Tom Hardy has proven himself a master of the crime genre over his 26-year career, but one of his outstanding TV series never got the second season it deserves. In addition to starring in crime films such as Bronson, Lawless, and The Drop, Hardy has made a statement in the TV realm with his roles in crime series like Peaky Blinders, and most recently, MobLand. Revered for his action-star capability and emotional depth in front of the camera, Hardy is one of the most talented working actors today. The majority of his crime projects end up successful, so it’s surprising that a certain show has struggled to get its planned Season 2 off the ground.
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The 2017 BBC series Taboo is an underrated gem in the crime genre. Co-created by Peaky Blinders‘ Steven Knight, Hardy, and his father Chips Hardy, the show takes place in England during War of 1812. Hardy stars as James Keziah Delaney, who returns from Africa in the wake of his father’s death after being presumed dead for years. Upon his arrival, James faces threats from the British government and the East India Company, who seek to acquire the piece of North American land he inherited from his father. Taboo began its story with an eight-episode first season, which thoroughly impressed both critics and audiences. A second season has been greenlit, however, the eight years since Taboo Season 1’s premiere haven’t produced any significant updates on a production timeline or potential release date. Hopefully, Taboo Season 2 can still happen and continue the series’ captivating plot.
Taboo Is a Masterful Crime Series That Warrants More Than One Season
Taboo triumphs as both a crime and period drama, generating a viscerally dark and gritty atmosphere in 19th century London. Danger, mystery and fascinating characters lurk around every corner of the city’s roughened streets as James’ presence turns things even more perilous. Taboo‘s morally gray protagonist is expertly performed by Hardy, who powerfully communicates James’ composure and stoicism as the character conspires against those bent on stealing his inheritance. Despite his grim demeanor, James exhibits a capacity for compassion toward others. He’s composed and intimidating, but still feels a need to protect those around him.
Rounding out Taboo‘s exceptional cast are Oona Chaplin as James’ half-sister Zilpha Geary, Jessie Buckley as Lorna Delaney, the widow of James’ father, and Jonathan Pryce as Sir Stuart Strange, the Chairman of East India Company. Taboo starts off a bit slow in its first couple of episodes, but once the plot intensifies, it’s hard to stop watching. A series of betrayals and narrative twists in Taboo Season 1 provide a burst of riveting action and serve as a fantastic setup for the show’s future. Taboo boasts all the qualities of a top-notch crime and period drama, and a second season could do wonders for the characters and larger narrative at play.
Will Taboo Season 2 Ever Happen? Here’s What We Know
Given that Hardy has commanded the crime genre so well for so long, it’s puzzling that Taboo Season 2 hasn’t come to fruition. The latest news concerning Taboo Season 2’s development indicate that the show’s next batch of episodes are still being written. In 2021, Hardy revealed to Esquire that Taboo‘s writing team was in the process of coming up with a storyline.
“The second season of Taboo is really, really important to me, and it’s taken a lot of thinking, because I really enjoyed the first one and I want to be really fulfilled by the second one,” he said. “We’re still playing with ideas: you could go linear, a continuation of time, or we could drop prior to London or we could quantum-leap through time! I don’t know whether to go orthodox – there’s a series of that already written – but I don’t know if that’s the right way to go.”
According to the Radio Times, Knight said in 2022 that production on Taboo Season 2 was set to begin in 2023, explaining that he and Hardy are “both keen to continue and there are lots of people who want us to continue in that direction. It’s been a question of schedules and deciding where it goes next.”
Yet, it appears that Taboo Season 2 remains on hold in 2025. Acknowledging that he’s “been busy,” Hardy told MovieWeb that even after eight years of stalled development, the show’s next season will happen eventually.
“Taboo is something that’s for me and my family and Steven,” he said. “It’s something we wanted to take time to do properly. I’ve been working for the last seven years on Venom, so it had to take a little bit of a back seat, but it’s something that I’m very passionate about. So when I have the space properly to commit, I’d revisit it properly. So it’s never been something that we didn’t want to do. It’s a question of when, and doing it properly.”
It’s encouraging to know that Hardy and Knight are striving to ensure that Taboo Season 2 can deliver the impeccable quality audiences expect. Even though the show has taken many years to return, the wait will likely be worth it. The next chapter of James’ engrossing story as he transitions from London to America should deliver plenty of interesting plot threads, and hopefully the new episodes will arrive sooner rather than later.
Taboo is currently available to stream on Peacock, Plex, Tubi, the Roku Channel, and Pluto TV.
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