I just think it's great to see someone actually talking about this show-- what an underrated season of TV. I guess I'd just say that camaraderie is such a huge theme that it's understandable that he would stay there, where his men are, even if they're no longer living. I don't think he would want to be rescued-- the survivor's guilt would be too much, the sense of abandoning the men. He's going down with the ship, just... slower.

I think a lot of folks have missed the significance of the fact Crozier is Irish. He is not British, and England is not his home. He is a colonial subject, from a country that was ruthlessly colonised and exploited to prop up the navy he's part of. The exploitation of Ireland's ecosystem for the sake of the British Empire is, at that point in history, on the brink of triggering an apocalyptic famine that will kill about an eighth of the Irish population while food is still being exported, and the Royal Navy was a major priority for those exports.

He doesn't just speak his coloniser's language, he would have to learn to speak it in his coloniser's accent for a chance to succeed within its machine.

He isn't just in hiding from the Naval Officers, he's renouncing his part in what they represent.

Edit

Btw I can't tell if you're aware, but there were reports of a single white man living with some of the Inuit some time afterwards, from both European and Inuit accounts, and that man was speculated to be Francis Crozier, who would have been among the best equipped of the crew to adapt.

https://historyhubulster.co.uk/francis-crozier/

I think he'd feel too much shame to go back. And he felt a lot of affinity towards the locals, being one of the few who learnt their language and tried to respect their customs.

He would probably also be concerned that if he did go back, further expeditions would be sent to try and find the beast's corpse or more things like it, bringing more disruption to the locals and the ecology.

The story of the Franklin Expedition is one of hubris, bravado, and the British Empire's relentless and foolhardy pursuit to conquer the unknown, at any and all costs. It is a time in history where humanity was reminded that they don't get to be the hero in their own story, and that there's a price in going "thousands of miles to a place that wants you dead".

Francis Crozier and his crew ended up never finding the Northwest Passage (except for Blanky at the end), but the series shows you that each men were able to forge their own meaning from the expedition. Some were in pursuit of eternal fame and glory, some found brotherhood and comfort in their shared misery, others came to terms with their troubled past.

Crozier wasn't rescued in either the book, the TV series, or even in real life because it was strongly suggested that if he were still alive, he did not want to be found. He, like the Northwest Passage, belongs to no man or nation, and can only be found by those who do not wish to conquer them (the Inuits).

There is a no happy or satisfying ending to be had here, and that this expedition and this series still captures our imagination is a testament to its enduring intrigue and mystery.

I was ok with it, felt like he'd been through hell and suffered enough. He had suggested turning back, while Sir John overconfidently wanted to press forward, plus he never fit in as an Irishman in the Royal Navy anyways.

Not as if the English would have taken tales of the tuunbaq seriously anyways

Perfect as is! He didn't owe them a damn thing and nothing to go back home to.

On a side note: One of the few shows (or rather this particular season) that was flawless top to bottom. Left me in awe! That being said, I was so disappointed with the forthcoming seasons!

One part of the ending that I didn't like was that it very quickly breezed past a lot from the novel, which I suppose makes sense because it would have been at least half an episode of content. There's a prolonged period of recovery for Crozier during which time he bonds closely with Lady Silence and they become lovers. And by removing that part of the story, the TV show makes it seem like Crozier's making an illogical decision to stay in hiding rather than the more emotional tone of him finding a new home and a place where he belonged.

Part of the story that is also developed more in the novel is that Crozier isn't really that well respected as an Irishman under English rule. He's clearly a very capable leader and has the respect of his men, but that's earned respect. Compare that to the expedition leader, Sir Franklin, who is... a moron. It's a long-running theme of incompetence in confidence, and Sir Franklin does not have the respect of the place they are in yet he is in command. But Crozier finds a place amongst the Inuit, who don't seem to treat him as a lesser man, just a man.

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I loved the ending. It was melancholy and almost beautiful in a way. It really showed how much the journey had changed Crozier.