"Shōgun."

The buzz-heavy FX series gets the Two Episode Test.

You can count the seconds until Hiroyuki Sanada makes you understand that this time “Shōgun” will be done right, that his casting alone has the familiar gravitas to ride this epic attempt to tell the story of James Clavell’s famous bestseller and in so doing make it far less whitewashed than the 1980 version on NBC starring Richard Chamberlain (also not surprising given the positive strides representation has made in the industry), and that maybe something truly special will come of it.

Sanada is that good.

But he’s well supported in this “Shōgun” and that, too, is quickly evident — the casting, historical accuracy, a healthy budget, a dedicated vibe. In the realm of the limited series — one that FX knows well — you can’t ever rest the bat on your shoulder; you need to swing for the fences.