9 years after its BBC One premiere, the Tom Hardy TV thriller Taboo has been on the forefront of many crime-thriller followers’ minds, with the second season nonetheless hanging over their heads. The events concerned have continued to specific curiosity within the undertaking, with co-creator Steven Knight having mentioned as a lot as just lately as early 2026. The historic fiction story considerations James Delaney (Hardy), an entrepreneurial explorer returning to England following an prolonged keep in Africa, the place he finds stark socioeconomic modifications.
Though it is unusual for a TV present to return a number of years after debuting, Hardy stays as concerned in Taboo‘s second season as within the first. Bear in mind, Hardy wrote the story along with his father, Chips Hardy, giving the actor extra accountability and authority over the place Taboo goes from right here. Whereas unlikely to hit the small display screen anytime quickly, it is time to drum up fervent enthusiasm for Taboo Season 2 by highlighting all the important thing details in regards to the present’s return.
Tom Hardy and Steven Knight Are Nonetheless Invested in Bringing ‘Taboo’ Season 2 to Improvement
As Paramount+ subscribers know, Tom Hardy is starring on the small display screen within the British gangster collection MobLand. Whereas selling the present with LadBible in March 2025, Hardy addressed Taboo Season 2 and warranted followers, “We’re writing that for the time being.” The affirmation comes a month after Hardy made an enigmatic IG put up, which his followers took as a Taboo Season 2 tease.
It has nearly been a 12 months since Hardy’s earlier replace had followers excited a few potential new season, with little in the best way of precise growth information. In a current interview with Radio Occasions in early 2026, co-creator Steven Knight mentioned that Tom and he, “are each eager to proceed, and there are many individuals who need us to proceed in that route. It’s been a query of schedules and deciding the place it goes subsequent.“
Because the dialogue across the second season dates again to 2021, when Hardy and crew had been first eyeing a 2023 filming schedule (through Collider), the continued delays have given followers purpose to be hesitant, even with continuous updates from Hardy and Knight on their intent to work on the undertaking. Nonetheless, Hardy’s private connection to the undertaking stays important to its eventual launch.
What Was ‘Taboo’ Season 1 About?
Taboo was created by Steven Knight, who labored with Tom Hardy on the underrated 2013 film Locke and the hit British gangster drama Peaky Blinders. Working from a narrative by Tom and Chips Hardy, Taboo focuses on James Keziah Delaney, an unscrupulous explorer, adventurer, and capitalistic opportunist who returns to England to attend his father Horace’s (Edward Fox) funeral.
Lengthy regarded as useless, James returns after spending a decade in Africa and learns he has inherited Nootka Sound, a parcel of land off the US’ west coast. Though the East India Firm proposes to buy Nootka Sound, James’ half-sister/lover Zilpha (Oona Chaplin) holds out, figuring out that the land will enhance in worth quickly, as soon as the Conflict of 1812 ends.
‘Taboo’ Stays a Private Venture for Hardy
For Hardy, the attraction of Taboo goes again to writing along with his father, an intimate and private affair representing high quality over amount. Talking with MovieWeb, Hardy said:
“So, Taboo is one thing that is for me and my household and Steven. It is one thing we wished to take time to do correctly.”
“I have been working for the final seven years on Venom, so it needed to take somewhat little bit of a backseat, however it’s one thing that I am very keen about. So when I’ve the area correctly to commit, I would revisit it correctly. So it is by no means been one thing that we did not need to do. It is a query of when, and doing it correctly.”
“Correctly” is the operative phrase Hardy uttered thrice, reinforcing the need to craft a sturdy TV collection that can face up to time. Refreshingly, Taboo harks again to the times of appointment viewing, when tv episodes had been must-see occasions reasonably than binge-worthy applications loaded with formulaic filler. Such TV exhibits are sometimes canceled earlier than operating their course, robbing viewers of a completely fleshed-out story.
Actually, extra TV showrunners ought to take the time to craft extra compelling tales from starting to finish reasonably than dashing a product to fulfill a launch date. By prioritizing high quality over amount, viewers and streamers would profit.
‘Taboo’ Season 2 Anticipated Plot and Solid
Whereas particulars stay shrouded, Taboo Season 2 will proceed James Delaney’s enterprise exploits in London throughout the nineteenth century following the Conflict of 1812. Season 1 concludes with Delaney fatally avenging East India Firm Chair Stuart Unusual (Jonathan Pryce) by planting a bomb close by. In the meantime, Horace’s loyal servant, Brace (David Hayman), escapes captivity and plans on utilizing proof to show the East India Firm’s shady enterprise operations.
Given what transpires in Season 1, Jonathan Pryce is unlikely to return in Taboo Season 2. Until seen in flashbacks, neither will Oona Chaplin, whose character Zilpha took her personal life by leaping into the River Thames. James Delaney should cope with his half-sister’s and lover’s suicide in Season 2 after reeling in despair over the invention within the Season 1 finale.
Moreover, Taboo‘s first season killed off Winter (Ruby-Could Martinwood), the daughter of brothel proprietor Helga (Franka Potente), and East India Firm worker Benjamin Wilton (Leo Invoice). As such, Invoice and Martinwood should not anticipated to star in Taboo Season 2.
Though new solid additions have but to be introduced, Taboo Season 2 will doubtless mirror Season 1 with eight episodes. Surviving characters like Horace’s widow Lorna (Jessie Buckley), Zilpha’s husband Thorne (Jefferson Corridor), James Delaney’s son Robert (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), James’ informant Atticus (Stephen Graham), and others are prone to play key roles as nicely.
There isn’t a telling precisely when the highly-rated interval TV drama will launch new episodes. Regardless of Hardy’s feedback suggesting the scripts had been being actively labored on as early as March 2025 and Knight’s continued enthusiasm for the undertaking, Taboo season 2 continues to be in growth. Which means that the solid and plot additionally stay speculative based mostly on the inaugural season. Crime followers are definitely itching for one more season of Taboo, however for now, they should proceed to attend.
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2017 – 2017-00-00
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BBC