Season 1 – Taboo

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Brendan M A controversial take, but I thought this was a waste of time and talent. A weak meandering story that was well cast all the same. Style over substance. I'm a Tom Hardy fan, but I would like to see him in better material. Happy it never made it to season 2 Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review Andreja j Very very good. Too bad this never got renewed... Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review Joakim U one of the best series last 20 years Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/01/25 Full Review Pavel K From the beginning, the show heavily implies that Delaney is a master strategist who is always two steps ahead of his enemies. However, by the end of the season, it becomes clear that his "brilliant" plan consists of: - Arriving in London with a pocket full of diamonds. - Buying a ship, only to have it burned down. - Making enemies of both the British and Americans without securing a deal for Nootka Sound. - Getting tortured and losing allies in the process. - Barely escaping with his life on another ship, poorer and more hunted than before. If Delaney had simply taken his diamonds and left at the start, he would have been far better off. Instead, he spends the entire season walking in circles, antagonizing powerful forces, and losing more than he gains. His actions make little sense when analyzed beyond the surface-level "he’s a mysterious, brooding badass." One of the most frustrating aspects of Taboo is how it handles espionage and political maneuvering. Instead of showing the mechanics of espionage and intelligence, the show expects the audience to just accept that powerful organizations "know everything" without explanation. This isn't suspenseful—it’s lazy. If Taboo has one thing going for it, it’s the atmosphere. The grimy, brutal world of early 19th-century London is beautifully shot, and the cinematography drips with bleakness. But this is where the show falls into another trap: mistaking shock for substance. Graphic torture, incest, cannibalism, and constant depravity are shoved in the audience’s face without any deeper narrative purpose. The show thrives on being dark for the sake of being dark, rather than using these elements to enhance the story. It relies on brutality to keep the audience engaged rather than actually developing characters or relationships. Another major flaw is how the characters interact—or rather, don’t interact—in any meaningful way. Delaney gathers allies, but there’s no chemistry between them. The relationships feel forced and unnatural, as if the characters exist in separate bubbles but are told to work together. Instead of meaningful interactions, they just exist in the same scenes, contributing to the same vague goal without any real emotional connection. This lack of genuine relationships makes it difficult to care about anyone in the show. People die, betray each other, or suffer, but none of it matters because their connections feel superficial at best. Final Verdict: Taboo is a perfect example of style over substance. It presents itself as a deep, intellectual, and strategic drama, but once you strip away the grim visuals, the tortured stares, and the excessive violence, there’s very little actual storytelling beneath it all. Tom Hardy is undeniably captivating, and the production value is top-notch, but none of that can save a story that goes in circles and ultimately leads nowhere. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/18/25 Full Review Marius G Brilliant series, I hope the rumours about season 2 are true. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/25 Full Review Rohit R Dark, deranged, and entirely watchable! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Taboo — Season 1

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