Like George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones or Frank Herbert’s Dune, James Clavell’s 1975 epic novel, Shōgun, was ripe for a screen adaptation. A limited series based on the book came out in 1980, but FX’s new and expansive production takes full advantage of the sprawling source material (1,299 pages, to be exact). Set in 17th-century feudal Japan, Shōgun begins when the English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) comes to shore in search of riches. He and his men are immediately apprehended by Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a daimyo who is already embroiled in a power struggle with his political enemies. Toranaga employs Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), an outcast from a samurai family, to work as a translator between the two men. The lord’s aim is to utilize Blackthorne’s intrepidness and Western sensibility to his own political advantage, and the story takes off from there. Shōgun is visually astounding, and its acting is superb. Co-creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks have developed an enthralling show that shouldn’t be missed. —Jack Sullivan