There aren’t many shows that debut with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, but FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s Shōgun is something special. This is the second time that Shōgun has been adapted for television, and it was also a breakout hit in 1980 when it was hailed as one of the greatest miniseries ever created for TV. It took another 44 years before FX’s modern take followed, but this version of Shōgun is already among the contenders for the best TV series of 2024.
Cosmo Jarvis stars in Shōgun as John Blackthrone, an English sailor who is trapped in Japan at the beginning of the 17th century. This was during a time when Japan wasn’t particularly welcoming of outsiders. And once Blackthrone proved that he had value, he wasn’t allowed to leave. Thus, the show chronicles Blackthrone’s transformation as he acclimates to Japan and its people in a time of deadly turmoil.
But it’s not just Blackthrone’s story this time. FX’s adaptation has beefed up the roles of Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) to the point where they are co-leads in the miniseries alongside Blackthrone. Sanada even gets top billing over Jarvis, which would have been unheard of in 1980.
At the time of this post, there are still three episodes of Shōgun remaining, and fans are naturally wondering if the show can possibly continue beyond that point. We’re here to answer that question once and for all.
Will there be a season 2 of Shōgun?
No, and there’s a very simple reason why. The novel has a very powerful and definitive ending, and the show has almost reached that point. If the series were to continue, it would have to be almost entirely reconceived to figure out where to go next. It would also lack the mandate of the first season, which had a roadmap from start to finish.
These ten episodes of Shōgun are the story, and there’s not much room for expansion. Adding a season 2 on top of that would just be shameless attempt to turn it into just another show. Having said that, there is a possibility that the world of Shōgun can continue.
What’s next after Shōgun?
Clavell was a very prolific writer during his lifetime, and he didn’t stop telling stories after Shōgun was finished. In fact, Shōgun was only the third novel in Clavell’s Asian Saga, but the first chronologically. The remaining novels include King Rat, Tai-Pan, Noble House, Whirlwind, and Gai-Jin. Only the last two books on that list have never been adapted for television before.
If FX decides to continue the Asian Saga, the next story in the timeline would be Tai-Pan, which takes place in 1841, well over a century after the events of Shōgun. While some of the characters in the other books carry over to the sequels, Shōgun is a standalone story. So there probably won’t be any returning cast members unless they wind up playing different characters in any potential follow-ups.
The first seven episodes of Shōgun are now streaming on Hulu.
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