Is The Terror based on true story? Explained

The Terror is an anthology series originally created for AMC. While its first season was released on March 25, 2018, its second season premiered on August 12, 2019. As per a TV Line report published on February 6, 2024, a third season of the season will be released in 2025.

The synopsis of the series on IMDb reads:

“Supernatural, semihistorical, horror anthology series, where each season is inspired by a different infamous or mysterious real life historical tragedy.”

While both seasons 1 and 2 of The Terror incorporate fictional elements, they are based on true stories. Season 1 is based on a 2007 book by Dan Simmons of the same name. Both the series and the source material deal with the disappearance of the Royal Navy's polar explorer ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, which happened in the 1840s.

Season 2 of the series takes more liberties with history, presenting a fictionalized account of the experiences of the Japanese-American community in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. However, even though supernatural elements are brought into the story, the premise is based on true events.

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The Terror season 1 is based on a historical event

The synopsis of season 1 of the horror series reads:

“Haunting, suspenseful and based on true events, The Terror centers on a perilous Arctic voyage by the British Royal Navy. It’s an extreme tale of survival in wholly unforgiving landscape - with the crew's fears exacerbated by an unknown threat.”

This 10-episode season deals with the mysterious disappearance of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Led by Sir John Franklin, the two ships left England in 1845 to explore the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.

The two ships, however, disappeared after a few months in the sea, under mysterious circumstances. As per an article published by Independent on March 4, 2021, they were last seen in Baffin Bay.

The Terror season 1 recreates this enigmatic event. However, it adds a supernatural touch to the real event as the climactic episode shows that a monster has been chasing and killing the crew members.

As for the original case, it still remains a mystery as to what happened to the ships and the crew members. Dexerto reported on August 20, 2024, that the ships may have been trapped in Victoria Strait. Causes of the crew’s death could include hypothermia, lead poisoning, and even cannibalism.

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The Terror's second season’s premise is based on real-life experiences

Season 2 of the series, called The Terror: Infamy, deals with the experiences of Japanese American men on Terminal Island in the aftermath of Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Its synopsis reads:

"Set during World War II, "The Terror: Infamy" centers on a series of bizarre deaths that haunt a Japanese-American community, and a young man's journey to understand and combat the malevolent entity responsible."

After the attack, America quickly responded by treating the Japanese-American people with severity despite there being no evidence of treason and disloyalty against them.

The article “Japanese-American History at Terminal Island” published by Los Angeles Conservancy shows how the Japanese-American people in Terminal Island were forcibly removed from their homes and mistreated as they were suspected of being Japanese spies.

The Terror: Infamy takes this chapter in history as its premise and then weaves a supernatural tale out of it, adding Japanese folklore concerning spirits and ghosts.

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Will there be a season 3?

The horror anthology series will be back with a third season. Like season 1, season 3 will be based on a book, the 2012 Victor LaValle novel The Devil in Silver.

Season 3 will be about Pepper, a working-class man who, out of some bad luck and some faults of his own, finds himself institutionalized in the New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital. No official release date is known yet, but a 2025 release seems plausible. Stay tuned for more updates on the same.

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The Terror seasons 1 and 2 are available for streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+.