For Tom Hardy, Taboo was a passion project from the start who is the series star and executive producer. On his return at London in 1814 James discovers that he inherits the shipping empire of his father who died in a war. The threat to her half-sister infuriates him to get in war.
As Taboo goes forward, Delaney's mystical powers will inevitably play a more central role, but as of now, the promise that the show has some payoffs hidden up its sleeve isn't enough to slog through the dampness with these characters.
Hardy, always an admirably committed actor, has the magnetism to elevate even the silliest moments, making this an intriguing, if sometimes oppressively moody trip into a sinister underworld.
Hardy may want to mix in a romantic comedy sometime soon, if only for his own sanity. But for now, he's got demons to work out and it's an exorcism worth watching.
The glimpses of London low life in the opening episode are tougher and more squalid than Dickens -- and not a wholesome family watch: Poldark it ain't.
