If the synopses Tom posted didn't mention Inuit I would've guessed Frankenstein's monster.
I'm thinking it might be a prehistoric polar bear of some kind?
On the site I found the streaming links the comment stream suggests a decent series.
I'm kinda wanting to wait to see if it gets a season two.
That would indicate it has at least
something worth checking out.
Recently I watched the film
Unnatural (2015). It was about a polar bear that was genetically modified and that was a pretty decent creature design.
Almost Werewolf-like:
Doing a bit of research I found this:
Signal Horizon/Horror/Science Fiction/Culture/Movies/Literature
Apparently the creature is called a Tuunbaq.
Another episode down and still no Tuunbaq. We have seen the aftermath of encounters with this mythical beast(bodies parts and brains galore) but not even a hint of the beast itself. No shadows, no tufts of hair, not even any obligatory drool.
In creating the monster for The Terror, Dan Simmons borrowed from many different Inuit cultures and melded together his own killing machine part polar bear part saber tooth tiger. Contrary to popular belief, Tuunbaq is a fictional creation of Dan Simmons rendered from the Inuit religious concept of Tuurngait which translates roughly to "killing spirit" In the Inuit faith Tuurngait can be either good or evil depending on the person summoning the spirit and the purpose. It is thought they were responsible for the destruction or loss of weapons, household items and crops. They could also be helpful in protecting their master, finding food or animals for hunting and healing. Depending on the particular Inuit culture, tribesman could invoke a particular class of things like fish or caribou or polar bears and harness the power of the animal. This could also be accomplished only by Shaman in another Inuit culture and still a third believed this could be done through idols or trinkets worn on their person. In some cases the trinkets could number so many it was difficult to perform everyday tasks.
Sounds like a
Wendigo to me.
In the novel, while Franklin and his crew are plagued by starvation and illness, and forced to contend with
mutiny and
cannibalism, they are stalked across the bleak Arctic landscape by a monster. ~ wiki
The Tuunbaq
A soul-devouring monster from Inuit mythology, the Tuunbaq is an indestructible killing machine that has taken the form of a massive polar bear with an elongated neck. The product of a war between the Inuit gods, it has been banished to the frozen northern wastes. The Tuunbaq preys on all creatures within its icy domain but particularly likes to eat the souls of humans. Only the sixam ieua' - spirit governors of the sky - a select group of Inuit shaman, specially bred for their psychic abilities, hold any sway over the beast. The sixam ieua allow the Tuunbaq to eat their tongues as a sign of their dedication, but they can summon the creature and pay homage to it with their throat singing and gifts of animal flesh. They communicate with it (and other sixam ieua) using a form of telepathy.
About the ONLY TRUTH is the fact that
Captain Sir John Franklin's lost expedition of
HMS Erebus and
HMS Terror to the
Arctic, in 1845–1848, to locate the
Northwest Passage happened, the rest is pure fantasy.
The key spirit said to be the basis for Simmon's beast is the Innuit goddess Sedna. Said to be the ruler of marine and sea life she was as comfortable on or off land and controlled all life within the sea. She is thought to be a vengeful goddess and would require placation to avoid her wrath in the form of favors and gifts. In addition to controlling sea life she is also credited with controlling weather and supernatural creations. Everything from werewhales (that sounds bad a**), seals, fish and ice tornadoes (also cool) are in her wheelhouse. There are many variations of this myth but all of them feature the gross mistreatment of a woman or girl at the hands of men, usually her father as a triggering event. ~ linked source
In the making of the AMC surprise hit, Netsilik Inuit and Inuk people were consulted and hired almost exclusively as actors and consultants (bravo AMC). Costumes were fashioned from appropriate materials and translators were used to facilitate communication between the primarily English speaking crew and actors and Inuk actors and authority. This attention to detail offers an authenticity to a show already steeped in historical content. It provides an atmosphere and environment primed for the acceptance of a mythical killing machine rooted in Inuit lore.
So according to this source, 4 episodes in and no monster yet. Plenty of gore, no monster.
I watch drama for the stories, I watch horror for the
monsters. I'm not really attracted to the gore but a cool looking monster will keep me coming back for more. The '
Promise' is a cool looking monster. If it delivers a well-designed/filmed monster but only a few minutes in an entire season, I'll pass. If we get to see it, follow it, watch it function, I'm gunna be glued. I don't want another series like
The Mist (2017) from Spike.