Taboo
Episode 1.2
Written by Steven Knight
Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm
Starring Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Michael Kelly, Jonathan Pryce, Jefferson Hall, Franka Potente, David Hayman
FX
Air date: January 17, 2017

Spoilers below for the FX series Taboo:

Last week we were introduced to the latest bizarre series from FX, a series years in the making for star and co creator Tom Hardy called Taboo. Hardy plays James Keziah Delaney, who was thought dead, drowned en route to Africa. Unfortunately for those who look to profit from his father’s death, Delaney is very much alive and the sole inheritor of his father’s trading empire and possession of a crucial piece of land, Nootka Sound, located between British-controlled Canada and the United States. Being that this is 1814 and the War of 1812 is entering its final stretch, this land is important, especially to the British East India Company and its head, Sir Stuart Strange (Jonathan Pryce), who tries unsuccessfully to buy the land from Delaney. Delaney has other ideas, some of which include finding out who poisoned his father, and also a possible rekindling of things with his half-sister Zilpha (Oona Chaplin).

Taboo
Episode 1.1 “Shovels and Keys”
Written by Steven Knight
Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm
Starring Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Michael Kelly, Jonathan Pryce, Jefferson Hall, Franka Potente, David Hayman
FX
Air date: January 10, 2017

“Forgive me father, for I have indeed sinned.”

FX is known to push the boundaries on cable television. This is the channel of such provocative hits as American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy, The People vs. OJ Simpson, and It’s Always Sunny of Philadelphia. When I first saw the previews for Taboo that aired during AHS Season 6, I was immediately hooked. I mean, Oscar-nominee Tom Hardy starring in a series involving indigenous lands and customs”¦ I’m in.

The show opens in 1814, London. England is at war with the U.S. and in pursuit of land and trade routes that will continue their path towards global empire. Into this walks James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy), a man long thought dead, whose appearance at his father’s funeral draws audible gasps from his half-sister Zilpha (Oona Chaplin) and looks of consternation and disgust from everyone else. Their father was long mad, the only one it appears who still thought his son alive. So much so that he bequeathed him in his will the small piece of strategic and contentious land, Nootka Sound, that lies between British controlled Canada and the U.S. in what we decipher is western Canada. This is described by his father’s lawyer as follows: “If America was a pig facing England, this is the pig’s asshole; nothing but rocks and Indians.” Delaney’s response: “But those are my rocks.”

FX has released some new promo videos for Taboo, the upcoming eight episode event series starring Tom Hardy. We saw a trailer for the miniseries back in February.

Hardy plays a man who everyone thought was dead returning home to claim ownership of his father’s shipping company in the early 1800s. Continue below for more on the series and to watch the new promo videos.

Game of Thrones
Episode 6.10 “The Winds of Winter”
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik
Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss
Starring Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Carice van Houten, Alfie Allen, Natalie Dormer, Jonathan Pryce
HBO
Air date: June 26, 2016

WARNING: Spoilers for HBO’s Game Of Thrones….

The Season 6 finale for Game Of Thrones aired earlier, and oh man oh man oh man. SO MUCH GOOD STUFF. I’m trying to organize my thoughts, but my head is spinning. A lot of storylines were not only revisited, but were given a satisfying conclusion.

The High Sparrow awaits Cersei and Loras in the Sept for their trial, but Cersei has other plans; Walder Frey toasts to his successful alliance with the Lannisters, but perhaps his celebrating is a bit premature; Sam, Gilly, and baby Sam make it to the Citadel; Ser Davos confronts Melisandre about what happened to Shireen Baratheon; Dany finally sets sail to Westeros, but must leave something behind; Littlefinger reveals to Sansa his true desires; Olenna Tyrell considers teaming up with the Sand Snakes of Dorne against the Lannisters; it’s time for the North to remember, now that Jon Snow and Sansa Stark have reclaimed Winterfell; and Bran Stark, now the Three-Eyed Raven, takes a trip back in time to the Tower Of Joy to find out why truly happened with his Aunt Lyanna.

SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, here’s what happened on Episode 6.10 “The Winds of Winter””¦

Game of Thrones
Episode 6.2 “The Red Woman”
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa
Written by Dave Hill
Starring Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Carice van Houten, Alfie Allen, Natalie Dormer, Jonathan Pryce
HBO
Air date: May 1, 2016

WARNING: Spoilers for HBO’s Game Of Thrones….

Last week’s Season 6 premiere of Game Of Thrones was packed with returning characters and the tying up of loose ends. After waiting a year, there was a lot of satisfaction in the storyline; therefore, I didn’t expect much to happen in the follow-up episode, 6.2 “Home.” And for the most part, even though there were some nice new tidbits and a few semi-shocking events, the episode for the most part was slow.

But, with a show like Game Of Thrones (just like with AMC’s The Walking Dead, a slow episode means that something is doing to go down in the last few minutes. And oh boy, did it!