Death Is in the Air as ‘Shōgun’ Builds Up to Its Climax in Episode 7
Shōgun is getting deadlier, and steamier, as the show continues to march forward to the beat of ever-present battle drums. Lord Toranaga has come up against an opponent worthy of his intelligence in Lady Ochiba no Kata, whose machinations have pushed him to take actions he never wanted to take.
Shōgun is the latest historical drama to transport us back in time, this time to feudal Japan, where samurai roam and life and death are balanced on the edge of a blade. Since its impactful two-episode opening, the show has received critical praise and high audience figures thanks to its beautiful visuals and even more beautiful storytelling.
What’s happened in the last episode?
We are more than halfway into the ten-episode series, and episode six paved the way to the show’s climax as Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) feels he has no option but to launch his contingency plan, Crimson Sky. Now that’s a cool code name. In the last episode, we saw how Toranaga was given very few options other than to reach this conclusion, with Lady Ochiba (Fumi Nikaido) plotting to ensure his execution. Crimson Sky would consist of an all-out attack on Osaka Castle to wipe out all rivals and then institute a new government, one of which Toranaga would stand at the head—as shogun.
Alongside the sweeping theme of the series is the smaller and more intimate story of John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) and Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai). With Toranaga acting as somewhat of a wingman for the pair, he orders Mariko to go to a brothel with Blackthorne to act as a “translator.” They attend together, with Mariko translating the lust-filled erotica of the region’s best courtesan Kiku, who also seems to want to give the romantically entangled couple a helping hand. Despite nothing happening between the two, a delicate touch of the hand conveys enough desire to have audiences melting.
Episode 7, “A Stick in Time”
Shōgun is building towards a climactic battle and episode 7, titled “A Stick in Time,” will likely see the start of this great fight. In the show’s initial trailer, we saw epic scenes of bloody warfare, clashing of swords, and the shots of gunfire—we know things are going to get very, very messy. Given what we now know about Lady Mariko and Lady Ochiba’s childhood, we have to imagine that a confrontation between the two is also on the horizon—if not the next episode, then before the series ends.
The next episode will land on Tuesday, April 2, on both Hulu and Disney+, at 12:01AM (ET), before its FX Premiere at 10PM (ET) the same day.
(featured image: FX)
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