Shōgun is just the thing for friends of epic tales and historical dramas. The new show knocked it out of the park from the get-go, but are 10 episodes really it? What are the chances for a potential season 2?
With a mind-blowing score on Rotten Tomatoes even pre-debut, the new series Shōgun on FX and Hulu hit the sweet spot for fans of intense and epic shows. The historical drama takes place in feudal Japan and follows the story of English sailor John Blackthorne who finds himself in unfamiliar terrain. Lord Yoshii Toranaga has his own battles to fight together with his lackey Lady Mariko – but I'm not here to give all of the story away.
The show is based on the novel by James Clavell, so if patience isn't your strong suit, feel free to check it out, but beware: there are different versions to get. Clavell wrote one hell of a novel back in 1975, so if you want to test the waters first (and not wait for the show to catch up), you might want to get the first part of the book . But I won't tell you how to live your life if you're committed enough to get the over 1300-pages-long novel!
But let's get to the more important stuff – are ten episodes everything we're going to get or is there a chance of a second season?
Is Shōgun Season 2 Happening?
Currently, there is no official news about a potential second season for Shōgun – no big surprise there, considering how the show just kicked off in February. Shōgun is listed as a "limited series" though. That could mean they really go for it and adapt the entirety of the huge novel into a ten-episode show.
Both John Blackthorne and Lord Toranaga are loosely based on real people: William Adams and Tokugawa Ieyasu, respectively.
Squeezing such a long and complex story into a single season seems like an impossible task, especially if you compare Shōgun to other high quality shows like Game of Thrones. Just to set that into perspective: Game of Thrones, the first A Song of Ice and Fire novel, had roughly 700 pages that were adapted in the first season (remember? Back when the show was good?). Shōgun as a novel is nearly twice as long and the has about the same runtime as GoT, which could make things harder for the showrunners. So far, it looks like they're going for a pretty faithful adaptation.
That's why it isn't too far fetched to hope for a second season – the books can be split into two parts as well, after all. Maybe the showrunners will go that route as well to keep up the high standard the show has set so far. We'll make sure to keep you updated on that, as soon as there is official news on how Shōgun will continue.