Shōgun arrived in the 2024 TV schedule after many years of development, and it didn't take long for the historical drama to start generating plenty of buzz. With episodes being broadcast on FX as well as streaming via FX on Hulu for Hulu subscribers, the show ran for ten must-see installments before the final credits rolled on the Season 1 finale on April 23. But will the show return for Season 2? Let's look at what we know.
Shōgun Was A Limited Series Based On A Book
Shōgun was billed as a ten-episode limited series when it premiered, and an adaptation of James Clavell's bestselling novel of the same name set in 17th century Japan. Co-creator Justin Marks confirmed to The Direct before the Season 1 finale aired that the episode would end "exactly where the book ends" and be "kind of beautifully ambiguous in certain senses." It also took him and co-creator Rachel Kondo five years to make.
So, the story of the novel was told from beginning to end in the ten episodes. Shōgun was only one of six novels in Clavell's Asian Saga novel series, published over a span of more than 30 years from the early '60s to the early '90s. It's hypothetically possible that others of Clavell's books could be adapted for TV, but it seems that Shōgun's story with these characters is likely done with the Season 1 finale.
Shōgun Took A Long Time To Make
While the Shōgun novel was adapted into a different miniseries in 1980, it took many years for the FX adaptation to get off the ground. Husband and wife duo Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo joined the project in 2018 to put a different spin on it, including a new set of scripts. According to Marks to THR, they "made this show so long ago," with the release only happening in 2024 because of the "long tail of postproduction on it." If a second season was going to happen, then it would likely be a very long ways off. And that's a big if!
Basically, from a creative perspective and based on comments from the co-creator to whom authenticity about Japanese culture was important, it seems that there's no plan to continue Shōgun and go beyond the territory of the book with this cast of characters. A second season hasn't been definitively ruled out, and there are more books from James Clavell that could be adapted, if nothing else. Personally, I'm not expecting Shōgun to continue, and the first season can stand as a ten-episode limited series that was hugely successful during its one-and-done run.
While that may be disappointing for fans who were hoping for more, there are at least some shows like Shōgun that you can check out. You can also revisit the ten episodes streaming on Hulu to experience the plot twists all over again or enjoy the ride for the first time.
