In the third episode of Taboo, James Delaney is revealed to have bitten the Malay’s heart and killed him. He is concluded to be a cannibal, another allusion to the title, Taboo, and a possible connection to his time in Africa. The question of the identity of the hired killer was revealed, as well as the motive: he was hired by the East India Company. He was thwarted, to the East India Company’s disbelief, and Delaney was supposed to be kept alive, putting the Company into a greater dilemma. The doctor that stitched up Delaney seems merciless, willing to unstitch Delaney for answers. Zilpha and Delaney finally show concrete evidence of their romantic, incestuous relationship. Thorne seems to know about their relationship, as he alluded to it in his conversations with Delaney and Zilpha. He tells Zilpha that he’s sorry he’s “not related to her”, in reference to her inability to conceive with him. This may mean that Zilpha had borne a baby with Delaney, possibly the young boy on the farm. Winter shows up again, and it is unclear whether she is real or not, as she was able to enter Delaney’s boarded house. Finally, Lorna Bow seems to have opened up more to Delaney. They have a close living situation, and Delaney had protected her. Thus, she should be less aggressive about her share of the inheritance, and she may leave for Paris, as suggested by Delaney, because of her fugitive status. While Delaney had protected her, Lorna still represents the strong, confident woman, as she had defended herself from the Duke, unafraid to use a weapon and unwilling to engage in anything without her consent. Zilpha, on the other hand, is confusing. She continued to refuse Delaney’s offers to leave together, yet she went ahead and kissed him, in order to keep him away. This only makes Delaney want to be with her more, and this action against the consent of her husband is uncharacteristic of her. Fans see Zilpha in a following scene, cowering under the violent tantrum of Thorne because of she can’t have a baby with him. Clearly, Thorne does not know about a woman’s body. The final woman of Delaney’s life is his mother. Delaney, still a stalwart, mysterious man, has the weakness of hallucinations, and some of them are about his mother. He is discovering more about her, which will pave the way for her backstory in later episodes. A few questions of past episodes were answered, but more questions come up. Is Delaney a cannibal? The sudden, surprising bite to the man’s heart shocked fans, who wonder what more taboos does Delaney practice. Will there be zombies and monsters in the show? His recurring hallucinations include a zombie-like woman with ragged black hair and rags in fog and a swamp, and other fantasy creatures are expected. What does the tattoo on the back of his neck mean? Delaney thinks considerably about it, contemplates its meaning, and wonders how he even got it. What happened to Delaney’s mother? She remains an elusive, puzzling secret, who tortures Delaney’s mind.
Taboo, set in the 1800s, naturally has an accurate historical background to continue the story. For example, the East India Company demonstrated its might and power with respect to the kingdom. The East India Company is comparable to today’s CIA: a ubiquitous, powerful organization that influences politics and government more than what is morally correct. Another historical accuracy was the London Underground gay club, where Delaney met the East India Company official. In 1800s London, the gay culture was secret yet thriving, called molly-clubs. While Godfrey, the official, accepted payment to spy for Delaney, he also had a crush on him, which gave him more reason to help Delaney.