammed with ice. Franklin calls a meeting of the officers, including Lt. H.T.D. Le Vesconte, and John Gregory tells them about the damage to the Erebus and Crozier warns Franklin that they will be dealing with pack ice ahead. He asks Gore how many sun dogs he has seen and suggests they explore King William Land to see if it is an island and Thomas Blanky agrees. Franklin decides against his advice and Fitzjames considers Crozier's warning, melodrama. Crozier then angrily points out that only four people at the table are veterans of the arctic, but Franklin again decides to continue on. 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 Franklin finds a lead ball in his meat. The next morning they wake up to be surrounded by continuous ice. Franklin sees Crozier staring at him from across the Terror and the memory of the play is recalled in his mind where he was given applause by the theater goers, including Lady Jane Franklin, Sir John Barrow and George Barrow.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 2 Gore played by Ciaran Hinds
Spring, 1847, Gregory shows Franklin and Fitzjames the engines on the Erebus and they talk about which survey crew will be successful. Franklin gives a speech and then the two groups leave on their respective paths. He visits the Terror to try and mend his relationship with Crozier. He suggests that the coming summer will improve their situation, but Crozier thinks things will not improve, based on the weather and his experience. Before leaving, Franklin tells Crozier his toilet has a draft. Franklin speaks with Fitzjames about his meeting with Crozier and Fitzjames tells him Crozier is a depressive. John Bridgens walks in and tells them the first group returned. Hodgson tells Franklin that they saw no signs of the ice retreating and some of their supplies were spoiled. Franklin thanks him and then watches as some crew members are playing soccer. He remembers the dinner he had with Lady Jane Franklin and Sophia Cracroft in which Sophia told him and Lady Jane that Crozier had proposed to her again. He advises her to firmly reject Crozier's advances due to Crozier's birth status and looks up to see Crozier standing in the hallway, having heard everything. Gore's party returns and a Shaman is brought onto the Erebus where Dr. Stanley refuses to operate on him. Henry Goodsir offers to continue working on the Shaman and Franklin agrees to it. A little later, Franklin returns in and orders Lady Silence off the ship and after Crozier asks if she can board the Terror, tells him he is to stay on the Erebus until they figure out what happened to Gore. Goodsir is questioned about what happened to Gore and he tells them that it seemed Tuunbaq had tracked them back to the ship. Crozier asks if they found any leads and is told by Goodsir, Gore thought the ice seemed thicker and then tells Franklin, the Shaman had no tongue.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 3 The Ladder played by Ciaran Hinds
June, 1847, Franklin and the other officers of the Erebus eat a silent dinner with a plate left on the table for Gore. He remembers the dinner party that was held before they left on the expedition and how Sir John Ross asked him what plans he had made in case the ships are ice locked. Later Lady Jane Franklin tells Franklin that Sir Ross is only bitter due to his failure in the ice. She then shows him Jacko, the pet monkey she got him. It flashes back and Sir Ross warns Franklin that nothing grows in the Arctic and that starving men will turn against their leaders. While Franklin is writing a eulogy for Gore, Crozier visits him and asks permission to send a party out to the Hudson Bay Company outpost on Great Slave Lake so that they may be rescued. Franklin refuses the request and says he will not lose another man and tells Crozier that Crozier blames the world for his problems and tells him, he will never be fit for command.
Franklin, along with Goodsir, walks to the men stationed at the hunting blind, consisting of Sgt. Daniel Bryant, Pvt. William Heather and Sgt. Solomon Tozer. He asks them what bait they are using and they tell him rats. Goodsir takes a photo of Franklin with the men at the blind. Franklin is invited by Tozer and Heather to wait in the blind with them and Bryant is suddenly grabbed and killed by the Tuunbaq. The rest of the men in the blind start shooting and Franklin starts to stumble away in shock. He starts calling out for the Erebus and as Fitzjames and Charles Des Voeux go out to save him, Franklin is grabbed by the Tuunbaq, chewed in half, and dropped into the fire pit with the Shaman.