Taboo

:

Season 1
  • Network: FX , TNN
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 7, 2017
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 328 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 292 out of 328
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 328
  3. Negative: 16 out of 328
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User Reviews

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  1. geewah
    Jan 12, 2021
    8
    A brutal and grim period piece that is a vechile to show off Hardy's talents.
  2. addict-insane
    May 3, 2019
    10
    Some internet reviewer claimed Tom Hardy was the Marlon Brando of our generation. I thought that was a stretch, but then I rewatched Taboo and agreed. This man has the stage presence, the voice training, and the intensity of a Shakespearean actor.
  3. DasBentley
    Mar 17, 2019
    8
    Taboo was a welcome surprise.Probably my favorite show of 2017, it was filled with intrigue all the way trough.With just 8 episodes it leaves u wanting more!
  4. lukavyy
    Oct 1, 2018
    10
    Breaking Bad meets the RDJ Sherlock Holmes movies...what more can you ask for? Very well written, excellent special effects, interesting characters, enthralling plot; certainly one of the best TV shows out there right now, and it definitely deserves a much higher rating than the 67 it has right now.
  5. WorldofLucky
    Feb 3, 2018
    8
    Unexpectedly very good! Especially for a time period I never had an interest in.

    The story was unexpected for me. The series follows Tom Hardy playing James Delaney, someone who worked for the East India Company, and a man long believed dead who returns to London in 1814 to inherit is father?s estate that includes the land his father owned in the new world. The show starts with a    Unexpectedly very good! Especially for a time period I never had an interest in.

    The story was unexpected for me. The series follows Tom Hardy playing James Delaney, someone who worked for the East India Company, and a man long believed dead who returns to London in 1814 to inherit is father?s estate that includes the land his father owned in the new world.

    The show starts with a bang and from there becomes an incredibly fast paces, brutal piece of work that shows squalor, mysticism, and the greed and power of the East India company as it tries to force James to give them the land in North America.

    The show's title is definitely an indicator of the story itself. I don?t want to go into details on that except to say it is definitely not what I expected from a TV show until I learned it was partnered by BBC. I also didn?t expect the show?s idea came from Tom Hardy and his father.

    Like many shows nowadays (especially in my experience from the BBC style) it is a short season. Season 1 is eight episodes. Enough to tell a great story, to keep things tight and not ramble too badly.

    Pros: Intriguing story, great acting and very immersive in a time period I would have never thought interesting..

    Cons: James is probably too good at anticipating what the Crown and the East India company do that it sometimes strains credibility. Season is a bit short if you just want to enjoy the show itself.

    While there are some issues, overall it is a great season and a great show.    … Expand
  6. dontay13
    Jan 16, 2018
    10
    This show explores something I've never seen from this time era. A true yet light/dark side of things that actually happened. Love the Characters and their path. This show is awesome and I hope it continues to go for seasons to come!
  7. Truth_of_Pisces
    Dec 19, 2017
    7
    It's Tom Hardy at his absolute best, playing the kind of role he clearly loves to play and if you enjoy Hardy's acting style, you will love every minute of Taboo.
  8. jaasieljunior
    Dec 3, 2017
    8
    Taboo é uma série do FX que possa aparentar sem nexo,mas a sua ambientação e enredo são tão únicos que embora poucas atuações sejam convincentes, a série acaba tendo mais qualidades do que defeitos.É fácil de maratonar, mas não é fácil de entender.
  9. Tony1984
    Oct 18, 2017
    8
    A moody, taciturn, glaring, supernaturally endowed reluctant hero in Tom Hardy takes on the might of the East India Company in a sepia, dank, luridly scabious Regency London. If marks were awarded for style alone than Taboo would get a 10. Its an anti - Downton Abbey of the slums ,squalid and filthy in exacting detail. With the wealth of the betters displayed ostentatiously to emphasiseA moody, taciturn, glaring, supernaturally endowed reluctant hero in Tom Hardy takes on the might of the East India Company in a sepia, dank, luridly scabious Regency London. If marks were awarded for style alone than Taboo would get a 10. Its an anti - Downton Abbey of the slums ,squalid and filthy in exacting detail. With the wealth of the betters displayed ostentatiously to emphasise the distance between the two.
    I say reluctant hero although James is portrayed as borderline amoral savage, he in fact seeks empathy , despite the grunts and snorts which are his core dialogue, we are pushed slowly but surely into his corner.
    Hardy aside, the supporting cast are superb, the best you will see in any movie or TV production this year. Marry them with the outstanding costume and set design, the colloquial rough vernacular and you have a winner.
    Negatives are the narrative which requires a little too much belief suspension at times and the ever present mumblings for period dramas. Enunciate people! Lastly there is a overly simplistic politically correct vein but these are the times we live in.
    Withstanding that and the dark violence, very enjoyable chaotic atmosphere of mayhem.    … Expand
  10. cunlhatjacky
    Aug 31, 2017
    0
    Despite an intriguing pilot due to a good rhythm and plot, the TV show reunites all the cliches that can exist about the 19 th century in England, the relations between men and women, the colonialist's history, in fact, it is a whole bunch of cliches. I watched the two first episodes, than I decided to stop, in a big part because of the end of the second episode.
    Even the cliches of the    Despite an intriguing pilot due to a good rhythm and plot, the TV show reunites all the cliches that can exist about the 19 th century in England, the relations between men and women, the colonialist's history, in fact, it is a whole bunch of cliches. I watched the two first episodes, than I decided to stop, in a big part because of the end of the second episode.
    Even the cliches of the title "Taboo" are reunited, as if the producers thought "damn it, we have to fill in the reason why we called it Taboo".
    Moreover, Tom Hardy has a way to child's face for his dark role. Nobody buys it, I don't buy it.    … Expand
  11. BrightCityLight
    Jun 2, 2017
    9
    One of my favorite shows of 2016. Captivating, dark, dirty and intriguing. One has to have a thing against Tom Hardy to not like this show ... a personal thing like penis envy or something like that. Dude is legit and encompassing. Getting past that, production, screenplay and the cast were all phenomenal. Well done to the Hardy Crew for putting this out and hoping for a Season 2.
  12. TheAhnafD
    May 30, 2017
    7
    Taboo is a weird show. Tom Hardy is such a powerful figure he barely lets anyone else shine in the show. Don't get me wrong, I love Tom and he carried the whole show but the whole cast was so great and i'm so disappointed they were so underused. Taboo would've been a masterpiece if the rest of the cast were given half as importance. great setting and lead performance. Hardy's leadTaboo is a weird show. Tom Hardy is such a powerful figure he barely lets anyone else shine in the show. Don't get me wrong, I love Tom and he carried the whole show but the whole cast was so great and i'm so disappointed they were so underused. Taboo would've been a masterpiece if the rest of the cast were given half as importance. great setting and lead performance. Hardy's lead protagonist is one of the best there is currently but it's too much. The show depends too much on his character his dark character James Keziah Delaney. That's where it looses itself. It has a great plot for James but nothing else. Every other sub-plot was weak. No real character development for any other characters even though they were portrayed superbly. Some unnecessary deaths. But everything about Hardy is almost perfect.
    It's extremely watchable and worth your time. Season 2 can be even better if they introduce some new characters and give every character a good plot line because this season everyone was just James Delaney's puppet almost.

    What they have to learn is one great character can't make a show great. That's my take on Taboo. Lemme know what you think.    … Expand
  13. Nathonas
    Apr 22, 2017
    6
    This show has good production quality and lots of potential but doesn't have the greatest writing. The biggest problem is that the main character looks and seems very interesting and unique, but his dialogue is just not in line with that at all. It makes his character seem foolish and simple, in contrast to how he is physically portrayed.

    Also I really dislike the whole "white    This show has good production quality and lots of potential but doesn't have the greatest writing. The biggest problem is that the main character looks and seems very interesting and unique, but his dialogue is just not in line with that at all. It makes his character seem foolish and simple, in contrast to how he is physically portrayed.

    Also I really dislike the whole "white civilization is bad black civilization is good" **** that is being pushed by films and tv shows lately. The company guys (representations of white culture in this case) are all portrayed terribly, almost like cartoon villains, while the protagonist (who represents black culture since he went to africa) is characterized as the good guy who loves to say random african words, has african tattoos, and embodies the notion of white guilt over slavery with his flashbacks.

    This feels more like a fun project for Tom Hardy than an actually good show.    … Expand
  14. cvita
    Mar 31, 2017
    10
    This is one of the best series I have ever watched. It is so delicate to understand but keeps you tense all the time. Can not wait for the season 2. GOT, Vikings and Taboo top 3 series!!
  15. superhorn
    Mar 30, 2017
    10
    Best new show on tv this season so far it is captivating dark story that unfolds an plays out with a great story so far an i am loving it an waiting for next season!!
  16. Q8_MarksMan
    Mar 24, 2017
    10
    When you see Tom Hardy leading...You know its gonna be good

    This show is so amazing it left me speechless.Its like a huge puzzle and only Tom hardy can find a way out and deliver. And we all just have to sit back and watch him take us there.No disrespect to other actors , as they all did an awesome job.Taboo has the best all-around acting that i have ever seen. Whenever an episode ends,    When you see Tom Hardy leading...You know its gonna be good

    This show is so amazing it left me speechless.Its like a huge puzzle and only Tom hardy can find a way out and deliver. And we all just have to sit back and watch him take us there.No disrespect to other actors , as they all did an awesome job.Taboo has the best all-around acting that i have ever seen. Whenever an episode ends, i hope time goes fast so i can watch the next episode when next week comes.

    Tom Hardy character is so strong on the screen , once he's there you dont wanna miss a word or a move.

    The series is an absolute MUST have for any viewer, ready to go into the world of mad man James Delayne. If you are looking for a show to watch , this is it!    … Expand
  17. Bitash
    Mar 21, 2017
    9
    Super entertaining, the costumes and imagery is epic... Tom Hardy is fantastic. Dark and sexy but super psychologically messed up. He pulls the character off really well. The storyline is intriguing even though it has little holes. I wish it never ended. I loved it start to finish
  18. wantedtolikebut
    Mar 18, 2017
    9
    Great show. Great main character. Beautiful. Powerful. The setting. The wardrobe (that hat!). All the departments sparkle. The story's currently a bit of a mess. But unlike "Legion," which I have given-up on, "Taboo" has heart and soul and maturity. It doesn't quite know what it is yet. It needs to find it's spine after this year's set-up. Writers: what is "Taboo" about? Witchcraft?Great show. Great main character. Beautiful. Powerful. The setting. The wardrobe (that hat!). All the departments sparkle. The story's currently a bit of a mess. But unlike "Legion," which I have given-up on, "Taboo" has heart and soul and maturity. It doesn't quite know what it is yet. It needs to find it's spine after this year's set-up. Writers: what is "Taboo" about? Witchcraft? Colonialism? Personally, I'm very interested in the hero's flaws and his relationship to his mother, the witch. I want to see that relationship, and not just quick cut flashbacks. I want to see Tom Hardy confront his demons more directly. I want more taboo. I look forward to next season.… Expand
  19. miowhelper
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    Love this show.................. Best news: Taboo (FX) renewed for an 8-episode 2nd season................ This show is awesome well written well acted......
  20. alexscott680
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    Epic! I love this series, I must say particularly towards the end of the series the tension rose to a tangible amount. Of course Tom Hardy is fantastic, I was especially impressed by Atticus.
  21. andieforbes
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Amazing show. Skeptical at first, but a must-see for age appropriate individuals. Deep & cunning, well thought out plot. May need CC in some parts if normal U.S. speaking English is your norm because the accent can be a little difficult to understand. But overall an amazing story line with a consistency that is impressing and suspenseful. Definitely a 10 out of 10 from someone who doesn'tAmazing show. Skeptical at first, but a must-see for age appropriate individuals. Deep & cunning, well thought out plot. May need CC in some parts if normal U.S. speaking English is your norm because the accent can be a little difficult to understand. But overall an amazing story line with a consistency that is impressing and suspenseful. Definitely a 10 out of 10 from someone who doesn't usually watch these types of shows.… Expand
  22. Moirahas
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    In some ways it reminds me of Penny Dreadful,also is not as dark but still has a different kind of darkenes,less horror and more psychological.The main character reminds me of Baron Samedi and I wonder if this was the inspiration point.The actors are all amazing and I can't complain of any of them.One of the best series so far.
  23. Corwin_of_Amber
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    Great show, also a great example that critics are wrong. They give 100 to some crap (Moonlight), while great films and TV series are not good enough, thats just ludicrous. Hardy is great as usual. Maybe a little bit slow start but then very addictive. Enjoyed this show a lot.
  24. nellomora12
    Mar 1, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just love it, everything it's darky but well done. Great performances and scenography. Keep it coming.
    can't figure out how does it get 6.8, it's way better than those crappy oscar winning pictures...    … Expand
  25. ScienceAdvisor
    Feb 28, 2017
    4
    An unbelieveably convoluted script which tries to convey the lead character as both insane, while posessing deductive powers to rival Sherlock himself. The McGuffin of magic is a false flag to cover up the deductive/inductive powers the lead character posesses. However he is also unnecessarily driven to rush plans to fruition as a pointless contrivence, just for the writers to assessAn unbelieveably convoluted script which tries to convey the lead character as both insane, while posessing deductive powers to rival Sherlock himself. The McGuffin of magic is a false flag to cover up the deductive/inductive powers the lead character posesses. However he is also unnecessarily driven to rush plans to fruition as a pointless contrivence, just for the writers to assess personal loss and torture. The final scene is laughable as the ship slowly sails away from the mass murder of soldiers, and the dock they blew up, without a single Navy vessel bothering to care. In short, there are very few characters to care about, and you will likely find yourself hoping the main character fails as 'we have little use for him'.… Expand
  26. Daaddy
    Feb 27, 2017
    10
    OMG What a superb start to the series. I love this! The acting was mind-blowing, top-notch, especially the powerful & classic performance from the great actor Tom Hardy & would you expect anything else as usual impressive. The look of early 19th century London certainly seemed to be spot on for a layman like myself. I'm looking forward to the NEXT Season and just hope it manages toOMG What a superb start to the series. I love this! The acting was mind-blowing, top-notch, especially the powerful & classic performance from the great actor Tom Hardy & would you expect anything else as usual impressive. The look of early 19th century London certainly seemed to be spot on for a layman like myself. I'm looking forward to the NEXT Season and just hope it manages to maintain the standard throughout, especially considering how high the bar has been set! I can't wait for the next Season… Expand
  27. movieboy
    Feb 26, 2017
    10
    One of the most amazing TV shows I've seen in years. Utterly gripping with fantastic acting and phenomenal cinematography - some scenes are like historical paintings come to life. Very few shows come close.
  28. mjlc2001
    Feb 20, 2017
    10
    Taboo lives up to its name. Tom Hardy is all grit with a touch of steamy sex and swagger. One moment you are rooting for Delaney and the next you feel sorry for those that stand in his path. I love that you have to listen/pay attention to the dialogue and allow it to beguile and submerge you into its intrigue. Don't leave the room for a moment or you will miss intricate details. ThereTaboo lives up to its name. Tom Hardy is all grit with a touch of steamy sex and swagger. One moment you are rooting for Delaney and the next you feel sorry for those that stand in his path. I love that you have to listen/pay attention to the dialogue and allow it to beguile and submerge you into its intrigue. Don't leave the room for a moment or you will miss intricate details. There isn't a predictable element to this series. As it twists and turns through the complex and tortured Delaney's plan you find yourself longing for more insight into his past. Just when you think he is **** crazy he turns around and does something almost chivalrous. Love it!… Expand
  29. dudnik
    Feb 18, 2017
    7
    Extremely beautiful but shallow film. Well... actually not that stupid. There are some less smart TV series. The problem is these series are quite pretentious but can't deliver on their promise. The characters are flat. No development and it's episode four already. The story has nearly zero surprising twists. But atmosphere and art direction are perfect and I'm going to keep watching theseExtremely beautiful but shallow film. Well... actually not that stupid. There are some less smart TV series. The problem is these series are quite pretentious but can't deliver on their promise. The characters are flat. No development and it's episode four already. The story has nearly zero surprising twists. But atmosphere and art direction are perfect and I'm going to keep watching these series despite all of their flaws.… Expand
  30. khankira
    Feb 17, 2017
    10
    Sinema'dan eksiği yok fazlası var. Tom Hardy dahil bütün oyuncular özenle seçilmiş. Senaryo hem gizemli hem sade. Bir o kadar entrika dolu, bir o kadar da karanlık. Tarihi işleyişi muazzam. Yönetmenlik ise Hollywood'a ders niteliğinde
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
41
#41 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Jan 10, 2017
    83
    The metaphorical gloom and doom of Taboo is likewise dense and relentless but so enveloping you can't help but be sucked in.
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  2. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Jan 10, 2017
    40
    Taboo seem to have aspired to explore a number of complex, uncomfortable issues in the three episodes made available to critics without concretely establishing a thesis about any of them. Provided the viewer isn’t utterly bored or bewildered by what she sees, the show thus far seems like it could go to interesting places. As to where that is exactly, who can say?
    Read full review
  3. Los Angeles Daily News
    Reviewed by: Rob Lowman
    Jan 10, 2017
    70
    While it struts and frets and boasts some top-notch actors, I’m not sure it has anything in mind other than being weirdly entertaining.
    Read full review
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