I have a save inside the North Passage without any companions or being over the weight limit. I skill checked my weight to 100 and I sent away one of the travellers with a faulty pipboy already.
Each time I begin the journey, I get 150 caps and have already gotten the achievement for starting it up.
After the 3-4 minute, mammoth of a slideshow plays, the game finally starts up.
The two men (One expeditioner and the Happy Trails guy you talk to to go) yell as if they're in combat and run to varying points depending on the save, usually one of them going to the end of the cliff and the other stopping a medium distance away, the girl just stands there.
I can look around but am freezed in place without being able to call up my pipboy or draw a weapon or anything.
Normally you're supposed to get a speech before being attacked, Jed talking for a bit and then moving out. This does not happen.
Nothing happens, in fact, except for two men running forward, and on occasion one of them turning around.

I know stuff like this frequently happens, like how I couldn't get through Point Lookout on F3 for months because of constant freezing in the same spot, but come on Bethesda, I was really excited for Honest Hearts, you're torturing me by letting my see all the awesome Utah scenery I can't explore. Please fix, dude. Please fix.