CheerupSilver
Very Cool!!!
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
SparkMore
n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
cmcnaul
I watched this series when it first premiered in the US. Have have lost count as to how many times I have 'binged the series since. Each time I watch it, I hear something new that I missed previously.
They're clues, subtle and intriguing as to where they lead one to what and/or whom it pertains to.
I am extremely critical of Hollywood writers these days, dull, unimaginative, and seemingly have a not so secret motive to kill off the movies and tv series in which they write.
But Taboo's writers have restored my faith in their ability to keep the viewers/fans anticipating the next episode. The actors/actresses are most effective and show truly compeling talent to carry out the storylines.
Even the children in this series have some talent to perform their roles.
I highly recommend folks binge watch this series, or make a weekly date to watch the each episode amongst friends.
I await with baited breath to watch season 2. I particularly like how Tom Hardy's character gives to the less fortunate, yet despises the hypocrisy of nobility.
Its about time we have some really great shows.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
1814. A long time after the independence of the USA. And yet the same king, George III with still six years to go and when he will go he will have been king for sixty years and he was entirely responsible for the American Revolution by standing firmly, even more than firmly for the East India Company and the infamous Tea Act of 1773. Remember The Boston Tea Party, just as much as the Alamo.James Delaney, the son of the boss of an important shipping company, comes back after the death of his father to recuperate his inheritance. He had been believed dead due to a very long absence and the very obscure conditions of his disappearance in Africa. He was the sole crew survivor of a shipwreck. The ship was a slave ship, totally illegal according to English law. The ship was sailing for the East India Company and importing a great number of slaves, men, women, and children, to the plantation of the brother of some official of the boss of the East India company, or something as sordid as that. The slaves were locked up into the hold of the ship and the hatch was nailed down so that no survivor could reveal the cargo of the ship.The whole plot turns around the possession of a small island or piece of land on the Canadian west coast and Delaney can sell it to the East India Company and it becomes British or to the US government. The whole story is a series of intertwined rivalries, treasons and allegiances for any private interest you can imagine, some on the American side of dependence, most on the British side but all of them for their sole private or corporate interests. Delaney is thus in the very eye of the tornado with his piece of land. He has more or less decided to capture his freedom by giving this land to the Americans but he has to move over there, hence get a ship and he wants to get a lot of gunpowder to take along. But to produce gunpowder is illegal because it is a royal privilege. Then to give it to the Americans is high treason. The London that is depicted here is absolutely squalid. Dirty, muddy, unhygienic, with all sorts of incredible perverse activities from robbers and thieves, to rats and other pest, to prostitutes of any gender or sex, the most popular on the screen being male transvestites, in the very old British tradition. We also discover the Tower of London and the goal you have there with the torture chambers. But apparently, you always survive in these conditions if you detain some information the powerful want to get out of you. The famous line between life and death has to be walked for a very long time. Of course, they will succeed, the rebels who want to go to America, the land of freedom. But it will surely be more difficult than you may think. Enjoy then the details.Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU
ixkb
Most of season one you can see Tom Hardy walking somewhere. He is walking down the street, walking up the street, walking to city hall, walking by the river. That man did a lot of walking. Probably, if calculated, out of 9 episodes in season one, one whole episode would be only Tom Hardy walking.
In same time, with all these walkings everywhere, although having a lot of enemies, it is almost imposible to kill him. Probably, if there will so much walking in Season two, he will die because of walking.And this inability to threathen Tom Hardy partly explains naivety of Taboo series. He will trick enemies , destroy them harshly. He will challenge king, very influental people and in same time he will do so many walking around alone. This kind of show should not be another superhero series, but it tends to be so. Very predictable plot. Hopefully, first season will be my last season.
westsideschl
Had potential, but too many holes.
1. No subtitles coupled with a variety of English dialects and attempts to sound 1800s compatible, and audio levels all over the place with often poor enunciations leads to the viewer missing a lot, and I mean a lot, of the important dialogue thus the story just becomes a visual experience without nuanced substance/content.
2. Cheap production is furthered with no special features, and a cheap tendency for the disk to always recycle to the first episode no matter which episode you may have temporally ended at.
3. Story/plot had potential about a man coming into ownership of what is now Vancouver Island on the border between Canada and the US and during the period of bad relations between English colonialism and the US, but didn't really explore that topic. Native peoples of that region will not like their brief attention, to this point, and certainly will be surprised if their cultures or the introduction of smallpox will be talked about.
4. Most of screen time is draggingly devoted to talking heads usually squabbling (i.e. camera is constantly panning back 'n forth between two talking heads filling the screen). For the most part the only action outside of a room of talking heads occurs at the end of the final episode.
5. Supporting the emphasis on visuals were the well constructed sets and authentic, usually dirty, clothing so cheap, but well done, visuals was where the money was placed.