Taboo (2017)

Watchseries; This show is easily some of Tom Hardy's best work.

The first episode grabbed me in the first minute and never let go. The sets and costume/makeup are superb. It's dirty, dank and wonderfully dark. There are just enough supernatural fantasy elements to make it interesting and mysterious, but not so much to be over the top.

The acting is superb, especially Tom Hardy's character. His characteristic grunts and other non verbal communications play so well with his role.

The British East India company is historically intriguing, and lives up to the intrigue in this show. It's interesting to see such a portrayal, one of the primary players in the foundation of modern capitalism as an antagonist in this show.

Very enjoyable show.

This show is easily some of Tom Hardy's best work.

The first episode grabbed me in the first minute and never let go. The sets and costume/makeup are superb. It's dirty, dank and wonderfully dark. There are just enough supernatural fantasy elements to make it interesting and mysterious, but not so much to be over the top.

The acting is superb, especially Tom Hardy's character. His characteristic grunts and other non verbal communications play so well with his role.

The British East India company is historically intriguing, and lives up to the intrigue in this show. It's interesting to see such a portrayal, one of the primary players in the foundation of modern capitalism as an antagonist in this show.

Very enjoyable show.

Taboo watchseries. Tom Hardy is one of the best actors on the planet...period. Besides maybe Leonardo DiCaprio he's my favorite actor and one of the handful of actors where I'd watch the movie/show knowing nothing more than that their in it! Taboo is another great performance for Hardy. It is thrilling from start to finish and can't wait until they finally make Season 2!

The name says it all and is the best show on TV. So many great lines, "they're my rocks now". The dark and foreboding tone is intoxicating. A mix of history with a poetic twist and family intrigue. Sex, violence, politics, crime, corruption, witchcraft, spies, it is unyielding! The story line defies logic. It is the best written and acted show I have seen in some time. The writing is superb. I am hooked. Hope this gets renewed and not just a one season show. We don't watch primetime and always look for something "smart". This show is just that. It draws you in with the history angle but the back story and the current situation make you root for James Delaney. As his life went awry from the start, his experiences in life have molded him into the person he is today. A man who is completely undone, yet cunning and smart. A planner. A doer. A man who is determined to get what is his at all costs and make others pay. Thank you!

Finally I came to see this Gothic gem from the BBC and I am not disappointed - quite the contrary is the case.

In 'Taboo' the set up of the world and the creation of a very dark and at the same time tender atmosphere as well as the nicely arranged spectrum of taboo-motifs (like sexual transgression, the grotesque and strange, overwhelming violence etc.) kept me from being bothered by the fact that I didn't feel one jot more sympathy for its main character than for its antagonists. James K. Delaney is an intriguing mysterious character attracting us in a depraved way. But he is also an individual of extreme moral reprehensibility we eventually cannot go along with.

The series makes very good use of Gothic- and Dark Romanticism writers' style to build up the gloomy atmosphere of a depressed 1814 England still anguished by the loss of the great colony. It is no coincidence when Delaney claims at some point in the series:"The ravens told me". We find lots of Poe here either in theme or characters. Madness wanders through the world of 'Taboo' and at least at the dip of the hem this madness is always caused by the East India Company, the Crown or Delaney. Curiously all the characters except Delaney himself are appearing so vulnerably and fragile that their indulgence (to be helpless and lost in this made up society) arises a counter-part to the unforgiveness of the room they live in.

'Taboo' also declares the downfall of the classic adventure genre. There is no space for nostalgic explorers or discoverers in the plot lines, Delaney is a broken man as he returns from Africa, even if he is not willing to admit this. It's rather a farewell to the exotic, the story takes place after the alleged adventure and mainly stays at the well-known. Interestingly the series manages it to combine some accounts on slavery shifting the story to an international level (not many historic series/ movies do this, they mostly remain in the domestic frame).

Further the actors do a very nice job. Particularly Tom Hardy, Jonathan Price and the reoccurring Mark Gatiss play exceptionally good. However I have to say that there was no huge character development, which I wished to see. The characters are not uni-dimensional, but they do not alter in their facets. The series tries to offset this flaw with new secrets and confessions in every episode pretending these to be a change, whilst it is actually only about the introduction of new information. A very common writing technique, I think.

Overall I can highly recommend 'Taboo', especially for fans of Gothic, Grotesque and the 19th century England.

As my title has indicated, Tom Hardy's "Taboo" is a beautiful slow burn, as the story builds through each episode I was hooked on how Hardy's character would react to certain situations and was never left disappointed, without spoiling the story itself there are some wonderfully tense and sad moment's throughout. The cast were amazing throughout the whole show, the story so gripping, the sets were down right amazing and overall production couldn't have been better! I can't wait for a second season to see what will happen next.

Apparently Tom Hardy lost a few million on this one. I find it hard to believe. Perhaps the person who did the calculations only took into account how the show did on its mother channel on TV in the UK. But that's just the beginning of its story, I would say, because there is streaming and DVDs and foreign sales... A lot of people prefer to stream stuff because it's more convenient. A fixed TV time isn't always a good time to watch something. I'm pretty sure Hardy knew what he was doing, and anyway, it's just not freakin' possible that this show isn't gonna do amazingly well around the world. NO WAY.

It's a period show and not everyone is into those, but if you are, man, what a story. I have so much respect for Tom for being a great actor who just can't make a bad movie - and now he also created 'Taboo'? What a talent this guy has! You gotta love his approach to acting and storytelling and you can see he is only after the best quality in everything he does. 'Taboo' is yet another example of this.

The story line is very intriguing, it's cooking slowly but keeps you hooked, and all the characters are great and very colourful. There is so much attention to detail here, especially when it comes to historical accuracy, but not only that. It's easy to watch a show and say 'it's amazing', but take the time to stop and think about how much work went into designing this, and into the filming. It's not just the clothes and the places and mannerisms, etc., but the many different characters too, each of whom has their own story and personality. And then there's the whole main story and the many twists and turns, with James Delaney always being on top of things, always having an ace up his sleeve. How does one simply write such a show 'just like that'? We watch it and enjoy it, but the work - the work! Think about it every step of the way and you will truly be amazed at what Hardy achieved here. You'll see a perfectionist behind every frame.

I like all the actors playing all the different parts, they make it seem like this is happening for real. It's uncanny. And of course, Tom Hardy himself, the cursed James Delaney, who you know is a very bad man but you still want him to succeed. Hardy has outdone himself for sure, and hats off to him for always getting better and better, and doing it so easily. You can't take your eyes off the screen watching this. You just can't.

I wonder why there are only 8 episodes in this season. I was expecting something around 20 because this became my new favorite show. Now it looks like there might not even be season 2? If there's a petition to keep this show alive, just tell me where to put my signature. I'll sign with both hands and feet.