Anyone who studies languages knows that, even if they are fluent, there is always a chance of making translation mistakes. So, unsurprisingly, the speed at which John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is learning Japanese (using his Portuguese instead of English) was a foreshadowing of something tragic down the road. And the difficulty of communication is one of the worst challenges for our protagonists in Shogun.

Unsurprisingly, when Toronaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) returns to Ajiro and finds last week’s bloody scene, he is angered. Not so much of the ‘anticipation’ of the war, but because of the fact that his son, Nagakado, was easily manipulated by his enemies. As he explains, all you need is to know people to let them act, preferably, in your favor. And that’s what Toronaga does: he uses them all the time, just positioning them to be themselves. It doesn’t fail.

The ‘shadow’ between Mariko and Blackthorne

Yes, the answer to who was in the darkness of the room last episode? Mariko (Anna Sawai). Although she and Blackthorne think they’re covering it up, everyone is more than aware of what’s going on between them. But there’s no time to celebrate. Toronaga returns with an army and none other than the nasty Buntaro, who is alive after all. That’s right, Mariko’s widowhood couldn’t have been shorter and more disappointing. A group of ronins saved her husband and now the tension has gotten even worse between them.

To make everything worse, Toronaga asks Mariko to continue as Anjin/Blackthorne’s interpreter and Buntaro goes to live with them too. Buntaro is a brave and skilled warrior, but an abusive husband, something that coexistence with Blackthorne only brings out the worst in him.

The two compete for control of the house, which leaves Mariko at serious physical risk, something that the arrogant and macho Blackthorne takes a while to realize.

The more the pilot challenges Buntaro, the more it becomes clear that there is something between him and Mariko, which leaves the samurai crazy with hatred. He forces his wife to tell him the reason for her “shame”: her father is a Jaime Lannister/Jon Snow from the series, in the past, he broke the most sacred rules of the samurai and murdered a brutal lord, but for the good of the kingdom. As a consequence, he had to end his lineage and commit seppuku, but Mariko, newly married to Buntaro at the time, was “spared” and forced to live with shame. This obviously weighs on the couple’s toxic relationship. And Blackthorne was even more shocked by the Japanese codes of honor, irritated even, without imagining how much more he would be.

When Buntaro vents his anger by beating Mariko, Blackthorne once again acts without thinking. She begs him not to do anything, but he can’t. She challenges Buntaro, who uses the argument of drunkenness – incited by the pilot – as an excuse for bad behavior. Blackthorne soon sees that the samurai chose to spare him. Only Mariko punishes the English: from now on they will only interact when he needs translation. Lucky for him it always is.

A foreigner’s garbled command

Toranaga presents Blackthorne with a pheasant, which he tries to prepare for a stew, but it is exposed and rots outside his house, something that no locals can understand the reason for. Without Mariko around at that time, he tries to use the Japanese he learned and warns that no one can touch the bird, “or it will die”. Fuji is shocked by the order, but everyone obeys.

This is what Blackthorne does not capture in the cultural difference of a society that follows commands to the letter. The pheasant creates imperceptible problems for Blackthorne, to the point that the tragedy surprises him. Uejiro (Junichi Tajiri), the gardener, who is Blackthorne’s favorite employee, offers to get rid of the bird and then kill himself for disobeying Hatamoto. This shocks the pilot – and us, of course – but once again there is another context (later).

With Mariko being humiliated and abused, Uejiro killing himself, and Fuji being forced to live with him, it’s too much for a Westerner and he asks Toronaga to leave. No more Japan for him… here comes, literally, an earthquake.

The shaky ground of Japanese society

While Blackthorne still struggles to adapt, Toronaga adapts his strategy to buy time. His departure from the Council worked and finding a replacement is complex as there is a lot of tension between you. Ishido receives Jozen’s head and will have to respond accordingly.

This is what irritates Toronaga, who is updated by Yabushige on everything that happened. This results in yet another clash over loyalty, because Toronaga knows he is playing both sides. Yabushige denies having influenced Toronaga’s son to kill Ishido’s general and admits that it may have been his nephew, Omi. Instead of having him punished, Toronaga promotes him, which bothers Yabushige, but what bothers him even more is that Toronaga is always doing very well.

informed, so you have a spy who keeps you updated. Yabushige and Omi are determined to find out who it is, which forces Toronaga to “turn in” someone to spare the real informant. Do you know who ends up being accused? Yes, Uejiro, is already dead and is identified as the spy. For now, once again, Toronaga is ahead.

If the surface seemed calm, the earthquake soon shook everything. Men begin to fall from the mountain and Toronaga himself is buried, with Blackthorne once again saving him, then rushing to check on Fuji, who is injured but alive. A connection is forming between them.

We now know that Muraji is not a humble fisherman loyal to Toronaga, but an undercover samurai working on a secret mission for the shogun. He uses Uejiro’s death, as well as the earthquake, to plant incriminating evidence and deceive Omi and Yabushige.

The alliance against Toranaga in Osaka

The surprise of the episode – intense – is different. Ochiba, widow of the daimyo and mother of the Heir, returns to Osaka, after an “extended” stay with Toronaga. If we were in doubt as to whether there were any regrets, we soon realized that it was a resounding YES. She not only takes command of the conflicted council but teams up with Ishido against Toranaga. And she wants WAR. It’s going to be bloody!

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