Shogun has reached its endgame. The first eight episodes set countless political and military events in motion as Lord Tornaga's Crimson Sky plan launches into action. The final outings depict his grand scheme and all the havoc it wreaks on Japan. The ten-episode miniseries packs massive events into every corner of its relatively austere runtime. In the final moments, Shogun brings out the big guns and prepares for the war it's been building.
Prolific TV director Frederick E.O. Toye places his unique signature on Shogun with this episode and the upcoming finale. Toye recently helmed two episodes of Amazon Prime Video's Fallout show with excellent results. He's known for collaborating with J. J. Abrams on projects like Alias and Fringe. His work on Shogun carries the experience and success Toye brought to projects like Westworld and Person of Interest.
Shogun Episode 6 Recap
Ladies of the Willow Wood explores Mariko's backstory while her childhood friend works to destroy Lord Toranaga.
What is happening in Osaka?
Rather than submitting to the other daimyo and traveling to Osaka, Lord Toranaga sends his current closest confidant, Mariko, in his stead. Still living on the borrowed time provided by Nagakado and Hiromatsu, Toranaga's well-hidden plan involves allowing Yabushige and Blackthorne to flee to Osaka behind his back. Yabushige intends to sell Blackthorne out to Ishido, buying himself clemency through the Anjin's skills. Ishido isn't interested, labeling the former Hatamoto a barbarian and sending them away. Their gambit is a smokescreen that allows Mariko to move in Toranaga's stead. Yabushige remains the shadiest power player in Japan. His desire to play both sides rises and falls with the tides. Mariko's motivations are more grounded and straightforward. The episode opens with a brief flashback to Mariko's escape from her family's fate. She earns the kindness of Father Martin, prompting her to carry a rosary and convert to Catholicism. Her dedication to her faith leads her to evade several previous deaths in favor of seeking an impactful one.
Mariko intends to rescue Lord Toranaga's wife and newborn baby while also inciting unrest among the hostages in Ishido's castle. The daimyo has every other lord's family within reach, but they remain relatively polite in their circumstances. Mariko marches Toranaga's family to the gates with a detachment of armed samurai. Ishido's spearmen meet her, preventing her from leaving. As the other hostages understand their scenario, the warriors kill each other. Mariko's men handle themselves well, but Ishido has more to command. Mariko wields a naginata, but she can't defeat an army. Instead, Mariko protests through a promise of seppuku. She'll take her own life at sundown if Ishido doesn't allow her to leave with Toranaga's family. This threat has teeth, raising the potential of igniting the other hostages and turning every other daimyo against Ishido. It also, unfortunately, risks Mariko's life again.
How does Mariko fight back?
John Blackthorne and Mariko's battle of wills rages on. She wants to die for a cause. He wants her to live for one. Their impasse hits its crescendo. Mariko encounters Ochiba-no-Kata, once her childhood friend Ruri. Their exchange is cutting in its sibling-like concern. Blackthorne passionately argues for her life's implicit value, but all arguments fall upon deaf ears. Mariko is once again determined to die. Mariko entreats a samurai to serve as her second, writes her final thoughts in a poem, and draws her ritual dagger. Her second declines to appear, leaving her without a helping hand to ease her pain. Blackthorne volunteers, prepared to sacrifice his love to support her agency. His decision is a stunning act of love, grander than anything in the show so far. Luckily, he isn't forced to follow through. Ishido yields to Mariko's cunning gambit, interrupting the ritual by offering her a permit to leave. The other hostages request the same permission. He assures them they can fill out the paperwork.
Moved by Blackthorne's long-awaited acknowledgment of Mariko's decision, the will-they-won't-they tension finally boils over. Mariko and Blackthorne spend the night together, but their happiness is interrupted. Yabushige successfully arranges a deal with Ishido, trading his service for his survival. He assassinates a samurai and opens the gate to a small army of shinobi. Ishido ordered the deaths of his hostages rather than allowing them to escape. Blackthorne, Mariko, Yabushige, and several survivors huddle in a storehouse for safety. The assassins prepare to blast down the door with explosives. Mariko sees a new opportunity. Despite every person present begging, Mariko stands before the door, striking a crucifixion pose as the explosion claims her life.
"Crimson Sky" isn't the all-out war that title would've led fans to believe. Instead, it's an intense, moving, and shocking exploration of Mariko's haunting philosophy. Next week's conclusion will start with the position of Ishido betraying every other leader, summoning Lord Toranaga's wrath. Everything comes to a head in the finale. Shogun has proven itself to be one of the best shows on TV today through astonishingly well-written characters and set pieces. Mariko's episode is a jaw-dropping piece of art that prepares the series for a beautiful conclusion.
Shogun: The Show's Biggest Change Is Its Most Obvious
Hiroyuki Sanada's Lord Yoshii Toranaga is the central character of one version of Shogun, and that alone is enough to let it stand above the rest.