In episode four of FX’s Shōgun, our colorful characters’ deepest hearts melt, exposing their most honest feelings. Vulnerable, these feelings get the best of them: one blossoming to a forbidden love, and another igniting the flame of war.
It’s a time of revelation as Lord Toranaga arrives in Ajiro. The village prepares a welcome fit for a king. Blackthorne, Mariko, and Fuji accompany him along with Lord Yabushige and Nagakado. Many in the village learn for the first time that John has been named hatamoto. With this title, he has gained the trust of Toranaga, receives his own house in the village, and is appointed a consort in Fuji. She is reluctant but Mariko tells her she must only serve him for a year. They eventually decided on six months.
Next, Lord Yabushige learns Toranaga resigned from the Council of Regents. With a bounty on Toranaga’s head, Yabushige’s surefire plan for power is thwarted. Still an Ishdio loyalist, he tries his best to hide his disappointment. Nagakado warns his father that “An ally with ambition is no ally.” Toranaga gives a rousing speech to incite the army of warriors before departing the village. He leaves Blacktorne in charge of teaching the fleet his tactics.
Blackthorne, adjusting to his new title, seeks to find his fellow crewmen and ship. Mariko informs him they all have been moved to Edo for safety. His ship and weapons are now the property of her lord, and he will use them as he wishes. John is expected to train the regiment for six months. Confused, Blackthorne objects as these were not the terms originally discussed. Mariko informs him his refusal would be an insult to her lord. Once again, John is a prisoner in a different jail.
Meanwhile, Yabushige and Omi discuss their next plan of action. Ready to admit defeat, Omi suggests his uncle offer the head Regent Blackthrone’s cannons. Technically, the army belongs to him in Toranaga’s absence. This would solidify his bond with the Council and make him a great candidate to replace Toranaga.
Back at Blackthorne’s home, he questions how Fuji – who just recently lost her husband and son to seppuku – can appear without an inkling of grief. Mariko explains the practice of the Eightfold Fence. She details how in their culture, they’re taught to build “an impenetrable wall” to disguise their feelings of grief, despair, and sorrow. It’s a defense mechanism from their present circumstances. In a hauntingly beautiful scene, she states, “Beneath it all, we could be a great distance away. Safe and alone.”
The day of training arrives, and a small skirmish regarding John’s guns almost comes to fisticuffs. Fuji agrees to hold and protect his weapons, a sign of her growing loyalty to the foreigner. Once in the field, all parties learn John has never been in an infantry, so he approaches a different tactic. He instructs the army on how to use cannons to blast their targets. The soldiers learn quickly and everyone is amazed at the strategy.
As time passes, Blackthorne and Mariko’s bond flourishes. She reads his journals and discovers his original intentions for traveling the seas. And he experiences his first baby earthquake. Mariko explains how unpredictable the environment is on their side of the world: “Death is in our air, sea, and earth. It can come for us at any time. We live and we die. We have no control beyond that.”
The next day, Ishido’s men led by Jozen are spotted from the West. Arriving unannounced, Yabushige must play coy or his ultimate scheme will be exposed. Jozen says he’s being summoned to Osaka to renew his loyalty to the Regents. He refuses and convinces Jozen and his men to stay the night to witness their new tactic. The lord is desperate to keep his alliance with Ishido intact. Most people buy his charade, but Nagakado remains suspicious. Omi suggests he may have a solution to keep their enemy’s son at bay. Omi addresses Jozen’s presence with Nagakado, suggesting they consult his father before taking any action. Nagakado, tired of his father’s timid strategy, declines the offer and opts to handle it himself.
That same evening Mariko, John, and Fuji sit down for a meal. John apologizes to Fuji for his outburst about his weaponry and offers her one of his guns as a gift. In return, she offers him her family swords, as no hatamoto serves without a set of blades. It’s a good-faith gesture.
Later, John prepares for a bath when Mariko surprises him. Alone, the two let down their guard. Mariko attempts to share why she is so loyal to Toranaga. We see flashes of her father and Mariko alone in winter’s snow. She details that Toranaga has promised her resolution to a great injustice against her name. John tells her she owes him no explanation. Soon, the conversation skews to London and what they would do if she were to visit. After describing the two’s day-long date, they go to their separate quarters. After Fuji sees John to bed, someone enters his quarters shortly after. Startling him awake, it is Mariko. She disrobes as they kiss and make passionate love. The next morning, John attempts to thank her for the “gift.” Mariko plays dumb assuming he is taking full advantage of his consort.
It is the day of the demonstration. Jozen and his troops await to view John’s new tactic. Suddenly, Nagakado changes course, commanding the troops to scatter. Nagakado summons a cannon fire at Jozen and Ishido’s troops. The direct hit decimates the fleet into a pool of bloody debris. Jozen, fatally wounded, is ultimately silenced with the edge of Nagakado’s blade. An act of provocation, the episode ends with Mariko desperately exclaiming: “It is war.”
In episode four, Sanada’s random absence lets the supporting characters shine. Meoka Hoshi shows a new side of Fuji. Bold and devoted, she’s a formidable ally for Blackthorne and Toranaga. Elsewhere, we discover Hiroto Kanai’s Omi is a far better mind than his uncle, with growing ambitions planted in the scene with Kiku, played by Yuka Kouri.
Yuki Kura plays Lord Nagakado’s insecurity perfectly. As discontent with his father’s ways grew, it was only a matter of time before his need to prove himself would combust into an irrational act.
The best moments, however, were captured with Anna Sawai’s Mariko. Writers Nigel Williams and Emily Yoshida paired her with the most powerful quotes of the episode. As she’s featured heavily throughout the series, viewers finally get a preview of the grief and vengeance settling behind her fence.
Although predictable, John and Mariko’s relationship was still beautiful to witness. He is the complete opposite of Buntaro, and very much sees Mariko as an equal. But with the escalation of war, this forbidden love will certainly be short-lived. Overall a superb episode directed by Frederick E.O. Toye.
Rating: 10/10