FX’s Epic ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Rookie’ Wedding, ‘Floor’ Finale, Rap Music on Trial

Series Premiere

10/9c

They don’t make them like this anymore—until they do, magnificently, in the case of a sweeping 10-part remake of James Clavell’s epic adventure of 1600s Japan, when English sea pilot John Blackthorne (likably blustery Cosmo Jarvis) is stranded in a strange land of political intrigue and deadly power plays. Hiroyuki Sanada gets top billing as the cunning Lord Toranaga, who takes the “barbarian” Anjin (“pilot”) under his wing as a tool in his war against his devious rivals. Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) is Blackthorne’s lovely, conflicted translator Lady Mariko, a samurai torn between her duty to Toranaga and her new Catholic faith. Much of this immersive series is told in Japanese with lucid subtitles. (See the full review.)

9/8c

Cause for celebration as the police drama marks its milestone 100^th episode with a wedding for its lead hero, Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), and his LAFD soulmate Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan). While this couple looks to the future, Tim’s (Eric Winter) relationship with Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) faces a possible speed bump.

Season Finale

9/8c

And then there were 17, some players patiently awaiting their turn, occupying a single square on the giant grid, and others commanding a huge amount of territory, forced to defend their turf in the final round of the game show (recently parodied on Saturday Night Live). Rob Lowe hosts the two-hour finale, where head-to-head trivia battles will result in one player taking over the entire floor, walking away with $250,000.

Documentary Premiere

A provocative documentary explores the trend of rap lyrics being used as evidence in trials—for more than 700 criminal court cases since the 1990s. Bronx rapper Kemba leads the discussion, which goes to the heart of the free-speech debate, with rappers, scholars, politicians, legal and music industry experts weighing in.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• FBI (8/7c, CBS): While the team investigates the murder of a club owner, OA (Zeeko Zaki) gets a new love interest with a sketchy social life. Followed by FBI: International (9/8c), with the Fly Team heading to Monaco when an American girl’s Sweet 16 party is interrupted by her mother’s murder. On FBI: Most Wanted (10/9c), the Fugitive Task Force looks for the killer of a woman whose face was used for a popular AI.
• God Save Texas (9/8c, HBO): Acclaimed directors return to their Texas hometowns for piercing documentary studies of the diverse and divided state. In “Hometown Prison,” Richard Linklater explores the culture of Huntsville, with seven prisons in the area providing employment but also stoking debate over the criminal justice system. Two more episodes follow on Wednesday.
• Lost U-Boats of WWII (10/9c, History Channel): A six-part docuseries follows treasure hunter Darrell Miklos as he pursues a lifelong quest to unearth sunken Nazi U-boats that he believes are resting in the Caribbean Sea and filled with stolen and very precious loot.
• The Good Doctor (10/9c, ABC): Shaun’s (Freddie Highmore) patience is tested when third-year med student Charlie (Kayla Cromer), who’s also on the autism spectrum, joins his surgical team and instantly comes between a patient and his daughter. Also new to the team: Dom (Wavyy Jonez), whose quirk is especially problematic: He faints at the sight of blood.

ON THE STREAM:

• Pathological: The Lies of Joran van der Sloot (streaming on Peacock): A 90-minute true-crime documentary deciphers the patterns of violence and deception in the sordid saga of the alleged killer of Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005, and who five years later—on the same day—murdered a woman in Peru, which led to a conviction.
• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (streaming on Max): Jason Momoa returns as the underwater hero in the 2023 sequel, making its streaming debut. To defeat his nemesis Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), Aquaman teams with his estranged brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the former King of Atlantis, with the fate of his family, and the world, at stake.
• Chappelle’s Home Team—Donnell Rawlings: A New Day (streaming on Netflix): Executive producer Dave Chappelle gives the solo spotlight to actor/comedian Donnell Rawlings, riffing before an audience at New York’s Hard Rock Café in a stylish blue suit and loud red socks.