Some things are hard to make heads or tails of at first, but they’re worth sticking with. Hot on the heels of the British phenomenon Peaky Blinders, director Steven Knight called upon his good pal Tom Hardy to star in another fascinating series, Taboo. By Hardy’s side was a sterling cast, including Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Mark Gatiss, and Stephen Graham. However, when the BBC revealed the show in 2017, it fared well but never quite reached the dizzying heights of the Shelby boys in Peakys. Nonetheless, Taboo was renewed, and it has only become more popular over years of critical reappraisal, but the follow-up never came.
Taboo is a historical drama interlaced with family secrets and supernatural elements, set in early 19th-century London and concerned with themes of colonial power, revenge, and identity. With its atmospheric storytelling and performances of the highest caliber, the series shows the struggles of a man reborn in a society rife with corruption and moral ambiguity. Now, a full eight years after it first aired, Hardy has revealed that the second series of Taboo is on the way. And we think it more than deserves the honor. It should be better than ever, not in spite of a decade having passed, but because of it.
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A Dark Tale of Ambition and Revenge
FX
In 1814 London, James Keziah Delaney (Hardy) returns to England after a decade in Africa. He discovers his father died under mysterious circumstances, leaving him a small piece of land – Nootka Sound, coveted by the East India Company. Led by the ruthless Sir Stuart Strange (Jonathan Pryce), the Company schemes to acquire Delaney’s inheritance by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Delaney reconnects with his half-sister, Zilpha Geary (Oona Chaplin), with whom he shares a forbidden attraction, hence the name Taboo, much to the anger of her husband, Thorne (Jefferson Hall).
Delaney builds his shipping empire and challenges the East India Company’s monopoly. He enlists help from various allies, including his father’s servant Brace (David Hayman), enforcer Atticus (Stephen Graham), and the attorney Thoyt (Nicholas Woodeson). In another twist, Lorna Bow (Jessie Buckley) is an actress who arrives on the scene claiming to be Delaney’s stepmother through marriage to his late father.
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Why Should You Invest in ‘Taboo’?
Taboo was divisive yet captivated many. Its complex narrative made it challenging to keep up, with multiple conspiracies, historical contexts, and supernatural elements sometimes overwhelming viewers with the sheer density of the plot. The Week reported, “Hardy moves through filthy corrupt London with menace and purpose and drive, but why? To what end?” The show’s pacing sometimes slows and its plotting occasionally confuses, yet the series rewards patient viewers with its richly detailed world.
Hardy co-created the series with his father, Chips Hardy, alongside Steven Knight, adding a personal dimension to the show’s portrayal of legacy and inheritance. Visually, it’s stunning. The production design recreates 1814 London with all its mud, grime, and atmospheric fog, felt in every carefully composed frame, creating a shady aesthetic that complements the narrative.
Performances Worth Writing Home About
Combining grunting, intensity, and utter commitment, Hardy’s portrayal of Delaney is what he was made for. His physical presence and penetrating stare, paired with minimalist dialogue, create the sense of danger that drives the series, and his commitment paints an authentic period figure, brutal yet vulnerable. Allowing viewers to sense Delaney’s trauma without explicit exposition, the character is tailored to Hardy’s strengths: his ability to project menace with the slightest movement and reveal hidden depths beneath a hardened exterior.
The supporting cast matches his energy, creating a world of morally ambiguous characters. Viewers of Taboo might not know Jessie Buckley’s journey to success. Before becoming an A-list performer in productions like Wild Rose and The Lost Daughter, Buckley first gained public attention on the 2008 BBC reality competition I’d Do Anything, which sought to cast the role of Nancy in a West End revival of “Oliver!” Despite her undeniable talent, she finished as runner-up on the show – a devastating result. But this setback was a blessing in disguise, pushing her to train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and build a career on her terms. Cool and effortless and one of the best in her generation, Buckley’s disappointment led her to her artistic path.
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Will People Tune in for the Second Series?
Born from a bold artistic vision, Taboo deserves a chance to see where it can go next. The first season left storylines unresolved: Delaney’s journey to America, the aftermath of his confrontation with the East India Company, and a deeper look at his supernatural abilities all beg for continuation. Not much out there filled its shoes. The meticulous period detail, combined with its willingness to explore the darker aspects of colonial Britain, offers a different approach to more sanitized historical dramas. Hardy told MovieWeb it’s coming, “It’s never been something that we didn’t want to do. It’s a question of when, and doing it properly.” Taboo’s return is welcome. Just give it time.
