After years of anticipation, delays, and speculation, Tom Hardy’s enigmatic James Keziah Delaney is finally coming back. Taboo Season 2 is officially in the works again — and fans of gritty, cerebral historical drama are ready for the return of one of television’s most shadowy antiheroes.
With its unforgettable visuals, slow-burn storytelling, and a lead performance both haunting and hypnotic, Taboo carved out a cult following after just one season. Now, Hardy is back to finish what he started — and the stakes are higher than ever.
A Look Back: Where Season 1 Left Off
The first season of Taboo ended with Delaney escaping British forces and setting sail for America, wounded but not broken. He leaves behind a blood-soaked trail through Georgian-era London — a trail full of enemies from the East India Company, the Crown, and even his own haunted past.
Before fleeing, he cryptically mentioned “the Colonnade” — a secretive organization tied to intelligence, revolution, and something darker lurking beneath politics and profit.
Season 2 is expected to dive deep into that world.
What to Expect in Season 2
While plot details are tightly guarded, showrunner Steven Knight has confirmed that Season 2 will:
- Pick up immediately after the events of Season 1, following Delaney’s journey to America
- Reveal the Colonnade’s true nature, likely involving espionage and international conflict
- Dig deeper into James Delaney’s mind, exploring his trauma, beliefs, and thirst for revenge
- Raise the scale: from the grimy docks of London to the political chaos of early 19th-century America
Expect new enemies, new alliances, and more of the cryptic mysticism that made the first season so unique.
Tom Hardy’s Return: “He Was Never Gone”
Tom Hardy isn’t just returning as lead actor — he’s also an executive producer and creative force behind the series. Taboo has always been a passion project for Hardy, and his vision is central to the show’s identity.
His performance as Delaney was brutal, unsettling, and poetic. Hardy portrayed a man scarred by secrets, yet always several steps ahead of his enemies — with every line delivered like a cryptic warning.
In Season 2, we can expect Delaney to be even more dangerous, more driven, and far less forgiving.
Why the Long Wait?
Several factors contributed to the delay:
- Hardy’s packed filming schedule (Venom, Mad Max: Furiosa, The Bikeriders, etc.)
- Steven Knight’s commitments to Peaky Blinders and other projects
- The desire to get the script “exactly right,” as Hardy himself stated in interviews
Now, with time having sharpened both vision and intention, the series is finally ready to return stronger than ever.
Themes to Watch For
Taboo isn’t just about violence and revenge. It’s about power, empire, madness, and survival. Season 2 is expected to explore:
- The birth of modern espionage
- Delaney’s growing influence as a mythic figure
- The blurred line between revolution and terrorism
- Spiritualism and psychological torment
- The cost of keeping secrets in a collapsing world
These aren’t just themes — they’re questions the show will force its characters, and viewers, to confront.
The Audience is Ready
Since 2017, Taboo has built a loyal fanbase hungry for more. Reddit threads, fan theories, and tribute videos continue to speculate on what happened to Zilpha, the secrets of Delaney’s tattoo, and what “We are Americans now” really means.
With Hardy back in the role that many consider his most layered and terrifying, Season 2 is poised to break the silence with a bang — not a whisper.