Taboo ― “Shovels and Keys” Review. Tom Hardy, F-Bombs, and That Hat.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 10PM ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“One thing Africa did not cure, is that I still love you.” – James Delaney

Synopsis: Set in 1814, Taboo follows “James Keziah Delaney,” a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But his father’s legacy is a poisoned chalice, and with enemies lurking in every dark corner, James must navigate increasingly complex territories to avoid his own death sentence. Encircled by conspiracy, murder and betrayal, a dark family mystery unfolds in a combustible tale of love and treachery.

The hat James Delaney wears is sexy as all hell. He makes 1800s fashion look good.

Well, the man sure knows how to make an entrance. James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy) is the epitome of the prodigal son. He returns home to London upon hearing his father has fallen ill. Only, he arrives too late and ends up crashing his father’s funeral instead. If that’s not a great way to open a new series, I don’t know what is. We can only go up from there. Questions abound as James visits old haunts and friends to discover whatever he can about his father’s business. I can tell Taboo is going to be as dark as James’s room without electricity. From the scenes of a butcher’s outdoor shop to the dead walking again, this isn’t Jane Austen’s London.

No Brotherly Love Lost

My first question is what haunts this man that everyone seems to think has risen from the dead? Rumors surround his reappearance and there’s nothing good to be said about James Delaney. He looks as if he’s fresh off a vacation in hell. The mystery alone is enough reason to watch each week. I’m dying to learn why James went away to Africa. Because of the timeline, I’m curious to know if he was involved in the slave trade, and on which side he participated. His visions of pain and suffering don’t explain much and Delaney’s threatening demeanor doesn’t put him in the best light. We have to get some more back story because none of what we’re seeing will make sense until then. I need to know what―if anything―would redeem James. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy but he certainly comes across as someone you don’t want to mess with.

The love between she has for James may be more than familial. Are they truly half brother and sister?

What is going on between James and his sister Zilpha (Oona Chaplin)? I’m sensing a vibe between them that borders on incest. Unless they aren’t truly brother and sister―halfsies or not―which would explain a lot. We don’t know much about any of the characters except they are pissed off at a dead man. What could he have done in his lifetime to piss off so many people?

“The issue today is old man Delaney. May he rot in hell.” Tell me how you really feel about the guy? What is it that we don’t know about the Delaney patriarch? Why has he left such a sour taste in the mouths of the most influential men in the area? They are contemplating something devious in order to secure some great prize. How interesting to see yet another group of rich men trying desperately to get richer?

James digs for a key like it’s life or death. Maybe it is.

I love what I’ve seen so far. Taboo has a similar feel to the short run Dracula series starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Taboo makes you root for the guy you know isn’t what he seems to be. The swagger Hardy exudes adds to his character’s charisma. Not only that, his fits of what appear to be delusions or flashbacks lead me to question his mental state. I don’t believe he is mentally ill but there appears to be a few damaging events in his life that have altered his mind. I don’t mind this venture into 1800s London. With the backstabbing, creeptastic characters, and sultry setting, Taboo might become my new favorite series. Let’s hope FX keeps churning out more good stuff that hasn’t already been done to death.

Let me know what you think about “Shovels and Keys” by dropping me a line in the comments section below or tweet me @ellemoe.

Tune in to Taboo, Tuesdays at 10PM ET/PT, only on FX. For more info on Taboo, visit the official site.

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Elle

Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle