Taboo Season 2 (2025)
August 16, 2025
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Taboo Season 2 (2025): The Dark Return of James Delaney
After years of anticipation, Taboo finally makes its long-awaited return with Season 2 in 2025. Created by Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, and Chips Hardy, the series continues its descent into the murky underworld of 19th-century London, where politics, power, and betrayal intertwine in a grim tale of survival.
The Story Resurfaces
Season 2 picks up directly after the explosive events of the first season. James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy), along with his band of misfits, sails away from London, leaving behind the wreckage of the East India Company’s schemes. Now in America, Delaney confronts new enemies while seeking to build his own shadow empire.
The season delves deeper into his mysterious past, his fractured mind, and the truth behind his mother’s legacy. As Delaney wrestles with visions and inner demons, he positions himself against the great powers of both Britain and America, fueling his quest for vengeance and dominance.
Themes and Tone
Much like the first season, Taboo Season 2 thrives in its atmosphere of darkness, secrecy, and moral ambiguity. Themes of colonialism, corruption, and forbidden truths run deep, while the tension between Delaney’s savagery and intelligence remains central.
Expect more ritualistic symbolism, supernatural undertones, and brutal realism, making the series both an intense psychological study and a gripping period drama.
Cast and Performances
Tom Hardy once again dominates the screen as James Delaney — raw, enigmatic, and terrifyingly magnetic. Returning cast members from Season 1, including Oona Chaplin and Jessie Buckley, reprise their roles, while new faces in the American storyline bring fresh tension and intrigue. Every performance, from the smallest supporting role to Hardy’s commanding lead, contributes to the show’s gritty authenticity.
Cinematic Excellence
Visually, Taboo Season 2 maintains its striking style: foggy London streets, shadow-drenched taverns, and the harsh landscapes of the New World. The production design and cinematography immerse viewers in a world both bleak and beautiful, while the haunting score heightens the sense of unease and inevitability.
Why It Matters
When Taboo debuted in 2017, it was hailed as a bold experiment in period drama — part gothic thriller, part political intrigue, and part mythic journey. Season 2 raises the stakes, expanding its scope while keeping the story tightly anchored to Delaney’s journey. It is not just a continuation but a deepening of the mythology surrounding its anti-hero.
Final Verdict
Taboo Season 2 (2025) is a dark, gripping return that rewards patience with ambition. Fans of Hardy’s brooding performance and the show’s unique blend of brutality and mystery will not be disappointed. This season proves that some stories take time to ferment — and like fine rum in Delaney’s world, the wait has made it stronger, sharper, and far more intoxicating.