“Every man has three hearts. One in his mouth for the world to know. Another in his chest just for his friends. And a secret heart buried deep where no one can find it.” That’s something Rodrigues said at the end of the premiere episode of FX’s Shōgun, and it very much comes into play in this eighth episode, titled “The Abyss of Life.” By the end, it feels like we’ve seen all three of Lord Toranaga’s hearts in play. And in the case of John Blackthorne, he has perhaps lost one of his. Here’s a detailed episode recap.
(Katie Yu/FX)
Chapter 8 – "The Abyss of Life” – Written by Shannon Goss
Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) rides his horse from Ajiro to Edo, his entire party following behind. John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) looks behind them, seeing Lord Saeki’s army following. Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) tells Blackthorne that the army will give Toranaga the customary forty-nine days to grieve the death of his son before he surrenders in Osaka. Blackthorne rides forward to approach Tornaga. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he says. Toranaga doesn’t acknowledge the sympathy, letting out a cough as he proceeds across the bridge into Edo. Mariko gives Blackthorne a gift from Toranga, his rutters and journal, sharing that he’s not required to submit to Osaka with the rest of them. “Your men are here in this city,” she adds. Blackthorne is as good as free. But at this moment, all he can think about is Mariko, asking her not to go to Osaka. “My allegiance forbids me from doing anything else,” she responds.
“Your ruse was a brilliant success,” Lord Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira) tells Lady Ochiba (Fumi Nikaido) in Osaka. “Until his head is pressed to the floor in submission, we are not free of his threat,” Ochiba responds, referring to Toranaga. Ishido proposes that they get married, wanting to make their union public. She remains silent, avoiding his eye contact.
(Katie Yu/FX)
On the night before Nagakado’s funeral, his friends gather to reminisce about their fallen friend. Buntaro (Shinnosuke Abe) recalls an anecdote about how Nagakado once hid that he had a broken arm for ten days to try and appear more brave. “He was truly courageous,” he declares. But Buntaro’s father, General Toda Hiromatsu (Tokuma Nishioka), says the boy was reckless. Kashigi Omi (Hiroto Kanai) is full of grief as he blames Nagakado’s death on Toranaga’s surrender.
Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) can’t believe that Toranaga is missing his son’s funeral as the procession makes its way out of Edo to the cremation site. Hiromatsu shares that Toranaga has been sick since their journey to Edo. Yabushige observes that some of Toranaga’s soldiers have worn their armor to the funeral to make a statement. “Why not march to Osaka with guns and cannons?” Yabushige asks the general. “You alone will head to Osaka as a condition of our surrender,” Hiromatsu reveals. “Ishido requested that you return the guns and cannons to Osaka.”
From Edo Castle, we see Toranaga watching the smoke rise from his son’s cremation.
“Her grandfather must be very proud,” Mariko tells Lady Rin (Haruka Igarashi) as she cradles Toranaga’s newest grandchild. “I hope he will be,” Rin responds, revealing that Toranaga hasn’t met her yet. Mariko asks Rin if she’s heard from her sister in Osaka. “You know how Lady Ochiba can be,” she says, adding that her sister said her life would be spared. Buntaro enters, inviting Mariko to a tea ceremony. She accepts his invitation.
In the village, Blackthorne struggles to make a purchase and is told he’s already received his firewood. “My friend is asking for more firewood,” Father Martin Alvito (Tommy Bastow) cuts in, to Blackthorne’s surprise. Annoyed, Blackthorne showcases his Japanese skills and correctly asks for charcoal this time. Alvito complements Blackthorne before pointing out that it’s unusual for a Hatamoto not to live at the castle. He asks what Blackthorne will do now that he’s free. Blackthorne threatens to reunite with his crew and sail the Erasmus in search of the Black Ship. “Will you wear those clothes when you see your men?” Alvito asks, pointing out that Blackthorne is now accustomed to wearing a kosode.
Toranaga coughs as he arrives for a meeting with Alvito, Hiromatsu, and Mariko. “Our church made its best effort, but Lords Kiyama and Ohno would not be swayed to your cause,” Alvito begins. Toranaga cuts him off, saying his spies have already filled him in. He declares the church to no longer be his ally and asks Mariko to translate for Alvito from now on. “The church did not send me on this mission, lord, I have come on my own,” Alvito says in Portuguese so Mariko can translate. Alvito says Ishido is being manipulated by Ochiba, whom he thinks Toranaga has some leverage with since Toranaga loves her son, the Heir, and Ishido does not. Toranaga asks Hiomatsu for his thoughts. “Osaka is not our enemy, Ishido is,” the general says. Toranaga asks Mariko if she thinks Ochiba could become his ally. “I think fear is her enemy,” she responds, indicating that Ochiba could be swayed. Toranaga disagrees. Hiromatsu points out that Toranaga’s face has the color of defeat. “This victory would come at too high a cost, so I choose a peaceful defeat,” Toranaga says. Hiromatsu tries to dissuade his lord, who silences him. “Call my vassals to assembly tomorrow,” he orders, having heard rumors about soldiers in armor at his son’s funeral. “I want their signed pledge that they will march with me in surrender.” Toranaga gets up to leave but pauses before exiting. “Tell the priest I am grateful for his attempt to change my fate,” he instructs Mariko. “Since he kept his promise, I will keep mine. He may build a new church here in Edo. The land has been set aside. I only have one request. That he return to Osaka and tell them what he sees here. All I want is a peaceful death.”
Hiromatsu meets with Yabushige, Buntaro, and Omi in the hallway. “He’s going to fight,” he whispers. Yabushige asks how he could know that. “Our lord would not send him to Osaka with a message,” he says. Mariko is walking through the halls at that moment and hears him.
(Katie Yu/FX)
Mariko meets Buntaro in the tea house. They create a poem together about the arrival of winter before Buntaro prepares the matcha for his wife, who silently drinks it. “Your performance was wonderful,” she compliments him. Buntaro says he doesn’t believe his father, thinking they will die in Osaka. He looks back on their early days together with fondness, memories Mariko doesn’t seem to share. “Are you still under the Anjin’s spell?” Buntaro asks. Mariko remains silent. “Let us go to death tonight,” he asks her. “I wish to finally give it to you. In protest of our lord’s surrender, and your enemies, let us welcome death together.” Mariko is silent for a moment. “What you’ve denied me wasn’t death,” she responds, “It was a life beyond your reach.” Mariko starts to cry. “I would sooner live a thousand years than die with you like this.” Mariko bows before she exits the tea house, leaving Buntaro to cry alone.
That night, Toranaga is led to a seedy part of Edo where his men have taken up residence. He hears them drunkenly partying, and as he gets closer to the door, he is overwhelmed by their foul smell. One of them, Salamon (Dakota Daulby), chases a woman into the streets who is trying to shake him off. Blackthorne seems to have regretted coming, turning around, but being seen by his old crewman. Blackthorne learns that only six are left. He tells Salamon the good news that they can all leave on Erasmus with a crew that Blackthorne’s been given. Salamon instantly grows suspicious, accusing Blackthorne of lying about the Spanish ships that “chased” them there, sacrificing everyone for his own personal ambitions. Blackthorne wants to speak directly to the rest of the crew, but Salamon stops him. They get into a fight in the street. Blackthorne wins but feels dirty for having touched his filthy former comrade.
(Katie Yu/FX)
Blackthorne goes to Yabushige, and Mariko joins to translate. With Toranaga’s upcoming surrender, he would like to serve Yabushige, sailing for him and strengthening Japan’s trade under his rule. Omi is present, calling this offer disgraceful. Yabushige cuts Blackthorne a little slack but refuses the offer since he believes Toranaga hasn’t really surrendered. Blackthorne presents Yabushige with his katana, saying it doesn’t feel like it belongs with him, but adding that he no longer feels connected to his men. He’s trying to make his own fate. “Since I first saw you near death on that cliff many months ago, I’ve known you were a man who understood the importance of taking fate into his own hands,” Blackthorne says, which makes Yabushige smile. But once again, he refuses Blackthorne’s offer to serve him. “Once loyalty begins, it has no end,” Mariko tells Blackthorne. “But loyalty turns senseless very quickly when the order is suicide,” Blackthorne responds.
(Katie Yu/FX)
A muddy area of Edo has been cleared for construction. Omi stands with Kiku (Yuka Kouri), who beams with pride as Lady Gin (Yuko Miyamoto) describes her vision for her courtesan district. Omi can’t see what she does. “I don’t know what I’m fighting for anymore,” Omi confesses to Kiku. “If you look and see nothing, you must simply look harder,” she advises him. Nearby, Father Alvito is shown the site of his new church. He sees Kiku and Lady Gin and asks who they are. “Your neighbors, I’m told they are courtesans,” he’s told.
In Osaka, Daiyoin (Ako) has a stroke. “All we can do is make her comfortable,” the Doctor (Isao Ishigaki) tells Ochiba when she comes to see her. “I knew it would be this face to send me off,” Daiyon tells her on her deathbed. Daiyoin asks Ochiba to stop playing games, release the hostages, and break her loyalty to Ishido. “Tell our son to look for me in the Pure Land,” she says before passing away.
“Tomorrow, Yabushige will leave for Osaka,” Toranaga announces as his soldiers assemble to sign their commitment to surrendering with their lord. “In addition to delivering my guns to Ishido, he will submit the names of those who will join me in surrender.” Yabushige is the first to be presented with the scroll, signing it. Next is Omi, who seems furious as he puts his name down. Two soldiers, Sera (Yoshi Amao) and Tomono (Hitoshi Masaki), are the first to object. They want to remain in Edo and bring the fight to them, something that Toranaga says would doom all of Japan. “Lord, if you will not change your mind, then I will commit seppuku at once,” General Hiromatsu joins in the dissent. “You are throwing away all that we have fought for.” The two old friends look deep into each other’s eyes as if trying to read the other’s heart. “So you do believe in pointless death,” Hiromatsu declares. He places his fan and wakizashi on the ground in front of him. “This is farewell,” Hiromatsu bows to Toranaga, crying. He calls his son Buntaro over to be his second. “I’m following you into death,” Buntaro promises. “You must live,” Hiromatsu replies. “You will know what it is to be denied. Don’t give up on our lord, even when it appears he has given up on himself.” Buntaro starts to cry as his father stabs himself in the guts with his wakizashi, tearing himself apart before Buntaro severs his father’s head, which rolls in front of Toranaga.
“Do you disagree with what happened today?” Toranaga asks Mariko in private that night. “Today we all suffered a great loss,” she responds, “I won’t deepen that wound by disagreeing.” They begin to create a poem together, with Toranaga declaring Mariko the better of the two of them. “Tell me, has the Anjin gone to Yabushige yet?” he asks. Mariko confirms that he has and that Yabushige declined. “He’ll change his mind after today,” Toranaga responds. “The Anjjin and Yabushige are both goshawks. Short-winged and predictable.” Mariko realizes what this means, falling to her knees in grief. “Himoatsu, my old friend, knew his duty well,” Toranaga says, breaking into tears. “Osaka has to believe my defeat is real. Now are you ready to do your part?” Mariko looks up, her eyes leaking. “I’m ready.”
(Katie Yu/FX)
Blackthorne stands on the top deck of Yabushige’s ship. Yabushige supervises his crew loading crates on board. Omi tries to warn his uncle that sailing with the Anjin is dangerous, but Yabushige won’t listen. After Omi leaves, he joins Blackthorne on the top deck. The two men declare themselves allies. Mariko boards the ship with a document signed by Lord Toranaga, instructing her to join them on their voyage to Osaka.
Toranaga visits his son’s cremation site. “Thank you, my son,” he says to the pile of ashes. “You earned me some time. I will not waste it. Hiromatsu and you both. I will not waste it.”
Next Episode – Tuesday, April 16th, streaming on Hulu and airing at 10/9c on FX:
Chapter 9 – "Crimson Sky" – Written by Rachel Kondo & Caillin Puente
Mariko arrives in Osaka for the fight of her life. Blackthorne and Yabushige scramble to save their own heads as their options dwindle.