FX’s historical series, Shōgun, has reached peak popularity due to its gripping storylines. Each episode invites even more surprises for shipwrecked sailor, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis).
While at first, he is just a stranger in a strange land, Blackthorne finds a connection with the feudal lord, Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanda), and the Christian interpreter, Mariko (Anna Sawai). As much as the shores of home beckon him, Blackthorne is equally enamored with Mariko and the alienness of her culture. Based on the work of historical fiction by James Clavell, Blackthorne and the rest of the characters are taken from real-life figures who all are involved with the political game of who will become the next Shōgun. But as immersive as this new series is, it does not have a long shelf-life. There are a finite number of episodes before the series comes to a close.
How many episodes are in Shōgun season 1?
All good things must come to an end, and that includes the best series of 2024. Like many dramas on streaming platforms, Shōgun has a short episode order. The story of Lord Toranaga’s fight to preserve his life and the life of his people will conclude after 10 episodes as the events of the show span the entirety of Clavell’s book of the same name.
The thoroughly researched tome covers the significant moments of Toranaga’s rise to power, as his real-life counterpart did in feudal Japan. But even while Clavell has other books to his name, Shōgun will likely run its course after one season. Creators and married couple Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks intimated to The Hollywood Reporter that the series will only cover the events of the first book because it is a fully complete series.
So what does that mean for the characters in the series? Blackthorne’s real-life figure famously became a samurai in his own right, meaning the navigator still has a long way to go in the series. At the time of this writing, Blackthorne has slowly been ingratiated into Japanese culture with little to show for it. He has fallen for Mariko and found a place at Toranaga’s side, but still has not learned how to use the samurai swords he was bequeathed. If Blackthorne is to become a formidable feature that he was in history, he has to learn much more.
And there is the little detail of Toranaga becoming the very thing he has refused to be. It has been a long time since the military power of the Shōgun has ruled Japan. Toranaga does not believe in wielding such power but of course, that means he must. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and the fact that Toranaga is careful of this power means he is responsible enough to wield it. All this and more must come to pass with only 4 more episodes to air. Viewers can catch the rest of the season as it airs every Tuesday on Hulu.
