The Ship

This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Kerberos or the Prometheus, the two ships from the series.

The Ship is the first episode of the first season of 1899 and the first episode of the show overall. It aired November 17, 2022.

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

Maura helps a pregnant woman. The captain makes a brave decision after receiving a message from a lost ship — and discovers something mind-bending.

A hysterical woman walks the halls of what seems to be a psychiatric hospital, she struggles to remember who she is, but remembers that something happened to her brother. She screams at a man asking about her brother before she is dragged away by two men who presumably work at the facility. She hears a voice whisper, "wake up", and momentarily, Maura Franklin wakes on the Kerberos.

Maura is sailing to New York on the large cruiseliner, but reports are spreading fast about the fate of another ship, the Prometheus, a ship that has been missing for four months, and was constructed by the same company whou built the Kerberos. Maura finds a letter on her desk from her brother, who asks her to meet her in New York. Maura explains that she is a doctor who studies the brain but, due to her position as a woman, she is unable to physically practice medicine and is limited to research.

Whilst sitting in the dining area of the Kerberos, a man enters, frantically asking for help from a doctor. He is pulled away moments later, however, and thrown down a flight of stairs, presumably leading to the lower deck where the less-wealthy passengers are staying. Intrigued and wishing to help, Maura follows the boy down the stairs, where she gives assistance to a pregnant woman by turning her baby in the womb. On her way back, Maura talks with a little girl who tells her that she too wishes to be a doctor. The scene is awkward, and the girl asks if Maura has children, but she remarks that she doesn't, as she cannot carry children.

When Maura returns to the upper deck, she is met by Captain Eyk Larsen, who tells her that she has no business being in Third Class given her status as a First Class passenger. They are interrupted, however, by an incoming transmission. The transmission appears to be a distress signal coming from the Prometheus. Whilst the signal is brief, it gives coordinates. When the coordinates are cross-referenced with the flight path of the Prometheus, there are discrepencies about where the Prometheus should be, and where it is. Eyk gives the okay to change course and investigate the signals.

In the engine room, there is widespread confusion when the order is given to prepare for turning. One of the boys begins asking questions about why the ship is changing course, but he is told that in the engine room, they do as they are told and do not ask questions.

In their room, Ángel and Ramiro talk. Ramiro is panicking about their journey on the ship and asks how Ángel can be so calm, especially with their future on the line and the uncertainty they're experiencing. Ángel tries to calm Ramiro, but the situation becomes further heated when the two realise that the Kerberos is turning. Ángel worries that the ship is going back to the port, and panicks, telling his brother that they cannot go back.

Tove is woken from her slumber by Ada, who tells her that everyone is outside looking for the Prometheus after the ship turned around. Ada references the story of the ghost ship Tove told her previously.

Maura visits Eyk's chambers and questions him on whether or not they found the Prometheus. He remarks that they recieved a signal, but it is not quite clear if it is from the Prometheus. Eyk tells Maura that it has been four months since the ship dissapeared and it is unlikely that they survived; if they rationed their food, however, some of them could've survived. Eyk tells Maura that he will address the ship's turning in the dining room in an hour and clear up any of the questions the passengers have then.

Virginia makes a visit to Yuk Je's cabin, and makes her and Ling Yi aware that the two of them are not to speak on the journey. She wishes them a good day and leaves momentarily.

As he previously promised, Eyk gathers the passengers of First Class in the dining hall of the Kerberos. He tells them that they have recieved signals from another ship, and believe it to be the Prometheus. He remarks that the communication method used by the ship is one unique and thus, it is more than likely the Prometheus. Ángel quickly becomes annoyed and vocal at the revelation, citing that they paid good money for the trip and expect it to be completed in the due time. Nonetheless, Eyk cites that there were more than one-thousand people aboard the Prometheus and they owe it to them to investigate.

Olek dips the anouncemement to stand in an off-limits part of the ship. He is taking a breather, and looking at a photograph of the Statue of Liberty. He is interrupted, however, by the approach of Jérôme, whom Olek mistakes as a member of the crew due to his clothing. Olek hands Jérôme his food who takes the food and afterwards introduces himself; it is clear that he is a hungry passenger barely getting by on the Kerberos.

Eyk joins Maura on the deck of the ship. She is looking out into the water, citing that she isn't hungry and cannot bare another question about the weather. Eyk asks if it is true that she studied medicine, and he tells her that there are several people talking about her on the ship. She rebukes this comment, citing that there are several rumours too about him on the ship — people talk, especially desperate passengers. Maura questions what Eyk expects to find on the Prometheus, but he remarks that he isn't sure. Momentarily, the Prometheus can be seen on the shoreline as the Kerberos approaches.

Eyk, Maura and the others gather on the ship's deck, shooting a flare into the sky to ensure any remaining passengers of the Prometheus know of their arrival. Sebastian, however, is keen to return to their course and alert the company to what they have found. Eyk isn't in the mood to listen, however, and wishes to explore the Prometheus. He leaves Sebastian in charge of the ship whilst he goes to investigate their new finding.

Eyk is joined by Maura, Ramiro, Franz, Wilhelm, and Eugen as they descend into the lower deck of the ship to board the lifeboat. They cross paths with Jérôme and Olek on their approach and Franz instructs Jérôme to return to his post. Jérôme ignores this command, however, as they begin to question the behaviour of the sea. Wilhelm and Eugen opt to stay behind following this, with Olek and Jérôme taking their place with Eyk.

Krester is still locked behind the gates that separate the Third Class passengers from First. He asks Ángel for a cigarette, who obliges but not before placing the cigarette in his own mouth first. Krester accepts the cigarette but is confused by the action on Ángel's behalf. Ángel remarks that he remembers the occurence in the dining hall, and reaches out to touch the scars laid across Krester's face. Krester winches away and retreats down the stairs into the lower class residence.

Grappling into a lifeboat, Maura, Ramiro, Eyk, Olek, Franz and Jérôme approach the Prometheus. Franz is ordered to stay behind in the lifeboat, despite wishing to join along. Back on the Kerberos, however, the signal they have been tracing suddenly stops transmitting.

Making their way through the Prometheus on a room-by-room basis, Eyk finds a white ribbon on the floor of the sleeping quarters, and instantly recognises it. It seems as though the ribbon has some sort of sentimental value to Eyk, who picks up the ribbon and holds it close to his person.

Yuk Je tells Ling Yi that they must stick to the plan and that nothing has changed. Ling Yi doesn't wish to wear the makeup and costume any longer, however, she is tired. Yuk Je tells Ling Yi that they must play the part for a little while longer and instructs her to learn Japanese. Yuk Je reminds Ling Yi that "Everything will be okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end."

Aboard the Prometheus, Eyk and the others have found the bridge, and upon further investigation, Eyk discovers that someone has destroyed the telegraph. Maura questions how a signal could thus be sent and recieved by the Kerberos if the telegraph has been damaged. Shortly after, Daniel boards the Prometheus, having swam across the river from the Kerberos.

Maura enters the dining room of the Prometheus and notices a small green bug on the ground. She follows it and it leads her to a cabinet, where something has been locked in and is banging to get out. Maura approaches apprehensively and unlocks the cabined, where she finds a young boy, hidden inside. He opts not to speak when Maura and the others ask what happened to him, but instead hands her a small Pyramid.