In the ‘Taboo’ recap, James looks to further cement his claim to his father’s legacy while doing his best to outwit an assassin hired to eliminate him…
By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer
Through two episodes it’s clear that ‘Taboo’ is a complex show.
Luckily, most of the stories revolve around Tom Hardy’s character James Delaney and his various dealings around England while reclaiming the legacy left to him by his deceased father.
In the latest episode, James found out numerous people want him dead, he continued his tireless pursuit to rekindle a romance with his half-sister, he found out his father supposedly had a wife before he died while also managing to engage in a conversation with an American spy that could very well lead to his exit to the new United States.
Admittedly through the haze of thick British accents, details are slightly hard to follow but that’s where these recaps come in handy.
While the second episode of ‘Taboo’ didn’t give us a clear answer on why James Delaney returned to England or his ultimate end goal, there were plenty of hints hidden throughout plus plenty of interactions with a growing cast of characters — many of whom want him dead.
With that said, let’s recap the latest episode of ‘Taboo’ titled ‘Episode Two’…
Diamonds in the Rough
At the East India Company, Stuart Strange is perplexed why his command to have James Delaney killed hasn’t been carried out and he’s giving his employee two more days to finish the job or he’ll be finished. Strange is only growing more irate by the day thanks to Delaney turning down his offer to purchase the Nootka Sound without even entertaining the negotiations.
Strange is now convinced that the only way Delaney knows all the details about the importance of the Nootka Sound — as the key to obtaining Vancouver and thus the shipping ports to China — is that he’s getting information from the fucking Americans.
Meanwhile, James quietly spends the episode trying to amass the few people around town who he can trust or at least pay to be loyal to him. First things first, James returns to the beach where he came ashore and digs up the bag he buried in the debut episode.
Inside, James reveals that he possessed a bag full of uncut diamonds, which explains where his seemingly unlimited funds are coming from. He commands his butler Brace to take a gun and hide it inside the house for protection while locking up the diamonds in a safe as he leaves to go conduct his business.
Brace’s loyalty comes from years of service to the Delaney family because even when James offers him the chance to leave, he stays right by his side.
Later that day at an auction, James out bids everybody else in the room — including a representative of the East India Company — in purchasing a ship. James proclaims that he plans to use the ship as he prepares to relaunch the Delaney-Nootka Shipping Company but there’s more to this vessel than just a business venture.
When James visits the ship, he reveals that it was a very specific purchase because the vessel was once owned by the East India Company and they used it to trade beads and goods across the world. What no one knows outside of James, however, is that the East India Company then used the ship to transport slaves to yet another part of the world where they sold them. The East India Company claims to have nothing to do with the slave trade, but clearly James knows differently.
Know Your Enemy
The crux of this latest episode of ‘Taboo’ is spent discovering the many people who want James Delaney dead or who would greatly benefit from him expiring.
Before those numbers start growing, James first interacts with a man named Atticus, who steals his horse to get his attention. Once he sits down with him, Atticus explains that he’s the man people in town come to see when they want somebody dead. In fact, somebody came to offer him 20 pounds to kill Horace Delaney but he refused the job and now he’s asking James to pay him for the kindness of not murdering his father.
James agrees to give him money but also wants to put him on the payroll to be his eyes and ears around town. Atticus agrees and reminds James that those eyes and ears will be very important because a lot of people are out to get him.
Later that night, James runs into a young girl named Winter, who claims that Helga, the brothel owner, has hired a hitman to get rid of him so she can take back the shipping offices that she used as a whore house. For some reason, James inexplicably believes the little girl and takes her with him when he ventures out to the boat belonging to the silver toothed man, who has been hired to kill him.
On board, James doesn’t find the assassin but decides to set fire to the vessel to ensure his would-be-killer won’t be sailing away even if he completes his job.
When James returns to his own rowboat, Winter is gone, which leaves him shaken once again as to what’s real and what may be his own mind playing tricks on him.
The next day, James visits Helga at her new place of employment and after interrupting an old man getting his coin’s worth, he then questions the madam about her plans to kill him. He also questions her about Winter and while Helga won’t say much, James deduces that the little girl is her daughter and that’s why she’s never been put out to “rent” by the customers. So Winter was real and she’s Helga’s daughter but rather than accuse the brothel owner of trying to have him killed, he instead attempts to befriend her.
James tells Helga that he sees good inside of her and you have to wonder if this silver toothed killer was actually hired by her or not.
Angry Americans
Delaney’s travels next take him to see a man named Dr. Dumbarton, who is a physician while also doubling as a maker of fine colored fabrics used for flags. Perhaps his most important role in this particular encounter is that Dumbarton is also an American spy living on British soil and that’s why Delaney has come to see him.
Delaney knows part of the spy code to identify himself to the American and the reason behind his visit it to gain an audience with the President of the United States. Delaney knows all about the Nootka Sound, the borders being negotiated currently with the United States and Canada and he’s looking to negotiate passage to the U.S.
Delaney says a bit too much — or perhaps he reveals too much — and Dumbarton no longer trusts his true intentions. So Dumbarton escorts Delaney out by gunpoint while telling the inquisitive Brit that he should be careful because America is an angry country to which James replies ‘I’m counting on it’.
Meanwhile, Solomon Coop — a staff member to the royal family — goes to visit the Prince Regent with news about the latest naval battles between their ships and those belonging to the Americans. The Prince regent seems like a buffoon, who is more concerned about the colors notating the armies on the map rather than discussing any kind of strategy for battle. The most interesting part of this conversation, however, comes when the Prince regent says ‘fuck the East India Company’ and Coop responds by saying ‘I intend to’.
The East India Company is described as ‘God almighty’ in this episode and while it’s clear the powers-that-be feel they are omnipotent, there are forces working against them at the highest levels — even those representing the crown.
Widow’s Wail
James’ next stop is to visit his father’s attorney, who is about to read the will and testament aloud to finally settle Horace Delaney’s estate. James accuses Thoyt of working for the East India Company despite being an employee of his father. The attorney doesn’t deny it and reminds James that everybody works for the East India Company in one form or fashion.
At the reading of the will, Thoyt reveals that Horace Delaney didn’t name his daughter Zilpha whatsoever, which only further enrages her husband. Thorne then threatens Delaney with a cursed inheritance and says that his father’s estate will be his death sentence.
Meanwhile after James is declared the sole heir, he decides to settle his father’s debts to all the people in town who he owned money. Despite the fact that he didn’t inherit his father’s debts, James pays everybody back except for one woman.
Her name is Lorna Delaney and she claims to be Horace’s wife from two years ago.
An investigation shows that Lorna was a stage actress, who Horace had become quite enamored with over the past couple of years and quite often wrote her letters professing his love. Of course, James is skeptical of her story, much less that this woman may have taken advantage of his father in his weakened mental state towards the end. Still, Lorna may have a partial claim to his inheritance and that could make life more difficult for James as he continues to manipulate the East India Company while bargaining with the Americans as well.
Outside the will reading, James meets with Atticus, who shares news that the silver toothed assassin is staying nearby while also informing him that the person who tried to hire him to have his father killed was none other than his brother-in-law, Thorne Geary.
Beethoven’s Sixth
That night, James goes to see a performance being held in town but it’s not the music he’s interested in. Instead, he visits his sister Zilpha, who is attending the concert as well. Earlier in the episode, James mailed her a gigantic diamond, which she hid away in her jewelry cabinet while clearly knowing that the unmarked gift came from her brother.
Outside the concert hall, James tries to reconnect with his sister once again while hinting around at their past relationship. Zilpha rebuffs his advances but still seems curious about what her brother has been doing for the past decade — including rumors that he lived as a cannibal in Africa. James offers to tell her everything if she’ll go back to the house with him, but she declines.
Instead, James walks back through a dark alley — a bad idea even in 1800’s England — when he runs into the silver toothed assassin, who is disguised as a woman. Luckily, James recognizes the rouse quickly enough to brandish his own blade to slice the killer dead before he can finish his job.
Unfortunately, assassin still manages to dig his knife into James’s stomach as he passed out on the street as the blood drops from his wound.
Obviously, James will survive because we still have six episodes to go but it’s difficult to believe this will be the last time he’s fighting to stay alive after somebody attempts to kill him.
‘Taboo’ returns with a brand new episode next Tuesday night at 10pm ET on FX.
