Shogun centered its narrative around people facing almost certain death. John Blackthorne escaped several execution attempts, including those that claimed his men, through the first several episodes. Lord Toranaga delayed the official death order through several clever tricks. Unfortunately, as Shogun enters its final act, the ax threatens to fall on both heroes. "Chapter Seven: A Stick of Time" features several brutal, shocking turns, heightening the immense tension throughout feudal Japan.
Takeshi Fukunaga directed Shogun's seventh chapter. Fukunaga exploded onto the scene in 2015 with his award-winning directorial debut, Out of My Hand. He followed that success in 2020 with Ainu Mosir, a touching drama about a young man learning to live with his unique heritage. Fukunaga directed two episodes of HBO's Tokyo Vice on the small screen before stepping into Shogun. His deft hand brings a lot to the episode.
Shogun: What is a Hatamoto?
After being kicked around for three episodes, John Blackthorne earned a place of honor in Lord Toranaga's entourage. What does his new gig entail?
What Happened to Lord Toranaga's Plan?
Last week's episode ended with Lord Toranaga deciding to enact his Crimson Sky plan. Despite the mounting threats against his life, Toranaga intends to mount an all-out offensive against Osaka. Toranaga arranges a meeting with his long-lost brother, Saeki Nobutatsu, to replenish the forces he lost in the recent earthquake. The episode opens with a flashback to Toranaga's first battle, which he supposedly won at age 12. The mythos surrounding the event frames Toranaga's strained relationship with Saeki. That evening, Saeki explains that Toranaga cleanly decapitated the enemy general after ordering his ritual suicide, delighting young Nagakado. When Toranaga finally brings up the elephant in the room, Saeki drops a bomb. Ochiba-no-Kata and Ishido contacted Saeki, offering him the fifth daimyo position recently vacated by Sugiyama's blatant political assassination. Saeki accepted, delivering the long-awaited execution order to Toranaga and Nagakado.
After evading the death penalty for weeks, Toranaga faces an impossible choice. He must decide whether to accept his fate or launch his suicidal assault on Osaka without Saeki's forces. Toranaga struggles with the choice as several other parties bother him for things. Yabushige's attempts to play both sides fall apart when Saeki delivers him the severed head of his messenger, entwining the traitorous general's fate with Lord Toranaga's. Toranaga hears Gin as she requests a special red-light district for tea houses like hers, but refuses to acknowledge her request, claiming his time is limited. The madame seems unconvinced, displaying hope in the daimyo that he may find a new way out of the nightmarish scenario. The downsides of faith in Lord Toranaga seem central to the episode. His conversation with his general and confidant, Hiromatsu, reveals that his supposed 12-year-old executioner feat took nine sword strokes, creating a disgusting mess. Lord Toranaga isn't done delivering disappointment.
Toranaga and his army meet with Saeki's forces to announce their decision. While John Blackthorne seethes, Toranaga surrenders to Saeki, promising to travel to Osaka for his execution. Blackthorne condemns him for succumbing and leading his army to their death. He breaks out his best Japanese to tell the soldiers they're all dead. Saeki retires to Gin's tea house, enjoying the time Toranaga purchased with the high-price courtesan, Kiku. She excuses herself as Nagakado bursts in to assassinate Saeki. He and his band of killers murder several guards, but as Nagakado raises his sword to decapitate his uncle, he slips and breaks his neck. Nagakado dies, leaving his father in the same position with the shame of a failed assassin on his bloodline. It's a brutal moment from every perspective.
How has Buntaro's Relationship with Mariko Changed?
While Toranaga debates his death, Blackthorne and Mariko's secret flame struggles to break free. Omi travels to the tea house to see Kiku, furious that she'd pillow with a foreigner. Gin assures him that Blackthorne lacked interest in Kiku, instead keeping his mind on others. Blackthorne spends most of Toranaga's decision period struggling to find something useful to do. Yabushige tries to teach him to wield a sword, mocking him for his failures in combat. The general disarms the sailor, but Buntaro swiftly sweeps in to finish the job. Yabushige forces him to withdraw, prompting Buntaro to seek an audience with Toranaga. He accuses Blackthorne of stealing Mariko's heart but refuses to condemn her for the same. Toranaga reasons that he can't punish one without targeting the other, prompting Buntaro to apologize for his pettiness. Mariko asks Toranaga to kill her, presenting him with a ritual blade. He knocks it aside, forcing her to live on yet again. Mariko's marital trouble persists despite Buntaro's will keeping her alive, creating a tense negotiation with no room to give.
Shogun earned several comparisons to Game of Thrones. While most of them were unfounded, its current high drama and cathartic misery remind one of a Red Wedding. With three episodes left in Shogun's run, the characters have nowhere to go but up. The show's quality, on the other hand, has remained as high as ever through each new plot development. Shogun is on its way to a stellar conclusion with constant twists and turns.
Shogun Episode 3 Recap
After the bombshell premiere, Shogun sees Lord Toranaga undertake a perilous journey with several strategies in place.