Taboo Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Bloodbath
Ron Gilmer
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Yes, yes, and yes! Now THAT'S how you do a season finale!
On Taboo Season 1 Episode 8, we go from intense sadness to thrilling, pulse pounding action at the drop of a hat. I haven't seen a season finale like this in many a year, and the ending begs for at least one more season. Do the right thing, FX.
I expected to pick up with the Delaney/Strange meeting, so it was quite a shock to see it start with the sad and pathetic Zilpha ending her suffering by hurling herself into the Thames.
She was never really treated well in this show, having been abused by her hubby Thorne, and astral-raped by her crazy half brother the entire series.
Women in general got the raw end of the deal here, but maybe that's just the way it was back then. Doesn't make it any easier to watch, though.
Maybe Delaney breaking things off with her was his way of trying to protect her, but if that's what he was going for, then it had the opposite effect.
I need a ship. You have four hours.
Delaney [to Strange]
The way Delaney played Strange was just delicious. It was great to see Strange used as a mere pawn, just like anyone else Delaney has encountered.
I'm gonna really miss Strange if there is a second season: the cane tapping, f bomb dropping, pluperfect asshole was a joy to watch.
But hey, we didn't actually SEE his dead body, so I guess there's hope he might still be alive: doubt it, though.
I was pretty spot on with my prediction in my review of Taboo Season 1 Episode 7, since Delaney did leverage a ship from Strange, and then turned around and betrayed him to Chichester.
So East India will presumably go down, but we won't get to see Strange locked up. Sad.
Justice.
Chichester
It's amazing that Delaney had this thing planned out so meticulously, and that it almost happened like clockwork.
He obviously didn't plan for his ship to be blown up, and he couldn't have foreseen the deaths of Winter and Zilpha (or could he?), but he got just about everything else exactly right. Suspension of disbelief, right?
The Chemist wearily admitted he thought Delaney had the supernatural mojo, wondering out loud how he could possibly know all he knows.
He'd better not die: we need him if there is a new season. He was probably my next favorite character after Tom Hardy.
So funny and profane, but with a softer side regarding Robert, he was an unlikely father figure to the poor bastard boy.
It still makes me wonder why all these poor rejects from humanity would blindly follow Delaney, laying down their lives for him, when he views them as basically cannon fodder.
Is it the diamonds? Maybe. Does Delaney work his mojo on their minds? A good possibility, too.
The things I did in Africa make your transactions look paltry. I witnessed and participated in darkness that you cannot conceive.
Delaney [to Strange]
Now that Strange is dead, it's a good guess that the big bad in a possible second season would be the batty Prince Regent and his henchman Coop.
Both got their comeuppance at the hands of Delaney, but I doubt they will allow him to get away scot-free.
It seems weird after the sturm und drang about Nootka all season long, that all of sudden it means nothing to the Crown anymore.
Coop: Your Highness, there is little doubt in my mind that senior directors of the East India have done a deal with Delaney.
Prince Regent: Just fucking kill him!
Coop: If he dies, the Nootka goes to the Americans, as per his will.
Prince Regent: Fuck Nootka! Fuck wills, treaties. I'm the head of fucking state. And by the command of his majesty, kill him.
Is the Prince Regent THAT cray cray, thinking that killing Delaney means more than the tea trade?
I know, I know, suspension of disbelief. This show was batsh*t from the beginning (and I'm not referring to the gunpowder), but that's what I loved about it.
Watching Delaney cut through his enemies like a hot knife through butter was thoroughly entertaining, and the whole look of the show was gorgeous.
Did the plot strain credulity? Of course! Was it a vanity project for Tom Hardy? Absolutely.
All those things aside, it's a TV SHOW, people. I want to be entertained, and I like shows that dare to be different.
No cookie cutter procedural, or dumb "setup, setup, joke" sitcom here.
They put the money in the right places: the locations were gritty, filthy, and disgusting.
The cinematography was stellar. The co-stars were top notch, and the acting was superb throughout.
I didn't see Dumbarton's demise coming, but looking back it wasn't a real surprise, since he almost always seemed to be in step with Delaney's plan, sometimes even appearing to be a step ahead.
The "Silence of the Lambs" tableau was perfect, with Dumbarton hanging, disemboweled, all red, white and blue. Take that, buddy!
Dumbarton: No one in this city has only one master.
Delaney: I do.
I'm sad to see Helga get dead, but it does bring closure to the Winter storyline. Franka Potente was amazing as usual, even though I wish she'd been used more.
So where does this leave us? I NEED a second season! I want to know who Colonnade is. Will Delaney take them to his mother's country, America, like he told Brace when he sent him away?
My guess is yes. And since Delaney is still alive, Nootka belongs to him. The war between the Crown and Delaney will most assuredly continue, since The Prince Regent put a price in his head.
Will Colonnade work with Delaney, since he rooted out Dumbarton, the rat? Or is Colonnade part of the conspiracy?
And who gets the gunpowder?
Atticus: I thought the gunpowder for was for the Americans.
Delaney: We are Americans.
All in all, I loved the show and want more. Hopefully viewership and the critical acclaim will lead to a new season.
Tell me what you think. Do you have any theories, wants or desires about where another season should take us? Sound off in the comments.
And if you missed anything, you can binge watch Taboo online and see what all the fuss is about, right here on TV Fanatic!
