Taboo - General Discussion

[SharonH58]

Love this show.  Too bad the doctor doesn't know about germs but he knows dyeing.  Wonder who he had following James?   I am not sure Winter is real.  Even though people can see her,  I think when she wants them too, the mother never confirmed she had a daughter.  

Love Brace.   My servant wants to shoot you in the face!   Go for it Brace!   Why would Zilpha want to stay with her creep of a husband and not run off with James?  Even though I think they have zero chemistry.  I hope he gets over her soon.   You could see James seething when the hubby was at his office "thanking" him.  :)

[sugarbaker design]

On 1/25/2017 at 2:48 PM, Neurochick said:

When she walked over and straddled James I was like, "is this show really going to go there?  I know this is FX but..." 

it's taboo!

[patty1h]

I'm finding the show snail slow and not engaging.  I'm amused by how much time is spent showing TH strolling, fighting or brooding.   I feel like he fell in love with his hat and coat costume, always looks like he's posing in it.  He does work the shit out of it, I will admit.  I will watch the last four episodes only cause I'm OCD about things, but hoping for an upturn.

The only character I can tolerate is Brace.  Good man.

Edited February 1, 2017 by patty1h

[peridot]

Delaney had a full day, he managed to arrange a a preternatural booty call between discussing semen and watching his league eat shit!

I'm not usually able to handle gory shows, but I can only laugh about this ridiculous show. 

[Valmarmar]

Am enjoying this show !!  Has all my required elements.  Topping the list:  T. Hardy !!  I agree with previous posters that I feel no

chemistry between the Hardy character and the half sis.  Maybe it's intentional ???

[attica]

This show is beating my expectations. I expected TH to chew through all the scenery, but he's not, and his restraint is compelling. I'm digging all the crossing/double-crossing/triple-secret-probation-crossing going on with his various enemies and rivals and frenemies. I'm agog at the makeup job on Mark Gattis.

And then they bring on Tom Hollander, who is one of my all-time favorites. Bless his vertically challenged heart.

[coppersin]

I see the chemistry between James and Zylpha, I just have no idea where they plan to go with it.

It's probably too soon but if they do manage to kill off her husband it will be like Christmas come early. Soooo ready for him to die.

Lorna seems to be procrastinating re: her husband's trunk. Despite verifying that she was married, I wonder if it was somehow a con?

I think what I'm looking forward to most of all next week is the Company's reactions to the robbery. We're gonna get so many curses from Jonathan Pryce and I cannot wait.

[Constantinople]

The duel will only provide me with satisfaction if both James & Thorne end-up dead, but I never get that lucky.

The heists in Breaking Bad were vastly more entertaining.

Delaney to Lorna Bow on their way to the party, "There's other business afoot tonight, none of which concerns you".  Then Why the F did you mention it?

[patty1h]

They just dropped that bit involving the mystery kid that James Delaney paid off some dude for.  I was distracted during this part, but they showed a tween boy staring at James when he was beating that giant guy to death at a farm.  Was the boy really there or another one of James visions of that unexplained child?

Out of nowhere, we find out that James can do magic, which he uses to make his sister all horny in her dreams.   Why not use that skill to screw with the East India people.  And who else was getting a pervy vibe during the scene with Lorna Bow in the jail.  The camera kept lingering on her boobs/hands while she was topless.  Yeesh.  

Edited February 2, 2017 by patty1h

[Neurochick]

3 hours ago, coppersin said:

It's probably too soon but if they do manage to kill off her husband it will be like Christmas come early. Soooo ready for him to die.

I agree, he's the most horrible person in this show and that's saying something.  At least we won't have to hear him scream the "N" word all the time.  What a horrible, ignorant douchebag; who gets THAT fucked up off nitrous oxide?

[raven]

Ooh a saltpeter caper!  I'm enjoying this messy show and like that we have some humorous moments (yay for Brace).   I'm finding I like Lorna and she looked fab in the green dress.  I'm wondering if the trunk even exists. 

I would watch a show with Brace-James-Lorna sniping and being clever at each other and arranging capers with Atticus.   Zilpha has not been particularly interesting to me; marrying an asshole isn't interesting.

My heart broke a little for Godfrey last week confessing he had been in love with James. 

[pezgirl7]

10 hours ago, patty1h said:

 And who else was getting a pervy vibe during the scene with Lorna Bow in the jail.  The camera kept lingering on her boobs/hands while she was topless.  Yeesh.  

That was annoying. The dude was threatening to rape her, but it's like the show tried to make it titillating and sexy instead of gross and uncomfortable.

I'm really enjoying the storyline with the chemist. That actor always seems to play creepy guys, so I'm glad he's more of an enjoyable character here. My favorite part was when he was following Delaney at the party, going Hello, hello, hello and then switched it to hello no. Or was it no hello? Either way, it was funny. Also, who knew you could make gun powder from poop, pee and wood? Huh.

[SharonH58]

21 hours ago, patty1h said:

They just dropped that bit involving the mystery kid that James Delaney paid off some dude for.  I was distracted during this part, but they showed a tween boy staring at James when he was beating that giant guy to death at a farm.  Was the boy really there or another one of James visions of that unexplained child?

 

That was the farm where that guy is raising the father's son.  Delaney paid him off in episode 2  I think.  

[attica]

11 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

That actor always seems to play creepy guys

He plays a very nice man as the title character in Doctor Thorne.

[Duke2801]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 7:32 AM, ChlcGirl said:

I'll co-sign on that.  Tom Hardy could be filmed reading the phone book and I would watch.  That man captivates my loins.  I mean, me.  Captivates ME.

Right??! There is just such a raw, animal sex appeal about this man. 

I'm feeling this show so far.  I don't know exactly what's going on yet, but I'm interested enough to keep watching and find out.   

[ChlcGirl]

4 minutes ago, Duke2801 said:

Right??! There is just such a raw, animal sex appeal about this man.    

And do not even get me started on the video of him rapping with his infant son.  Watching it makes me spontaneously produce a zygote.  And pant.

[Duke2801]

19 minutes ago, ChlcGirl said:

And do not even get me started on the video of him rapping with his infant son.  Watching it makes me spontaneously produce a zygote.  And pant.

whaaaaat??? **off to Youtube**

I've only seen him be adorable with his dog.  I had NO idea there was a baby in the mix too!

[stuckin60s]

I do not like the relationship with the sister.  I am sure this is part of the big plan and so is her husband

Really enjoying the show

[ChlcGirl]

18 hours ago, Duke2801 said:

whaaaaat??? **off to Youtube**

I've only seen him be adorable with his dog.  I had NO idea there was a baby in the mix too!

OHHHHHHHH!  DID YOU FIND THE VIDEO???

[cpcathy]

My husband said about this episode: "Half the time I hardly know what's happening but I still like this show!"

[cpcathy]

[Athena]

Quote

James Delaney is blackmailed into a dangerous mission, whilst animosity between the Crown and Company escalates to a new level.

[sugarbaker design]

On 2/4/2017 at 1:32 PM, cpcathy said:

"Half the time I hardly know what's happening but I still like this show!"

That about sums it up for me, there are times when I think I have a grasp on things and then something comes totally out of left field, and I realize I don't.  I thought when James wrote his will, it effectively saved his life from any murder attempts, well, apparently not.  It is compelling and I cannot take my eyes off it, especially TH.  It reminds me of the scenes of Castle Black in GOT, I couldn't understand a word they were saying, had no idea what was going on, but I still couldn't FF it.

Maybe I've watched too many soap operas in my lifetime, but does anyone else think James and/or Zylpha will find out they are not in fact a Delaney, and therefore not related by blood?

[Nay]

8 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

That about sums it up for me, there are times when I think I have a grasp on things and then something comes totally out of left field, and I realize I don't.  I thought when James wrote his will, it effectively saved his life from any murder attempts, well, apparently not.

There was a scene in the episode before where James told Brace that with the will in place the only faction who now benefit from killing him will be the americans. Surprise, surprise the americans try to kill him the very next ep via a big bald killer at the farm. 

Possibly because I am english I'm not having any problem following what is being said or what is going on, but I could see why it would be hard for some non-english speakers to understand, the accents can be a little thick.

[thuganomics85]

Missed the initial airing, so I finally caught up.  Still not sure about some of this stuff, but any episode that odds Tom Hollander automatically gets an upgrade!  He's great in everything, and he was great here too.  I did feel a bit bad that James had to ruin his booty call.  Granted, some might actually consider it a turn-on to have Tom Hardy watch.  I'm sure there's a fetish for that!

So, basically, it seems James has now pitted both the British government and the East India Company against each other?  That's why Lorna was spared for some reason?  And now the Americans want in, too?  So much going on here.  Also, I totally can see James and Lorna happening.  It would be unhealthy, but probably better when whatever is going on with him and Zilpha.

Thomas finally has enough and throws a challenge to James.  If he agrees, that its for him, I have to think.  Sorry, buddy, but safe money is always on the lead actor when there is a fight to the death!

The heist involving Helga and Atticus was fun.

I'm not usually all "Yeah, profanity!", but I could watch an entire episode of Jonathan Pryce just snarling "Fuck!" at whoever or whatever is pissing him off at the moment.  He makes that word sound meaningful!

[sugarbaker design]

13 hours ago, Nay said:

There was a scene in the episode before where James told Brace that with the will in place the only faction who now benefit from killing him will be the americans. Surprise, surprise the americans try to kill him the very next ep via a big bald killer at the farm. 

Ah!  Thank you!

[Neurochick]

How long is that douchey brother in law going to say alive?

[johntfs]

8 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

How long is that douchey brother in law going to say alive?

He's an asshole but he had the stones to stick out the duel.  I did like Delaney shooting the EIC second just to demonstrate exactly how fucked the BiL is.  Like "I can get away with your murder just as easily as I'm going to get away with this one."

Edited February 8, 2017 by johntfs

[peridot]

8 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

How long is that douchey brother in law going to say alive?

My thoughts exactly about that fool.  Delaney, London, and now his wife know what an impotent fool he is, so he had to try and regain power with some messed up exorcism?

I was hoping Zelpha would strangle him in his bed at the end.

The chemist is such a lech, but at least he brings some entertainment.  The show just drags on and on.

[thuganomics85]

Should have known they would find some way to prevent any actual deaths with the "duel", so it ends with Thorne's gun being tampered with, but James simply kills his unloyal second instead, in order to make his point.  Of course, I now think it will be Zilpha that will end him after the beating and then creepy exorcism (well, more creepy then normal exorcism.)  I hope they go somewhere soon, because this has been a waste of Oona Chaplin so far.

So, by stealing the gunpowder, James has somehow caused the Crown to actually go after the East India Company, now?  And they are targeting Jonathan Pryce's character in particular?  It's so weird because everyone seems to know James is playing them, but they do it, anyway.  Of course, now James is being blackmailed by the Americans and being forced to create gunpowder in a reckless, dangerous way, but I'm sure he'll find some way to get out ahead.

Tom Hollander's character is totally into Lorna, which displeases James.  Careful, buddy!  Last time you tangled with another character played by a famous young British actor with the initials T.H., it didn't end well for you!

[tennisgurl]

Yeah, I have very little idea what is going on or where its going, but I'm enjoying it none the less. I love the atmosphere and the acting is really interesting. 

The relationship with the sister isn't super interesting right now, but I do hope her asshole husband does soon. Stabbing or magic will do.

[Constantinople]

I understand this is a Mel Gibson style vanity project in which our dear hero is the smartest, sexiest, toughest BAMF in world history, but it's getting a tad monotonous.  Especially when it's filler.

I've decided that Thorne is too much of a cartoon villian to dislike.  The real villains are the writers.  That said, I'm sad that both Thorne & James survived the duel.

Good of the priest to "exorcise" Zilpha's breasts.

[attica]

2 hours ago, Constantinople said:

Good of the priest to "exorcise" Zilpha's breasts.

Given that he was straddling her and she was screaming so hard, I'm willing to be persuaded that he was penetrating her as well. "Let her recover," indeed. I mean, yeah, there's enough vagueness in the depiction for there to be deniability. I'm just saying.

I am positively loving this show. With every cross and double cross, I love it more. I disagree that it's dragging; I think the added complexities of the agendas of the various factions are downright delightful, and I can't believe we're already 5 eps through! I love that James never answers a question -- he remains mute (or gives a meager Hmm) until he's figured out what all the ramifications are, and then he takes action. I love that those in his employ both fear and admire him. I love Brace, I love Chomondley, I love Atticus, I love Winter, I love Dumbarton and his fake cholera, I love Carlsbad, and her short answers to her father's 'alternate facts' about cholera. I'm beginning to love Lorna. I will love Zilpha the minute she sets her husband on fire. Which: I hope she is the end to him, and the show doesn't let James do him in. She needs the closure. I need her to have it.

[meep.meep]

I can't remember who half those people are.  What I love are those two wing chairs with the peacock blue silk brocade upholstery in Zilpha's parlor.  In a show filled with filth, they remain resolutely clean.

[Neurochick]

10 hours ago, attica said:

Given that he was straddling her and she was screaming so hard, I'm willing to be persuaded that he was penetrating her as well. "Let her recover," indeed. I mean, yeah, there's enough vagueness in the depiction for there to be deniability. I'm just saying.

I am positively loving this show. With every cross and double cross, I love it more. I disagree that it's dragging; I think the added complexities of the agendas of the various factions are downright delightful, and I can't believe we're already 5 eps through! I love that James never answers a question -- he remains mute (or gives a meager Hmm) until he's figured out what all the ramifications are, and then he takes action. I love that those in his employ both fear and admire him. I love Brace, I love Chomondley, I love Atticus, I love Winter, I love Dumbarton and his fake cholera, I love Carlsbad, and her short answers to her father's 'alternate facts' about cholera. I'm beginning to love Lorna. I will love Zilpha the minute she sets her husband on fire. Which: I hope she is the end to him, and the show doesn't let James do him in. She needs the closure. I need her to have it.

I really like this show, and for me it isn't hard to follow.  I love how James is turning the government and the East India Company against each other.  The issue is, the land is his and everybody else wants it.  Apparently, he found the original deed, which was why he kept asking his "step-mother" to bring his father's trunk to him.  

I also like the racial element to this show.  Zilpha's husband keeps calling James the "N" word.  And it was sad when James talked about his mother, how when she refused to play the role his father wanted her to play, to hide her true heritage, his father put her in a mental institution.  I also think Winter is an interesting character too.

[coppersin]

The casting for this show is excellent. All the characters are spot-on, even Mark Gatiss in his body padding and very distracting eyebrows. But Tom Hollander is my favorite, he adds something to every scene he's in.

I'm liking Lorna but I'm not invested in her long-term involvement. I feel like she's just there to add emotional weight that we don't need; sort of "soften" some scenes if that makes sense. I don't want her dead but I'd be fine if she took some of Delaney's diamonds and went to Europe to stay safe.

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: Zilpha's husband needs to die. Preferably slowly and painfully. And before poor Zilpha snaps completely. The ending of this episode was rough to watch but in general their scenes are tough. We see sparks of her real personality, and then she just shuts down and becomes compliant. Whatever James went through over the past decade, Zilpha's clearly been through a mess too, with her abusive jackass of a husband and probably trying to keep her personality in check to survive the social viper pit of London.

 

12 hours ago, attica said:

 I love Carlsbad, and her short answers to her father's 'alternate facts' about cholera.

That's Carlsbad's husband, not her father. The marriages on this show really are a delight, aren't they?

[pezgirl7]

My favorite part of this episode was when Chomondley made the comment about how Lorna was one of a smaller group of women he would masturbate to, and Delaney gave an expression that I can only liken to an eye roll.

[johntfs]

2 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

My favorite part of this episode was when Chomondley made the comment about how Lorna was one of a smaller group of women he would masturbate to, and Delaney gave an expression that I can only liken to an eye roll.

I love that the group he would masturbate to is smaller than the one he'd have actual sex with.

[Maggiesview]

17 hours ago, attica said:

Given that he was straddling her and she was screaming so hard, I'm willing to be persuaded that he was penetrating her as well. "Let her recover," indeed. I mean, yeah, there's enough vagueness in the depiction for there to be deniability. I'm just saying.

I am positively loving this show. With every cross and double cross, I love it more. I disagree that it's dragging; I think the added complexities of the agendas of the various factions are downright delightful, and I can't believe we're already 5 eps through! I love that James never answers a question -- he remains mute (or gives a meager Hmm) until he's figured out what all the ramifications are, and then he takes action. I love that those in his employ both fear and admire him. I love Brace, I love Chomondley, I love Atticus, I love Winter, I love Dumbarton and his fake cholera, I love Carlsbad, and her short answers to her father's 'alternate facts' about cholera. I'm beginning to love Lorna. I will love Zilpha the minute she sets her husband on fire. Which: I hope she is the end to him, and the show doesn't let James do him in. She needs the closure. I need her to have it.

I love it too. Still trying to work out the supernatural aspects,ghosts in the background of some scenes,James's dream sex with Zilpha, Jame's knowledge of future events. Some fans have suggested he is dead and due to voodoo rites is a zombie( but one who retains all of his faculties and physical abilities) whose purpose is to avenge the deaths of all who died on the slave ship when the East India company sunk it. The ghosts then would be his spies. Interesting theory. Could be just the voodoo magic he seems to be practicing.

[SuzWhat]

I'm going with since James ate an egg this episode, he is not actually dead.  I hope so anyway.   I fluv this show.   I like how James is able to best anyone in a knife fight.   

[tennisgurl]

I really want to know more about James mom, and what her deal was. She got institutionalized because she would hide being a Native American? How did she end up with his dad in the first place? Was she magic like in the flashbacks, or was it just in James crazy magic brain?

Still really liking the show, even if it confuses the hell out of me.

[pezgirl7]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I really want to know more about James mom, and what her deal was. She got institutionalized because she would hide being a Native American? How did she end up with his dad in the first place? Was she magic like in the flashbacks, or was it just in James crazy magic brain?

She was institutionalized because she would no longer stop hiding the fact that she was Native American. According to James, her father traded her for some beads from the Nootka tribe. I don't know if the magic that James does is suppose be Native American or African magic.

[Neurochick]

15 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

She was institutionalized because she would no longer stop hiding the fact that she was Native American. According to James, her father traded her for some beads from the Nootka tribe. I don't know if the magic that James does is suppose be Native American or African magic.

Correct.  James explained it (I forgot to who), when his mother didn't want to play the "Spanish princess" or the "Italian duchess," his father put her in Bedlam.  

[Athena]

Quote

Spoiler

Brace tells Delaney that his mother was confined to a mental asylum after she attempted to drown him and that his father had saved his life. Zilpha murders Thorne and his corpse is disposed of by Dumbarton. Ibbotson takes confession but the priest is in the employ of the Company. The gunpowder is not found and is successfully transported to the dock, but the Company destroy Delaney's ship. Delaney gets hopelessly drunk, and on recovering, he finds Winter's corpse. Chichester continues his investigation into the Company's corruptness discovering that the name of the slave ship had been changed and was registered as being empty; that it was staffed it with a skeleton crew; and that Stuart Strange’s own brother owned a sugar plantation in Antigua.

 

[coppersin]

Um, holy shit. Figures that Geary finally goes but we get several awful moments to counter it. Though easily the saddest moment of the series, IMO, was the half-second shot of baby James drowning.

It was interesting to see James thrown by Zilpha's actions.

Someone needs to explain to EIC that you never fight crazy, 'cause crazy has no boundaries and will win every time. Though between killing Helga's daughter and handing out fresh hearts like party favors, James may be celebrating that win on his own.

[pezgirl7]

I thought the saddest moment was seeing a dead Winter lying on the river bank. :(

It seems that James doesn't remember telling Zilpha to kill her husband. Is it just more proof of him having blackouts, or is there another force working through Zilpha? Or is she just crazy? She seemed pretty crazed to me. I still don't like her relationship with James. The scene of him telling her to take of her dress was weird. I was hoping he was starting to get her out of his system, but I guess not.

Bummer that James lost his ship and all the gun powder! I don't understand why he just doesn't sell Nootka Sound.

[johntfs]

I hope that James unleashes a terrifying, hook-knifed vengeance on whoever killed Winter (assuming it wasn't a drunk, violent James).  I'm looking forward to James and Chichester getting together.  James is cool, but I admit that I'd watch the hell out of a show centered around Chichester fucking over evil white shit-heads in the early 1800s.

[Constantinople]

Good to see that Delaney isn't the only character blessed with omniscience.  Apparently Chichester is too.

Speaking of

Quote

What an extraordinary achievement gentlemen.  When you think the Pyramids and the great Valley of the Kings and the Sphinx were all manufactured by men with skin almost as dark as my own - Chichester to Dumb & Dumber from the EIC.

Don't be ridiculous.  Everyone knows they were built by ancient aliens.

Quote

Company have men in every tavern asking where you are - Lorna Bow to Delaney

Yet they don't bother to have a couple of guys casing his house.  It's almost as if James is wearing plot armor underneath his clothes.

Taboo UO: I'm not saddened by Winter's passing.  Until now, her character hadn't even risen to the level of plot device.  It's as if the writers woke-up and realized they had only a few episodes left to start pruning the cast.  Of all the things Thorne had done to Zilpha, it's the prospect of moving to Australia that finally drives her over the edge to kill him (and putting the hat pin she used to off him into the hat she wore at the funeral was as subtle as a freight train).

[raven]

Zilpha is a big old zero for me.  Maybe now that she's killed the asshole she'll be interesting.   Could be that it was seeing Lorna (another woman looking for James!) that drove her over the edge.  I'm getting a crazy vibe from her.

Though stuff happened, not my favorite episode.  Lots of place setting. 

Tom Hardy has a ton of presence but Atticus and Cholmondeley steal every scene they're in.

[acid burn]

And of course they put Zilpha in the female mourning version of James' hat and accessorized it with a big old murder weapon, now that she's gone fully 'round the bend and embraced her own otherness.

I always thought Winter sort of served as James' conscience and humanity. Which is why I assumed he killed her when he was blackout drunk, and is getting ready to go HAM on both the Crown and the Company.

Having said all that, I'm still interested to see where this show is going. 

Edited February 16, 2017 by acid burn