Shogun: Episode 5

This week sees Toranaga's welcome return. I’m all for Toranaga's costume changes in this episode. From a full-on Samurai suit to a gold embroidery power dress with what looks like a Japanese version of a pirate hat.

His presence was missed in the previous episode, not just by the viewer but by his hot-headed son, Yoshi. He rides into the town with a huge army, preparing his people for war, bringing with him not just a full regiment, but to Mariko’s shock, and frankly ours, Marikos presumed martyred husband  Buntaro.

Unfortunately bringing back Buntaro seems like a misstep, to the viewer at least. He had the perfect hero's ending, striding into battle against the coming hoard. The emotional exchange as he bid his master Toranaga farewell, seems somewhat cheapened now. Anyhow he is back, we Mariko and her new sweetheart Blackthorne, have to live quite literally live with it.

Toranaga in his wisdom, insists that Mariko remains in Blackthorne's residence to serve him and that Buntaro will stay with them too.

So we have Buntaro, Mariko, Blackthorne and Ochib all living under the same roof. It seems like a game of Big Brother rather than feudal Japan.

Buntaro makes his displeasure at the situation quite clear to Ochiba, as he has enquires about the whereabouts of his wife. She is, of course, serving Blackthorne as a translator, as ordered by Toranaga. 

Taking his frustration out on poor Ochiba, he taunts her regarding her position as Blackthorn's de facto wife. Ochiba though as we have seen in previous episodes, is not some meek wallflower. She can give as good as she gets, and she lets him know his position in the triangle between Mariko and Blackthorne, with politeness and respect of course.

Toranaga meanwhile has to deal with his foolish son who has ignited the flames of war by slicing Ishidos messenger in the previous episode.

Here again, we see Toranagas 4D chess. He knows that his son isn't clever enough to have come up with the idea of the attack. Admonishing Yoshi for being so easily manipulated, he lets Kashigi know he is quietly impressed that Omi has initiated it. It means now that he won’t have to undertake a futile attack on Osaka, and that Ishido will have to come to him. Toranaga is always three steps ahead of everyone else. Omi may have thought he was undermining Toranaga, instead, he played into his hands. To confuse Omi even more, he rewards him with being in charge of the cannon regiment, stripping his own son of the accolade. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. This applies to the hapless  Kashigi as well.

Toranaga has already called Kashigi’s loyalty out several times, and now his nephew is by passing him up the ranks. He can’t return to Ishido, although he is still trying, the poor guy can’t catch a break.

Is Torango actually pleased with Omi or is he just putting on a front? Sanada acting as Toranaga is so subtle, the curling of his lips gives us only a slight glimpse at his emotion. He is masterful. It's a shame that we didn't get to see him in his full Samurai suit more.

What follows next is a tense standoff between Blackthorn and Buntaro. Blackthorne, having been warned by Mariko that he is expected to be a gracious host to Buntaro, tries his very best to engage with Buntaro.  Unfortunately, the Japanese customs and Samurai ways are complex. Buntaro continuously mocks Blackthorne,  insisting Mariko translates his disdain for him. 

Buntaros contempt for Mariko is evident as well. Forced to tell Blackthorne of the shame of her family’s story, she reveals how each year she begs her husband for relief in the form of death so she can rejoin her family. 

Mariko’s tragic backstory is revealed. In the eyes of Buntaro and one suspects’ of the wider community,  her father is considered a traitor and coward.  One man's traitor could be another man's saviour though. We learn how her father murdered a corrupt Emperor in order to save the people. His actions were considered treacherous though, and he was hunted down and forced to kill his wife, sons and daughters,  before committing Seppuku on himself.

Mariko being married at the time, was the reason she was saved. Either as way of joining her family in the afterlife or as a protest of the way her family were slain unjustly, Mariko requests permission to commit suicide yearly on the anniversary of her father's death.

Buntaros reasons for refusing her requests are clear though. He wants to punish her for her father's perceived dishonour. The disgust in the way he talks to Mariko is clear.  Blackthorne on the other hand, sensing Mariko's reluctance at having to tell her story, pleads for her to stop. Telling Mariko to say anything as Buntaro won't understand.  Mariko, though, continues through tears. Even Fumi, who can't understand her, can feel Mariko's pain as she reveals her family's fate.

Buntaro seems to despise Mariko. In this short meal time, Blackthorne shows more love and care for her than Buntaro has throughout their marriage. 

Both men having got drunk trying to outdo one another during a drinking contest,  argue who’s weapon of choice is better in war.  Buntaro insists a bow in the hands of a Samurai could still outdo a cannon. If he had seen the power of a cannon in the previous episode, he may have changed his mind though. 

Buntaro proceeds to get his bow and arrow, demanding Blackthorne choose a pillar to fire his shot at. Mariko pleads for Blackthorne to choose one,  as Buntaro fires an arrow straight across her face to an imaginary target outside. The arrow fired straight in Mariko's direction, flying as close as possible to her face without touching her. Mariko doesn’t flinch, either in the hope that her husband, drunk enough will miss his target and finally relieve her of her pain, or she has complete trust in his abilities. 

Blackthorne has neither; he pleads with Mariko to move as Buntaro fires another arrow again across Mariko's face,  as Fumi is watching in tears. Mariko again doesn't flinch. 

Buntaro collapses down. The whole meal had been a traumatic ordeal for everyone it seems. 

Blackthorne is awoken from his drunken slumber by the sounds of screaming and shouting. He grabs his gun,  brushing past Fumi, into Mariko's room. Marikos is cowering in the corner, bloodied and bruised having been beaten by a drunken Buntaro. She screams at Blackthorne and Fumi to leave,  her dishonour and privacy being violated.

Blackthorne charges after Buntaro who is leaving the village. Buntaro turns around, takes off his shoes and withdraws his sword. A swift ending is approaching for him you think, as the sword will be no match to Blackthorne's gun. Buntaro, though, may have surmised that too. He sits down bows his head, and lays down his sword. Asking forgiveness for disturbing Blackthorne's household,  he says “Sake”, implying it was the drink that made him beat Mariko. A clever but underhanded move by Buntaro. Blackthorne is disgusted, too honourable to kill an unarmed man he walks away.  A sinister Buntaro looks up, he will have his revenge on Blackthorne on his own terms. Buntaro's honourable death in the previous episode has been turned on its head in one night.

After the dramatic events of the evening, we come to a more light-hearted scene. A pheasant, gifted to Blackthorne by Toranaga, hangs on the porch covered in fleas. Blackthorne wants to have it as ripe as possible, for a feast for Toranaga. But it has been hanging for a few days now and the stench is unbearable. He has warned his household not to touch it.  “ Move…die,” he told them in his clumsy Japanese earlier on. Fumi gestures to Blackthorne asking to remove it.  Blackthorne though is more interested in the whereabouts of Mariko. Leaving Fumi to deal with the stench and flies.

Mariko is sitting by a lake, her face covered in bruises. Blackthorne begs her to be free of Buntaro so she can live as she wishes, escaping from her eightfold fence. Mariko though is bound by custom and honour. She will stay with Buntaro, but not give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he hurts her. She also tells Blackthorne that he is in prison in this situation, not her. Putting their blooming relationship on hold, she insists that their future conversations will only be when she is translating for others. 

Blackthorne arrives back home to be even more disturbed by the Japanese way. A village leader has been to visit the house,  insisting something be done about the rotting pheasant. A gardener, Uejiro, whom Blackthorne has started to build a relationship with, is already sick and says he'll remove it. 

Fumi, under obligation to uphold Blackthorne's honour and orders, has Uejiro murdered for his disrespect. 

Blackthorne is perplexed and furious. The events of the previous night, Mariko's response this morning and now the killing of a man because of a bird, have him thinking he is living in an alternate reality.  The Japanese rituals and steadfast blind clinging to the perception of honour seem ridiculous to him. How could anyone kill a man because of a bird? Fumi, sensing his fury, bows, offering herself to be sacrificed for making her master angry, enraging Blackthorne even more. 

Mariko, bruised and battered, is presenting herself to Toranaga. He says Buntaro can do what he wants to his wife but he needs his translator safe. Rules and traditions, from centuries earlier,  may seem offensive to us now, such as how easily Toranaga dismisses the beating. However repulsive it is to us now, it has to be seen in the context of a wife being regarded as the property of her husband at that point in time. Even if he wanted Toranaga wouldn't be able to do anything regarding Mariko and her household matters.

Blackthorne arrives,  getting Mariko to translate that he has done his duty and wishes to leave Japan forever. He doesn't want to live in a place where a woman will shut herself behind fences rather than live free, or where a man is killed for a bird. Although the equivalent treatment of women in his beloved England at that period can't have been much better. Mariko explains to him that he gave an order that anyone that touches the bird would die. As their master, Fumi and the household were bound by his words. Although he didn’t mean it literally, they weren’t to know, so had to carry out his bidding.

Toranaga walks away.  He has more important things to worry about. Such as the oncoming storm of Ishidos attack. It turns out he should be more concerned about the storm underneath his feet. He watches as a flock of birds suddenly fly away, always an ominous sign. Then the ground begins to tremble, as he watches in horror as the cliff edge gives way, taking some of his men with it.  

The whole area starts to shake, and  the place where Toranaga is standing starts to collapse.  Blackthorne tries to rush to him but it's too late,Toranaga is swept away with the ground, down the cliff edge. 

Blackthorne runs ahead, rushing down the collapsed cliff edge,disregarding his own safety, he manages to get  his way down to see something of Toranagas’ on the floor. Followed by others now, they desperately dig with their hands for Toranaga. Miraculously, they pull him out of the mud although he is shaken and filthy he is alive. Mariko arrives, and cries that Toranaga swords are missing.  A Samurai's sword being a sign of his honour and standing, missing them would be like losing a limb.

Blackthorne, seeing Toranagas’ anguish, graciously removes his swords, given to him by Fumi and hands them to Toranaga. Toranaga knows their history,  but understanding Blackthorne's gesture accepts the gift. 

The swords were supposedly Fumi fathers. He died a hero in her eyes, and gifted them to Blackthorne as a sign of respect. At the lake however,  Mariko revealed their true origin. Fumi’s father died a coward, losing his swords in the process. In order to protect Fumi from this knowledge,  thereby having her live in dishonour all her life, her grandfather brought some cheap swords from the market. Telling Fumi her father died a hero. Everyone apart from Fumi is aware, but to save her honour and dignity it's kept a secret. A communal eightfold fence if you will, wrapped around Fumi.

Toranaga stares in horror to witness the landslide sweep away the vast majority of his army.He looks like a broken man, covered in filth, kneeling in the dirt, a vast contrast to the Toranaga we saw at the beginning. 

Blackthorne, rushes to his home, despite their differences he has built a bond with Fumi, he walks through a village destroyed, bodies laid around and buildings on fire. Fumi, thankfully is alive, laying on a mat, Blackthorne briefly holds her hand. She knows now she is forgiven and cared for.

Meanwhile, Toranaga’s spy who has been masquerading as a peasant in the village, had been tasked to find Kashigi someone else he could apprehend  as a suspect. Using the landslide as an excuse to have found some hidden letters, he pins the culprit on Uejiro, thereby satisfying Kashigi hunt and still being able to continue Toranaga’s bidding.

Back at a stormy Osaka, the previous leader's wife, Lady Ochiba, the mother of the heir to the throne, arrives from being held hostage by Toranaga. A formidable woman, even Ishido seems to be wary of her, as she mocks the council's  impotence at keeping Toranga in check and Toranaga running rings around them. She moves forward ominously and informs Ishido that the council will now be beholden to her.

Toranaga seems to have a new, more formidable rival to deal with.

Overall an amazing episode. The evening meal was tense and filled with emotion,the final landslide had you on the edge of your seat. The series gets better and better, the costumes and the acting out doing themselves each episode. Shogun is the best thing on T.V right now.