The North Water Season 1 Episode 4 The Devils of the Earth

The North Water season 1 episode 4, titled "The Devils of the Earth," follows the crew of the whaling ship, The Volunteer, as they continue their voyage to the Arctic Circle. The episode opens with a gruesome scene of a brutish, unstable crew member named Wolf Larsen mutilating the corpse of a polar bear they have killed for food.

As the ship ventures further into the icy waters, tensions rise between the men, and the brutal conditions of life on a whaling ship begin to take their toll. The captain, Brownlee, grows increasingly disillusioned with the mission, and the crew becomes restless and mutinous.

Meanwhile, Patrick Sumner, the ship's doctor, struggles to maintain his grip on reality as he grapples with drug addiction and his PTSD from fighting in the Indian Rebellion. He becomes increasingly obsessed with the mysterious cabin boy, who he suspects may be a girl in disguise, and begins to confide in him about his traumatic past.

As the ship approaches its destination, the crew becomes desperate for a successful hunt, but their luck appears to have run out. When they finally do encounter a pod of whales, things quickly go awry, and Brownlee is forced to make a difficult decision that could have grave consequences for everyone on board.

Ultimately, "The Devils of the Earth" is a harrowing depiction of the brutal realities of life on a whaling ship in the 19th century. It explores themes of violence, addiction, and the dehumanizing effects of extreme hardship, and sets the stage for a thrilling final showdown in the season's remaining episodes.