pianodoesterror:itsevidentvery:pianodoesterror:rubysharkruby:“I’m not the sailor you are, Francis, n

pianodoesterror:itsevidentvery:pianodoesterror:rubysharkruby:“I’m not the sailor you are, Francis, never will be. But you will never be fit for command”So, it’s possibly the lukewarmest of takes to say that neither Crozier nor Franklin are the best of captains. The interesting thing is how their strengths and weaknesses complement each other and the two of them could have been a good team if they had both been able to put their differences aside and work together: Crozier is a shrewd and experienced sailor but cannot connect with the men around him, while Franklin is overconfident in his own abilities but beloved and respected by the entire crew (save Crozier).I’ve seen a lot of gifsets and meta highlighting Franklin’s failings in comparison to Crozier’s strengths, but not so much giving the other side and showing all the ways in which the series contrasts Crozier’s mishandling of interpersonal situations with Franklin’s social grace. Crozier knows the arctic better than Franklin, but it is Franklin who understands that keeping the men’s spirits up and making them feel like a valued member of a team all working together is a vital part of a captain’s duties. It is clear to the audience that Crozier does care for his men (possibly even more so than Franklin does - Franklin’s decision to move a dying David Young to Erebus was not motivated by what was best for the patient) but this doesn’t stop him from treating them badly and fostering a resentment that eventually leads to mutiny.“I’m not the sailor you are, Francis, never will be. But you will never be fit for command”. Franklin’s entire speech in episode three is fascinating and astonishingly cruel (far crueler than it would have been had Crozier not interrupted him while he was writing Gore’s eulogy, I think) and hits Crozier so hard because he knows Franklin is right, but this has already gotten far too long so I just want to pick out those two sentences because it encapsulates their conflict so well. Franklin knows he isn’t a strong sailor but he can inspire the men and believes that is what is most important in a commander; while Crozier keeps himself at a distance from his men but believes his sailing experience and acumen is what makes a captain. Not only do they both lack the strengths the other possesses, they don’t value those strengths and so cannot connect from a place of respect and learn from each other, which leaves their relationship as one of the many tragedies of the series.The point - the phrase - that stood out to me most here was “It is clear to the audience that Crozier does care for his men”. The audience sees how deeply he cares, be it from guilt or duty or genuine feeling or a mix of all three, but when in the first five episodes (two years) do the men see it? Crozier doesn’t interact with them to the amount Franklin does, or even as well (looking at you “…….travel well….”), and we all joke about him standing up at Carnivale to make his speech and the men being like “who wtf is this guy” but that’s pretty spot on; they’ve only seen a slurred drunken eulogy, yelling, and a violent flogging off him. Even Fitzjames doing something as small as nail inspections is showing men more care than Crozier does. The man that we, the audience, know isn’t apparent to most of the Terror’s - even his lieutenants are wary of him at dinner in ep1 - whereas Franklin had led men through hard, horrific situations (Coppermine, yikes) and knows the comforting, confident face they need in a commander. And when Francis finally shows that in the end of ep6 it’s too late. Close comes to mind. There’s also something to be said about Franklin holding little meetings and making visits to share information and discuss the course of action they will take, while Crozier makes choices alone or amongst an ever decreasing circle of people, keeping secrets even from his officers, and those are Hickey’s way in. But I’ve already made this post way longer - sorry op. Completely agree that Franklin and Crozier would probably have been good complements, if Franklin hadn’t already made an enemy of a Crozier who does not let personal grudges go. And if Franklin’s need for the expedition to rehabilitate him hadn’t blinded him the dangers of his decisions.Also, this isn’t about Fitzjames, but it is interesting to me that of the three, he’s the only one who both acknowledges the need for technical expertise (unlike Franklin) as well as the need to manage people (unlike Francis).“Also, this isn’t about Fitzjames” - isn’t everything, in the end, about Fitzjames. But yes, he is the middle ground between them; he is practical, whereas Crozier and Franklin do what they do because of the chips on their shoulders. Crozier knows this is a dangerous situation they are getting/have gotten themselves in and yet can’t humble himself to Franklin (or anyone) to make himself heard because of all his grudges. Franklin can’t humble himself and actually apologise for what he said rather than just offer branches. But Fitzjames can humble himself and ask Blanky for help.Sorry to make this even longer, but I have to add to this. I have always argued that the failure in the early parts of the show is a three-way breakdown in leadership. Those three men are all so bound up in their own egos that they’re not able to engage in a working relationship in any way.Franklin is somewhat desperate, knowing full well that he wasn’t the first choice for this position, and that this is his very last chance for redemption. He takes personal slights very hard given his history, something that is touched on only briefly in his scene on Erebus with Lady Jane. But he cares deeply about his men, and he’s working with what he has every reason to believe is the best technology of the time. He knows what’s best because he trusts that England knows what’s best - he’s a representative of imperialism, which doesn’t mean to say I think that’s forgivable, I just think it’s understandable that he’s a product of his society. Crozier in the first few episodes is incredibly selfish. He engages with very few of his men in any personable way and he’s got no management skills at all. He is completely unable to make an effort to have a working relationship with Franklin or Fitzjames, which is something that you genuinely have to be able to do when part of a management team. He visibly scoffs at both men in full view of other officers - even Blanky mentions how transparent he is, though he backpedals to save Crozier’s feelings. He argues his case from the position that he is absolutely right and everyone else is a fool, not something that generally works when having a disagreement. He’s visibly drunk much of the time, always surly or sardonic, and deliberately dismissive of his fellow captains. I wouldn’t want to listen to any coworker who acted like that either. Fitzjames is possibly the most fragile of the three. He’s a nobody from nowhere and he hates to see Crozier in a position above him because he already feels inadequate. He’s snarky to a fault, mocking Crozier in open meetings, which hurts both of their credibility as leaders. He even goes so far as to snipe at Goodsir when getting the report of Gore’s death. He absolutely worships Franklin, because Franklin is everything he is not. Franklin has the pedigree, the social standing, the financial backing of a good marriage, and he desperately wants to be that. But this admiration he has for Sir John, combined with his own insecurity, makes him incapable of doing anything but actively reinforcing Sir John’s every thought, which is decidedly not a healthy dynamic for either of them. His inability to critically examine the situation for himself and offer his own opinion destroys any chance he had at being an effective part of the leadership team. The difference between these three, the reason everyone (myself included) loves to drag Franklin, is that he never gets a chance to grow. Even after his death, Crozier and Fitzjames are still at each other’s throats, with Crozier making grievous mistakes and Fitzjames only antagonizing him further. The show puts a huge amount of trust in its audience to allow its central characters to remain such dysfunctional humans for so many episodes, and it delivers their development beautifully. But Franklin dies before his character can experience that growth.  -- source link

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