Spoiler Alert!
Before we continue, I want to warn you that this will contain spoilers right from the start. Holy cow. Very little. Holy cow. That Shogun episode was absolutely riveting. The latest episode, number 9, has just aired, and I think it’s fair to say that it’s the most crucial one thus far, particularly in regards to the future of Japan.
Episode 9 was the culmination of everything that had been building up to it, from Maricore’s self-sacrifice and finding meaning in her death to the revelation of Yabushige’s treacherous deeds, which had been hinted at throughout the nine episodes and had built up to this climactic penultimate episode.
Shogun Episode 9 Breakdown
This was the show’s culmination, so let’s not waste any more time and go into the episode, dissecting it for all the important points. The flashback at the beginning of this episode began with a part of Mariko’s life after her father died, which we had never seen explored before; this is how Shogun episode 9 ends.
Based on events that occurred fourteen years ago, this depicted Mariko in the Shonai region as if she had fled from Toda Buntaro, the man who reportedly saved her life, but she still desired to locate it. The exact same thing that we witnessed her doing was still going on today. To paraphrase the episode 8 title, she failed to perceive any meaning in her life and viewed it as a bottomless pit.
For many reasons, this introductory part was crucial. The first is that it was at this time that she met Father Martin Alvito, who brought her to Catholicism; she would spend the next fourteen years practicing and living by this faith, and it is also the origin of her name, Maria.
Akechitama, also known as Tamako, was an actual historical lady who was baptised as Maria upon discovering Christianity; she was the inspiration for Lady Marikotodo. I felt it was a thoughtful addition to the show because of that. The second major consideration was the strong tie it had to the conclusion.
At the end, it was revealed that she had sought death on several times, as previously said. Her demise, though, came to signify something entirely different from what it had intended. According to Marikor, there is meaning and significance in both life and death.
Furthermore, fleeing and dying alone would have served no purpose at all in the beginning. However, towards the conclusion, she stands guard at the door, ready to die for a cause that her father fought for years ago, and she protects those in front of her. She fulfilled her lifelong dream of dying with a purpose.
She had finally broken free from her unhappy life, and her passing had significance. What Mariko’s death means and why it matters. The episode was undoubtedly stolen by Mariko’s death. During the course of the hour-long film, she was threatened with execution three times. The first was the time she was nearly killed as she attempted to leave Osaka Castle on foot.
The second time was just before she was about to commit suicide, and the third was the actual act itself, during which the doors were blasted open, meeting her with an explosive welcome. Ishido and Yabushige collaborated to bring about Mariko’s demise. Knowing that the high families of Osaka would revolt if Mariko committed seppuku put Ishido in a difficult position.
However, the other prisoners would also desire to escape if he permitted her to return to Toranaga. Therefore, he did what was best for himself and handed her the paperwork that would allow her to depart. But that was never going to happen, and it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. He was trying to give the impression that she could go.
But then, while everyone else is sleeping, have her kidnapped and pretend she departed. By pledging that he would spare Yabushige’s life if he let the shinobi in, he managed to drag him into the plot as well. If Torinaga discovers Yabushige’s role in the plot, this will certainly come back to haunt him.
For some reason, this episode made Yabushige look like the coward and snake he really was, and I started to despise him for it. Previously, I had thought his antics were funny and mostly harmless. He was obviously not a strong person because he was unwilling to assist Blackthorn in protecting the door and was also not willing to risk danger for the individuals he had betrayed and endangered.
Initially, Marikor was not happy about dying, and she fought back. I thought the whole thing was brilliantly staged. I thought it was really spectacular when the shinobi stormed the room and Blackthorn pulled out his handgun, opening fire. Unexpectedly, they found that strength from distance worked to their favour.
Unfortunately, they were unable to escape to a room with stronger doors; instead, the shinobi detonated explosives outside the door, killing Marikor as he stood in its path. “I, Akechi Marikor, protest this shameful act from Lord Ishidor, and by my death,” was Marikor’s last statement.
Unfortunately, she was interrupted before she could complete her sentence. However, I think she was going to explain the significance of her death in further detail. But I think we can figure this out. Her last remarks intrigued me because, instead of Buntaro’s and everyone else’s preferred name, Mariko Toda, she called herself Akechi Mariko, her father’s name.
The fact that her death appeared to have been caused by Ishido’s acts rather than her own suicide suggests that she was enduring the burden of her father’s loss with grace and understanding. This was her way of processing the reason her father had made sure she was married before he passed away—that she was carrying out the plan he had laid out for her years ago.
There was a connection here to the statement that Mariko used when she asked Lady Ochiba no Kata if she wasn’t sick of hearing this. As Mariko put it, “Flowers are only flowers when they fall,” and death isn’t giving up. It revealed Mariko’s state of mind in her last moments; she found meaning in dying for something she believed in, even if it meant contributing to a shift in the tension between Ishido and Toranaga.
She was more like a fallen flower than a limb lying in the snow, without any leaves. The uprising the council discussed earlier in the episode while meeting and deciding what to do is likely to be sparked by Marikor’s death. Lord Ishidor will be compelled to release the prisoners he sought to retain within Osaka as a result of this, as he is likely to lose support.
Both of the things he hoped would never happen will probably come to pass, and they will both wear him down in the end. Because of this, Toronaga will probably win over more people and acquire the upper hand. What exactly was Toronaga’s strategy? When the show first started, it was clear that Blackthorn didn’t understand Mariko’s role aboard the boat with him and Yabushige.
We could even see that as she engaged Ishido’s soldiers, he gazed at her with astonishment, perhaps unsure of her goals or intentions. Everyone in Osaka appeared to be held captive, while Toronaga appeared to be plotting her escape from Ishido. If she came back, Toronaga would know what to do; if she didn’t, she could kill herself because she couldn’t give in to her lord’s demands; this would free her from the life she hated after her father betrayed her.
It was almost like getting two things done at once, because he was aware that her death would have far-reaching consequences in Osaka if it came to that. While he was being generous to Mariko and letting her escape the weight, he was also gaining an advantage that would reverberate throughout Japan.
Could he have foreseen these events? Shinobi being summoned and being the only cause of Mariko’s demise is something that Toranaga probably wouldn’t have anticipated, in my opinion. Not even the most skilled magician could have foreseen that. What I’m most looking forward to in the last episode is his reaction, since he might have assumed that Ishidor would have tried his hardest to keep her there.
Not only has he lost Nagakado, his son, but Hiromatsu, his most faithful companion, and now Mariko as well. Someone he cared for as if she were his daughter after Akechi Jinsai passed away. So, in order to come out on top, Toranaga is essentially giving up everyone he cares about. There was one minor aspect in this episode that stood out like a needle in a haystack, and I believe it was intentional.
This proved that Delacroix had foresight into the impending conflict. Lord Ishidor was the only one who didn’t think Torunaga had any hidden plans. This was further reinforced when he told Marikor that it was foolish to give her exit papers when she was going back so soon. All it revealed was his complete lack of intelligence and his naiveté about the matter.
Underneath Marikor’s strategic manoeuvring and the climactic final clash was this little one-minute discussion. However, this didn’t merely seem to be Alfito having a chat. It seemed like the show was trying to tell us something, too. Crucial and massive will be Torunaga’s revenge. Additionally, Delacroix probably refers to the Battle of Sekigahara when he talks of this battle.
In episode 1, Toranaga entered the room where Ishidō and the Council of Regents were meeting, and the war had already begun. That was the single mistake Delacroix made, in my opinion. How it resembles the TV show from the 1980s. That last sequence did unfold similarly when viewed through the lens of the 1980s TV series.
Mariko threatened to commit seppuku after being denied the chance to leave and return to her Lord Toranaga. Nevertheless, Ishidor granted her permission to depart despite his knowledge of the potential harm it could create. However, it was all an elaborate hoax, and ninjas were recruited to sneak in and abduct her at night.
It may not have had the same visually beautiful or stressful feel as the last fifteen minutes of the episode, but it successfully conveyed the emotions and general mood of the show. It’s reasonable to expect a drop in visual awe due to the passage of forty years or more, but holy cow, this one was incredible.
Both the 80s series and the book make it appear like Blackthorn does sustain injuries. In light of this, I am curious to learn whether what transpired will impair his vision or hearing. We got to see a new side of Mariko in this episode, and I loved it. Her perspective was fascinating.
I felt incredibly moved to be a witness to several of the situations. While speaking with Ishido, Mariko displayed an uncharacteristic sense of self-assurance, revealing that she neither respected nor cared about his opinion. She brought up Toranaga’s grief over his son Nagakado, and Ishido’s response—”he has others”—seemed to be the turning moment.
Doing anything that demonstrated total disregard for others. The urgency with which she had to flee, the horror on her face as she watched the men beheaded before her eyes, and the fact that she was using all her strength to resist their relentless assault, although knowing it would be a losing struggle. You could feel the anguish Mariko was experiencing on the inside thanks to her acting and the subtly orchestrated tune.
You have no idea what was going through Mariko’s mind throughout all of the chapters in this inclusion, but it was an emotionally charged episode. She recalled a time when she was close to Lady Ochiban Okada, when she could speak her mind without fear of repercussions, and reflected on their childhood.
My thoughts on the show. This episode of Shogun was very brilliant, in my opinion. Just as in all nine episodes so far, the conversation has been the show’s driving force, with the occasional action scene thrown in for good measure rather than merely to make things exciting.
It felt like the show moved at a breakneck pace, especially since this is the longest episode thus yet. Marikor truly nailed this episode and turned it into something extraordinary. Even though Marikor had to confront death twice before she eventually met it, the show led us to believe that she would live and escape Osaka.
Additionally, the second time around, she was quite close, so the finale was truly impactful. I also think Yabushige had a significant role to play in this episode. The fact that he betrayed his closest friends and had them killed to protect himself revealed his complete lack of honour in a society that placed such a premium on honour. He was willing to do anything to ensure his own safety, including telling Mariko not to translate for him, barely understanding Blackthorn, and fearing that Torinaga had a hidden agenda.
Without a doubt, Yabushige’s storyline delivered on its promise of a massive betrayal with catastrophic repercussions. The interaction between Lady Ochibanokata and Mariko was another one of my favourite parts of this episode. I had no idea if they would be friends, foes, or if there would be any bad blood between them.
It was clear that Mariko was concerned for her son’s safety as she could see through Ochibanokata’s manipulation of Ishido. Since we hadn’t seen much of Mariko and her son’s bond in the episode, I thought it was a powerful moment when Ochiba redirected the safety of her child back to her.
However, he was willing to have his reputation and relationship with her tarnished if she rebelled against Ishidō. This demonstrated that Mariko and Ochiba’s similarities and differences as children persisted into adulthood, despite their shared upbringing. I have been critical of John Blackthorne’s acting throughout the show’s run, but guess what?
Currently, Cosmo Jarvis’s portrayal of Anjan is a highlight for me. I identify with the character and his complicated emotions about his newfound cultural affiliation and his profound love for Akechi Mariko. As the titles rolled, we heard Father Martin Alvito’s prayer voice, which was a spooky way to end the show after Maricor died.
I was taken aback by how evil the voice of prayer sounded amidst the fast-paced and furious final seconds. In the midst of the credits, it set the mood. I can’t believe there’s only going to be one more episode of the programme. With what I assume to be around an hour of running time remaining, I’m really curious to see how they’re going to wrap it up.
I’m crossing my fingers for a longer episode. I think it’s necessary to find out how Mariko’s death is going to be dealt with, how Toranaga’s arrival could bring down Ishido and Osaka, and what happens to Yabushige. Truthfully, I don’t think we shall see the Battle of Sekigahara in this programme, despite my high expectations.
For a show that hasn’t really been focused on fighting and has only really slid in action in the last fifteen minutes of each episode, that would practically require a full episode by itself. It would contradict all the show’s claims made in these nine episodes, but I’ve grown to accept that.
For this show to be enjoyable, an all-out war is unnecessary. It’s been successful before. In addition to being one of the finest miniseries of all time, Shogun is now among the top shows airing on television. The critical acclaim it has received is well-deserved, in my opinion.
The prose is superb. The pace is really breathtaking. Not to mention how authentic the performances are. I would want to watch more episodes of the show, therefore I’m sad that it’s ending next week. Knowing that there will not be a second season makes the news that much more disheartening. However, I suppose that in the end, even the best things must end.
And with that, I leave you. Shaolin Episode 9: How the Ending Is Made Clear. Just click on the card up there if you’re interested in reading more about Shogun. From the very beginning, I have been covering the event, and I will keep doing so until next week, when it ends. In addition, I’ve started exploring the actual historical people who inspired the characters; if you’re interested in seeing more of that, subscribe to the channel.
Is this episode anything you found interesting? Please share your opinions with me by leaving a comment below.
