So, Shogun’s ninth episode’s trailer has just dropped. It was the episode called Crimson Sky, you remember. Yeah, draw your own conclusions.
There was one scene that really stuck with me after I watched it. The trailer ended with this scene. But that wasn’t all—the teaser gave us the impression that Mariko would be embarking on a whole new adventure in the upcoming episode.
So, I figured I’d explain what the touching sequence at the end of the teaser meant and how it may have hinted at what might happen in the upcoming episode. Therefore, we should not delay any further and begin immediately. In the teaser for Shogun episode 9, this scene is explained.
SHOGUN Episode 9 Trailer: The Meaning Of THIS SCENE explained
The 1980s miniseries, and the FX programme. According to the episode teaser, Torunaga’s secret scheme appears to be at the heart of Mariko’s narrative in the upcoming episode. Since we were left in the dark about his strategy at the end of the last episode, Mariko seems to be pivotal to what’s to come.
From the moment Mariko arrives in Osaka in the trailer until this precise scene—and possibly beyond—the one at hand, every frame contributes to the tapestry that is the trip and its culmination. It is my assumption that Mariko will meet her demise in this scenario that occurs at the very end of the trailer, or that it will be set some hours before her death later that night. The individuals who had been protecting Mariko earlier in the video appear to be dead in this moment, and arrows protruding from their bodies suggest that they were attacked by the men of Ishido who stand before her.
Only those directly behind her managed to escape, and there’s a solid explanation for this. It seems that the individuals circling Mariko are actually captives, who are believed to be relatives of the daimyos and generals that Lord Ishido and Lady Ochibonokata were holding in Osaka to ensure their allegiance. In my opinion, Torunaga’s hidden message to Mariko was for her to rescue the hostages from the perilous situation behind the castle gates. Once they are free, Torunaga hopes the daimyos and generals, who were loyal to Ishido only out of fear for their lives, will likely switch allegiances to him.
But I also believe Torunaga may know that Mariko would die trying to escape with the hostages. Torunaga has desired to locate the death for years, ever since her father betrayed his former lord by killing him. This could be her father’s method of giving her the opportunity to do it. Even though Mariko claimed to Lord Ishido that she was free to leave whenever she liked, I fear that once she’s behind those gates, Ishido will treat her like a prisoner and refuse to let her go because of her close relationship with Torunaga-sama.
Because of this, the animosity she and the men guarding her encountered when she attempted to flee with Ishido’s prisoners is likely just the beginning of the tension between them. The hostages behind her will probably escape unscathed because Ishido needs them alive. However, Mariko appears determined to stand her ground and is brandishing a weapon, which we saw her practise with in a flashback from earlier in the series. I’m afraid she’ll be willing to fight to the death if it means freeing those hostages from the gates. In this piece, I will go over the events of the 1980s miniseries.
Alright, then, let’s begin. Looking at the events of the novel and the 1980s television miniseries, we find that Mariko did in fact die when she and John Blackthorne reached Osaka. They had intended to free the captives from captivity, and it appears to be precisely what will happen in the scenario of the next episode.
And as they were both rushing to their aid, ninjas sent by Ishido and Yabushige showed up. Mariko remained behind while Blackthorne and the prisoners fled, and she killed herself by standing in front of the door that would eventually explode. Because of this, the loyalty balance shifted to Toranaga, and he was able to acquire strength as a result of Generals and Daimyos swearing allegiance to him instead of Ishido, allowing Blackthorne and the prisoners to escape.
Rumour has it that the ninjas had Mariko kidnapped and were planning to use her as a bargaining chip. What I want to know is if that will happen on the show. If so, it would tie into the tragic end of the life of historical figure Tamako.
In the annals of history, Tamako had already passed away at this point. Lord Ishido first kidnapped the family members and seized control of Osaka around the time she passed away. Supposedly, the family retainer had her executed under the order that she should be killed if her life were ever in danger, so that she could never be taken prisoner. If the show were to follow this path, the timeline would be different and not necessarily match, but it would actually connect two separate events from real history.
A turning point in the tides and the fate of the Battle of Sekigahara is something that happens when Mariko dies. From what I can tell from the teaser, Blackthorne will definitely have a role to play in the FX version of the scenario, even though he doesn’t seem to be in it. After all, he gets hurt by the ninjas and is there when Mariko dies in the miniseries from the 1980s.
In my opinion, if this sequence happens on the FX show, it will be an extremely painful moment to witness. At this very moment, I believe we will witness Blackthorne’s true sentiments for Mariko, which he has been compelled to conceal, finally emerging. He seemed to care profoundly about Mariko in a way he has never felt about anybody before, and she advised him not to become involved, even though Blackthorne warned her not to try to leave in the trailer’s early parts.
In my opinion, he will not stand by and watch as she carries out the plot or fights the ninjas that attempt to capture her. I take this scene at the trailer’s conclusion to be Mariko’s declaration that she is willing to die for a higher cause and the beginning of her death. Torunaga likely had her participate in the plot because he knew she wanted to escape life’s hardships and was aware that she would die anyway.
Based on the description of episode 10, which takes place after a tragic death, and the last scene in which Mariko is drastically outnumbered, it seems like the tragic death will be hers in the upcoming episode, in which she arrives in Osaka for the fight of her life. The fact that Mariko is set to appear in all ten episodes begs the question: will she really die at the end of the series? In my opinion, her appearance in the last episode will either be a flashback or her death could happen right at the beginning of the finale. The character’s demise is crucial to the plot as a whole, so I doubt she will make it.
I don’t know if that’s the final plan or not, but it seems likely based on the book and the miniseries from the 1980s. The show has taken creative liberties with some parts of the story, most notably how they killed Hiramatsu and Nagakado. This doesn’t rule out the possibility that Mariko will also die, but as I mentioned before, her demise is crucial to the plot and allows it to continue in the same way as the book does; without it, I’m not sure how the story would develop. In any case, I’m considering this sequence, along with Mariko’s appearance in episode 9, to be among the finest parts of Shogun.
