Three-quarters of the way through its season, FX’s Taboo is firing on all cylinders, offering some of the most engaging storytelling around… on cable television or otherwise. The filmmakers and actors are consistently delivering a visually appealing and intelligently satisfying experience that is exponentially increasing in intensity as it reaches its conclusion.
Early on in the series, Tom Hardy’s James Keziah Delaney shocked us, frightened us, made us laugh, and ultimately made us care about him. As the odds increase, we can’t help but cheer for his intelligence and/or savagery that gets him out of various dangerous situations. What’s interesting about his progression is that while the rumors swirl more and more about him (pretty much everyone refers to him as the Devil at this point), the viewer is able to see more and more of the human side of him. For example, in Episode 6, even Delaney’s close associate Atticus (Stephen Graham) loosely calls out Delaney’s connections to the occult; ,meanwhile, the viewer is solely aware of Delaney’s internal struggle over his connection to his mother and its supernatural implications. His sensitive side is not revealed to any other character… not to his sister, not to his son, not to anyone but the viewer. In fact, his son’s curiosity only leads to Delaney taking a more hardened approach towards him. read more
