Taboo Episode 2

Published January 18, 2017 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi guys,

I enjoyed this week’s episode much more than last week’s. I know I was quite harsh, but I have kept an open mind and I have been swayed to the dark side.

The dialogue is heavy-handed, in my opinion. It’s trying to be poetic, but it all sounds a bit too poncey. Yet, there may be hidden depths that are yet to be revealed. When I saw Stephen Graham, I was transported (Jason Stratham joke) back to the days of movies like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Layer Cake, and Snatch. Hardy is part of that same old crew.

Ritchie and Vaughan made these gangster movies where everything is connected and revealed ultimately through non-chronological story-telling. The connections are all there but the way the story unfolds is so subtle. I feel like Hardy is trying to do something similar. You can see that in the Fight Club-esque ghostly apparitions and some dialogue* that I think we aren’t meant to understand until the final episodes. The difference is that Ritchie and Vaughan created movies that are funny. Really funny. Taboo has no humor whatsoever.

*There was mention of Leadenhall, which is where insurance started in London (and the world), providing underwriting on maritime trade. They worked with the EIC but were not officially a part of it. EIC is now long gone Lloyds of London carries on.

Another thing is that those movies had no female characters and yet they worked. This story is one of revenge and honor. For that, you need to understand a man’s motivations at this point, I see only a dead father and lust. Nothing about Zilpha has really been revealed except that she was horny for her half-bro. I need more especially if the outcome is that he is doing all this for her.

There are plenty of mysteries to unfold (mystery widow, spooky Winter, James’ diet). I just wish it would pick up the pace a tad.

But Tom Hardy is absolutely beautiful. I will not complain about him being naked on screen with no real purpose to the plot. It keeps me watching.

So that’s it. I hope it will continue to get better. I feel like this could be one of those shows that will not be appreciated in its first run but will gain a huge cult following later on. Perhaps you 3 gentlemen could lead the charge.

Love from London,
Jez

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