‘Shogun’ Episode 9 Review - Accepting Death Isn’t Surrender

All the previous episodes of Shogun were perhaps preparing us for this ninth episode. The suspense has never been THIS high, and none of the other episodes made you jump from your seats with a furious demand for the next episode. Waiting for another week would prove to be difficult this time around.

Episode 9 opens with Mariko, Yabushige, and Blackthorne arriving at the shores of Osaka. Father Martin Alvito assures one of his colleagues that Toranaga has accepted defeat, but the character rightly guesses that a war is coming. Not everybody is a fool in Shogun. There are various high points in this episode. The first among them is the meeting between old friends Ochiba no Kata and Mariko, which occurs after Yabushige's embarrassing conversation with Ishido. From the beginning itself, words have turned out to be more violent and exciting than swords, guns, or canons. Mariko's assertiveness appears sharper than a knife as she announces she will leave Osaka with Kiri no kata and Shizu no kata in the morning. "It's been months since the Lady Shizu has seen Lord Toranaga. And my Lord hasn't yet seen his newest son," explains Mariko.

Everybody knows Ishido will reject Mariko's request. He says no one is a hostage, yet one can clearly see the emptiness behind this statement. And so, the soldiers stop Mariko when she reaches Osaka's gates. What ensues is a sword fight, where the Osaka men emerge victorious. It's here that Mariko decides to commit suicide. She declares, "We must go back. However, these men have prevented me from doing my duty to my liege lord, and I cannot live with the offense. I will take my life at sunset."

And so begins a long wait regarding Mariko's fate. Will she die? Is this all a sham? Maybe someone or something will stop her from taking her life at the last moment. Or perhaps she will trick everyone into believing that she is dead. Ochiba no Kata lays the facts down for Ishido: "If you allow her to die, there will be a revolt from every high family in Osaka. If you allow her to leave, the hostages will also demand to leave." How will Ishido handle the situation?

I mostly refused to believe that Mariko would die here. When the doors closed as she held the blade close to her stomach, I thought she would run or create an illusion. But then Ishido granted Mariko's request and reiterated that everybody was free to leave the castle. Just when you think "crisis averted," Episode 9 leaves you stunned through an emotional explosion. In the end, only this thought floated in my head: What a glorious gift creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks have given us in the form of Shogun!

Final Score - [10/10]