Genre: Historical Drama, Psychological Thriller, Gothic Noir
Starring: Tom Hardy
Created by: Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, Chips Hardy
Original Network: BBC One / FX
In an era dominated by instant content and disposable storytelling, Taboo remains a rare anomaly. It is a series that refuses urgency, rejects simplicity, and embraces discomfort. Nearly a decade after its haunting first season aired in 2017, Taboo – Season 2 has re-entered the public conversation—not with a trailer or a release date, but with something far more powerful: confirmation that the darkness is not finished.
The return of Taboo is not merely about continuation. It is about patience, authorship, and the enduring fascination with a character who feels less like a man and more like a myth.
A Series That Refused to Fade
Season 1 of Taboo introduced audiences to James Keziah Delaney, portrayed by Tom Hardy in one of his most physically and psychologically immersive performances. Set in early 19th-century London, the series followed Delaney’s return from Africa after being presumed dead, only to reclaim his inheritance and challenge the East India Company, the Crown, and the moral decay of empire itself.
The show was dense, brutal, and unapologetically strange. It divided audiences but captivated critics. Over time, Taboo evolved from an underappreciated period drama into a cult phenomenon—praised for its atmosphere, originality, and Hardy’s near-feral intensity.
Season 2 was announced soon after the first season ended. And then… silence.
Why Season 2 Took So Long
The extended absence of Taboo Season 2 has become part of its mythology. Unlike most delayed projects, the reasons were not creative collapse or cancellation, but time.
Tom Hardy, Steven Knight, and Chips Hardy have repeatedly stated that the delay stemmed from scheduling conflicts and a commitment to quality. Hardy’s film career surged, while Steven Knight became one of the most in-demand creators in television, working on projects like Peaky Blinders, See, and major feature films.
Rather than rushing a sequel, the creators chose to wait.
This decision—rare in modern television—has ironically strengthened the series’ reputation. Taboo is now viewed not as an unfinished story, but as a deliberate one, unfolding on its own terms.
The Confirmation That Sparked the “Viral” Buzz
In recent interviews, Tom Hardy officially confirmed that Taboo Season 2 is still in development, with scripts actively being worked on. Steven Knight echoed this sentiment, stating that the creative direction for the next chapter is clear.
This confirmation reignited global interest. Online discussions surged. Articles resurfaced. Fans who had nearly given up hope returned to speculate, analyze, and revisit Season 1.
The reason for this reaction is simple: Taboo does not feel outdated. If anything, its themes feel more relevant than ever.
What Season 2 Is Expected to Explore
While no official synopsis has been released, the ending of Season 1 provides strong clues. James Delaney and his allies set sail for the New World, suggesting that Season 2 will move beyond London and into a broader geopolitical landscape.
This shift opens the door to:
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Colonial expansion and American power
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The moral cost of empire-building
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Indigenous displacement and exploitation
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The transformation of Delaney from outlaw to legend
Steven Knight has hinted that Taboo was always envisioned as a multi-season narrative, with each season exploring a different phase of Delaney’s journey. Season 2 is expected to expand the world rather than repeat it.
James Delaney: A Character Built for Long-Form Storytelling
James Delaney is not a traditional protagonist. He is violent, emotionally distant, and morally ambiguous. Yet he commands attention in a way few television characters do.
Tom Hardy’s performance turns Delaney into something elemental. He speaks little, but every movement suggests history, trauma, and unresolved rage. Season 2 offers the opportunity to deepen this complexity—to explore what Delaney becomes when stripped of his homeland and forced into unfamiliar power structures.
Rather than softening the character, the creators appear committed to pushing him further into moral darkness.
Steven Knight’s Signature: Power, Silence, and Control
Steven Knight’s writing style is unmistakable. He is fascinated by systems—governments, corporations, secret alliances—and the individuals who exploit or destroy them.
In Taboo, Knight blends historical realism with gothic symbolism. Dialogue is sparse but loaded. Violence is sudden and meaningful. Power is never abstract; it is personal.
Season 2 is expected to continue this approach, trading exposition for atmosphere and letting tension build slowly. This makes Taboo a challenging series—but also a rewarding one.
A Visual World That Feels Alive
One of Taboo’s greatest strengths is its visual identity. Mud-soaked streets, flickering candlelight, decaying architecture, and oppressive silence create a world that feels tangible.
Season 2, especially if set partly in America or frontier territories, offers a chance to evolve this aesthetic. The visual language of empire, wilderness, and moral chaos could elevate the series into even more cinematic territory.
Few shows understand that darkness is not merely the absence of light—but a texture, a mood, a philosophy.
Why Taboo Still Matters
The renewed interest in Taboo Season 2 is not driven by nostalgia. It is driven by hunger—for storytelling that trusts its audience, embraces ambiguity, and resists formula.
In a television landscape saturated with content, Taboo stands apart because it is not designed to please. It is designed to unsettle.
Its themes—unchecked power, colonial violence, corporate greed, identity fractured by trauma—are not relics of history. They are reflections of the present.
Final Thoughts
Taboo – Season 2 remains without a release date, without a trailer, and without guarantees. Yet it has already achieved something remarkable: it has reminded audiences that some stories are worth waiting for.
If Season 1 was about a man reclaiming his name, Season 2 promises to explore what happens when that name becomes a weapon.
In a world that moves too fast, Taboo waits in the shadows.
And when it returns, it will not ask for attention—it will demand it.