'Taboo' Creator Promises Only 2 More Parts Before Its Conclusion

You can expect more of the Tom Hardy period FX drama “Taboo,” but don’t expect too much more.

Series creator and writer Steven Knight said that he sees the story playing out in three parts before its conclusion.

“I can feel the three acts. The first was ‘the escape’. The second will be ‘the journey,’ the third will be ‘the arrival,’ and that’ll be it,” he told HuffPost UK. “I don’t think the story will be what viewers are expecting, but hopefully they’ll enjoy it.”

Also Read: 16 'Taboo' Main Characters, Ranked by How Dirty They Are (Photos)

“Taboo,” which premiered on BBC One in the U.K., follows a man named James Delaney (Hardy) who returns to England in the early 19th century after spending over a decade in Africa, only to find that he’s come into land through his father’s will.

The series takes place in 1814, with Delaney going up against the East India Company, a gigantic powerhouse of trade during that time and into a dispute between Great Britain and the US.

The “escape” part makes sense, since there are multiple of them throughout the first season (without spoiling anything, the season finale follows a violent escape). In a Joseph Campbell, Hero’s Journey sort of way, the fact that the last two parts are called “the journey” and “the arrival” seem appropriate if you count Delaney as a hero.

Also Read: 'Taboo': We Finally Know What James Delaney Is So Mad About

Knight, who also created the similar “Peaky Blinders,” promises that the upcoming seasons will feature more violence that will play on historic moods and tensions.

“It’s not simple violence,” Knight continued. “It’s dealing with a time when violence was much more acceptance, plus this kind of drama is about extreme situations, when people’s behavior is pushed beyond the borders of normal.”

“Taboo” has already been renewed for a second season.

The Evolution of Tom Hardy: From 'Band of Brothers' to 'Venom' (Photos)

Tom Hardy has done it all. He's played witty rogues, brutal villains and brooding heroes. Take a look back at the English actor's career trajectory.
HBO/ Warner Bros./ FX
Hardy's first big screen role came in 2001 on the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" as Pvt. John Janovec, a replacement soldier whose first scene features him getting caught having sex with a German woman by his commanding officer.
HBO
That same year, Hardy had another small role as a soldier in "Black Hawk Down," a war film about the bloody Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia between U.S. forces and rebel militias that have started a civil war.
Columbia Pictures
Before becoming Bane, Hardy got some practice playing a supervillain in the maligned "Star Trek: Nemesis." He played Shinzon, a clone of Captain Picard who has staged a rebellion against the Romulan government, forcing the Enterprise to come to the aid of their most hostile foes.
Paramount
Following "Nemesis," Hardy took roles in several English plays and TV movies. He received an Olivier nomination for his work in the play "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" as a failed actor who has fallen into a crack cocaine addiction.
Hampstead Theatre
Hardy made his return to the big screen in 2006 when he donned a powdered wig and strolled into Versailles in "Marie Antoinette."
Columbia Pictures
2008 saw Hardy join Guy Ritchie for the crime film "RocknRolla" as a closeted gay member of the "Wild Bunch" gang. The film also starred Gerard Butler and Idris Elba.
Warner Bros.
Hardy had his breakthrough in 2010 as the dashing forger Eames in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." The actor won over moviegoers with his quick wit and banter with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Warner Bros.
Hardy then got a shot at some more serious fare alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Hardy played Ricki Tarr, a spy framed for murder who claims there is a mole hidden in British Intelligence.
Focus Features
In 2011, Hardy underwent intense MMA training to bulk up for "Warrior," the story of a Marine who slowly begins to reconcile with his estranged father and brother after he enters into a high-stakes tournament.
Lionsgate
Hardy reunited with Nolan in 2012 to play one of his most iconic roles: Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Hardy's "Warrior" physique, breathing mask, and unmistakable accent made him an instant hit with Batman fans.
Warner Bros.
In 2014, Hardy performed alongside the late James Gandolfini in his final film, "The Drop." Hardy played a bartender at a tavern that stores money for the mafia. Hardy tries to balance his boss' life of crime with his attempts to lead a normal life, but a dark secret threatens to drag him back into a world of violence.
Fox Searchlight
The same year, Hardy joined the cast of the British crime drama "Peaky Blinders" as a Jewish gang leader named Alfie Solomons. The show's creator, Oscar-nominated writer Steven Knight, would go on to co-create "Taboo" with Hardy.
BBC
2015 was a massive year for Hardy, as he appeared in five films. In "Legend," he played a set of gangster twins with the aid of special effects.
Universal
But the biggest moment of his career came through not one but two Oscar-nominated films. In the summer, he succeeded Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky in the critically acclaimed "Mad Max: Fury Road."
Warner Bros.
Then, in the winter, Hardy earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance as the murderous John Fitzgerald in "The Revenant."
20th Century Fox
Hardy reunited with Christopher Nolan for a third time in the 2017 World War II film "Dunkirk," about the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the titular French town.
Warner Bros.
Also in 2017, Hardy played the lead role in "Taboo," a miniseries he developed with his father, Edward, and Steven Knight, about an adventurer who returns to London in 1812 to help rebuild his family's shipping empire.
FX
In 2018's "Venom," Hardy played a reporter named Eddie Brock who gets bonded to a symbiote that's part of an invasion of Earth -- but decides to protect the planet instead.
Sony
Hardy returned Eddie/Venom in the 2021 sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," taking on another symbiote bonded to serial killer Cletus Kasady. Oh, and the weird romance between the two is kicked up a notch.
Sony