A not-so-limited Shōgun might return for season 2 after all

Everyone loved Shōgun, right? What’s not to appreciate about FX’s drama? It’s a rare gem of a book adaptation, beautifully developing the world of James Clavell’s novel while managing to turn it into a unique on-screen experience. In short, it’s a fantastic 10-episode limited series that tells the tale of Japan’s Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) in the feudal era of the 1600s.

But if we’ve learned one thing via peak TV and the rise of streaming, it’s that nothing can be sacred anymore. So naturally, FX might bring Shōgun back for round two, according to Deadline. Is it necessary? No. Season one wrapped up well enough and in line with the book. In doing so, it provided closure to characters we’ve grown to love, like Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) and Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano). It also hinted at what future awaits Toranaga and John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis). This chapter ends perfectly, so why bother turning the page?

For starters, the series quickly became critically acclaimed and a fan-favorite upon its March debut, earning comparisons to the HBO hit Game Of Thrones. Of course, FX wants to keep pulling on this thread. As for the source material, Shōgun doesn’t have a sequel but Clavell wrote six books that fall under his “Asian Saga.” (That’s what it’s popularly called, we didn’t give it that name). Of these, the 1993 novel Gai-Jin is considered the most closely connected as it is set two centuries later in 1800s Japan. It’s TBD if Gai-Jin will inspire season two, but probably not if Sanada returns.

The actor and producer has inked a deal to come back as Toranaga if the series is renewed. Per Deadline, his involvement is “considered crucial to any plan to extend [the show] beyond its original installment.” Created by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, Shōgun is FX’s most expensive original to date and it took six years to make. Who knows when season two will actually happen?

Another crucial update here is the Primetime Emmys race. If submitted under Outstanding Limited Series, Shōgun will face strong competitors like Fargo, True Detective, Baby Reindeer, Fellow Travelers, and Ripley. It’s a tighter race than Outstanding Drama Series, whose potential nominees are The Crown, The Curse, Fallout, 3 Body Problem, The Gilded Age, Loki, and The Morning Show, So if Shōgun submits in the latter, even with no concrete season two plans yet, it’ll likely emerge as the winner. Hey, we appreciate the strategy here.

Either way, with Sanada confirmed, it’ll push FX to bring Shōgun back sooner or later. It’s not like worse limited shows haven’t received similar treatment (look at Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers). At least here, season one already proved adept at handling an epic, complex, and emotional story. But, sometimes, it would be nice to let perfect limited series simply rest in peace.