We’re officially halfway through ‘Taboo’, which has been bringing Tom Hardy to our screens every Saturday night.
His character, James Delaney, has given us plenty to talk about, thanks to his ruthless (yet occasionally moralistic) attitude, war with the East India Company, and that relationship with his half-sister, Zilpha.
Saturday’s (4 February) show puts us firmly in the second half of the series, and as the conclusion draws closer, there are a number of big questions that still need answering - but what are they?
Here’s our recap of the main talking points so far…
The duel offer
Episode four ended in a cliffhanger, with Delaney’s brother-in-law, Thorne Geary, challenging him to a duel. Our instinct is that this was a very ill-judged move, and while there is a chance that Delaney could spare him by saying no, somehow, we don’t think that will happen.
Will Delaney’s gunpowder plan work?
News that he would be unable to purchase gunpowder did little to stop the protagonist in his tracks. and he soon located chemist Dr George Cholmondeley, played by Tom Hollander, to help him produce it himself.
His plans for the gunpowder aren’t completely clear, though - is Delaney plotting revenge on a grand scale? Will he somehow trade it? Your guess is as good as ours.
The potential Zilpha-Delaney-Lorna triangle
Our suspicions about the nature of Delaney’s relationship with his sister have been confirmed, but it seems Lorna may not be bothered by what has gone on between them - or the fact Delaney is technically her steps-on.
The awkwardness was palpable in episode four, when Lorna asked Zilpha if she should feel threatened by her, and we’re very intrigued to see how this triangle plays out.
Delaney’s ‘League Of The Damned’
We’ve also seen James reveal that he hasn’t been simply picking people to work with at random, telling Lorna: “I don’t keep anyone around me who doesn’t deserve what they get.”
Delaney made it quite clear that he wouldn’t have any qualms in turning his back on them, but will he actually have to do it?
What about the child?
Way back in the first episode, we were briefly introduced to a young boy, who was apparently Delaney’s brother. He hasn’t been seen since and continues to be cared for by somebody else - but could he be reintroduced? There’s bound to be more to his story.
How many more violent deeds will he commit?
If we’ve learnt anything in the last four hours of ‘Taboo’, it’s that if Delaney is going to murder you, he isn’t going to do it quietly. So far, each of his killings has been more brutal than the one before it, and we dread to think how horrific they could get if things progress at this rate…