The Recap: Shōgun – “Chapter 3: Tomorrow is Tomorrow”
Shōgun returns for a third episode of the massively successful series (I’m assuming, I honestly have no idea what the ratings are) and this episode proves to be a real doozy. The series is really starting to hit its stride as John Blackthorne and Lord Toranaga navigate the treacherous waters surrounding Japan in the time when men were men and often times swords did the talking. Let’s get right to the action!
The episode opens with Lord Yabushige writing out his last will because he thinks Lord Toranaga is about to kill him. He’s not far off as there are some questions as to his loyalty after meeting with Lord Yoshida. That’s one thing that is always lingering in the background of this show. Where loyalties lie and who each man/woman serves above all else.
A large part of the episode revolves around the escape from Osaka. Lord Toranaga is essentially a prisoner in the city, awaiting what will most likely be his expulsion or execution. He senses all of this and takes the opportunity to escape the city hidden away in a palanquin. In he dead of night, the group is finally ambushed in the forest and the members are forced to not only fight off the ambushers, but also the members of Yoshida’s men who were escorting them to the harbor. Lord Toranaga and his closest allies barely make it out alive.
A glorious death awaits Toda Hirokatus, the husband of Mariko. While she’s been a very major player in these first two episodes, translating between John Blackthorne and everyone else, her husband has mostly been an asshole in the background. Now we see that he’s a legit badass warrior as he fights off the attackers while Toranaga and Co. escape on boats.
Open water chases have always been fun. Lord Toranaga offers the chance of building a church in Edo for the use of the infamous Black Ship. They use it to escape the barricade of boats that awaits them outside of the city. They’re forced to leave Blackthorne behind but he uses the other galley to trail the ship and also makes it out. It’s always great to see Blackthorne’s interactions with Rodriguez (Nestor Carbonell) as they finally pay off the debts owed.
The ending of the episode sets up the future of the series perfectly. Lord Toranaga has finally escaped his captivity and resigned from the regency council. He’s free to go to war for the Shogunate! Blackthorne has shown his bravery and his worth. He’s hopefully moving past his days as a scoundrel and a pirate and he’s seeing the value of those Japanese men and women around him. Mariko continues to be one of my favorite characters. Anna Sawai is just incredible in this role and seems to just be adding layers and layers to this character as it goes forward.
