Just in case you need a refresher course on what Taboo is all about, it has to do with the account of one James Keziah Delaney and his return to England following the death of his father. The war between England and the US is about over and James has to find a way to settle his father’s affairs and hold onto a bit of land that is bound to become quite valuable to the right buyers. But along the way there are plenty that would love to see Delaney dead and he has to find ways to protect himself and make his way along in a world that is increasingly violent. Tom Hardy isn’t just the lead in this show, he’s also a co-creator which makes it even greater. But it’s been a while since the show aired so people might need some reminding as to why it’s worth the effort once again.
As Morgan Jeffrey from Digital Spy reminds us it’s been about two years at least since Taboo was seen on the air since it came out in 2017, and for eight episodes to be written and filmed you would think that would be plenty of time for just about anyone. But it would seem that things have transpired to keep the show from happening in the form of delays and personal matters that couldn’t be avoided at the time. From what it sounds like the show could still be pushed back to 2020 at this point, though the hope is to see it sometime in 2019 if this becomes possible. Other projects have taken precedence as of late and if anyone remembers a lot of people didn’t seem too broken up when the show wasn’t seen for a while in any case. There were plenty of folks that liked it and enjoy watching Tom Hardy since he’s such a great actor, but FX has been swinging and missing fairly often throughout the years despite their track record of taking on decent to awesome shows and Taboo, while it looks and sounds quite interesting, kind of failed to garner that much attention once it was gone for a short time.
As to where the story is going to be headed in the next season it’s sounding as though it means to head west towards the Azores and then possibly towards America if things go well. This whole tale is set in a historical period when misfits were considered revolutionaries and thugs were at times looked upon as those that made the world turn. One could argue that we haven’t gone too far from that narrative in some respects but have instead draped ourselves in what we like to call civility while doing it. All the same Delaney is more or or less a thug that is out to claim what his father left him and avoid getting killed in the process, and as he continues to butt heads with the West India Company it was seen that he finally managed to escape them at the end of the first season.
The inherent danger and mystery of Taboo is likely what draws a lot of people towards it while the whole aspect of rooting for the guy that’s little more than a thug but is still seen as a person trying to get what’s his by right is a great lure as well. Tom Hardy though is likely the biggest draw since for a while now he’s been one of the hottest actors in show business when it comes to delivering a role and has been one of those people that can do just about anything that’s asked of him and make it into something great. While this might seem beyond the pale for one of his usual projects a person might want to take a look at some of the other things he’s done such as Bronson, The Drop, Warrior, and a few others. He’s never been one to shy away from a tough role and there’s no doubt that he’s fully capable of turning on the talent and riding it to the very end. Where it will take him in this show however seems to be a good question since so far it’s managed to produce one season that was absolutely brutal and didn’t pull any punches.
The next season, which a lot of people feel is long overdue, is bringing back a lot of the original cast including Hardy and will be seeking to take a look at the ties that keep these people together and the dynamics that might change as the season goes on. When it will finally come to TV is hard to say since the writing needs to be done first so that the process of reading, editing, and then finally filming can take place.
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