Yet so farTaboo — despite its name — is mostly, perhaps mercifully, restrained. It’s weird and occasionally overwrought, but violence is effectively minimal (particularly a scene where James fights off an attacker and adds a flourish at the end I won’t spoil), and sex is mostly suggested rather than shown, even though a great deal of time is spent in brothels. The show is smart, but not beyond comprehension, and it layers a foundation of adventure, mystery, and solid drama that is ambitious but never boring. Despite its desire to show the dark and gritty aspects of Georgian London, it also has a style to it that is all its own.
Rating: ★★★★ Very good
Taboo (FX, 10:00 p.m.) — Tom Hardy’s dark, mystic, historical drama premieres tonight on FX. The show follows James Delaney, a man who’s done terrible things and with plans of vengeance, as he returns to London to follow his father’s legacy after a ten-year stint in Africa. There are some top-notch actors involved in this — many of them from Game of Thrones — but the verdict’s still out on whether Hardy and his father, who created the series, have a hit on their hands. There’s a whole lot of weird going on in tonight’s first episode and Hardy is trying out a new accent so those two things alone warrant a watch.
I am hooked already!What?s On Tonight: Tom Hardy Goes Dark And Weird For ?Taboo?http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-tom-hardy-taboo-fx/