Shōgun's Anna Sawai Details What Mariko Is Feeling About Buntaro — And Blackthorne — After Episode 3
The following contains spoilers from Episode 3 of Shōgun, now streaming on Hulu and airing Tuesday night at 10/9c on FX.
Shōgun this Tuesday served up an eventful hour, revolving around a not-so-great escape plan that resulted in one heroic death and wound up steering Blackthorne's journey in a new direction.
In the wake of Episode 2's attempt on Blackthorne's life, Toranaga announced that for everyone's safety, both Anjin and Lady Kiri would be relocated from Osaka to Edo. Toranaga is a clever fellow, though, and he (semi-)deftly swapped places with his wife before the enclosed litter began its journey. The ruse was nearly found out during a second inspection by Ishido's men, but quick thinking (and heaps of admittedly humorous melodrama) from Blackthorne provided sufficient distraction.
It's a long trek to the docks, though, and as night blanketed the forest, the litter was stopped in its tracks by an attack by Kiyama and his Catholic soldiers. Toranaga ended up having to reveal himself to help fend off the assault, effectively pitting his people against Ishido's deceived escort and Kiyama's soldiers. Lady Mariko and others also joined in the fight, neutralizing the threat enough that they were able to resume their race toward the docks.
Toranaga, Mariko, Blackthorne and others made it onto small boats that would take them to Toranaga's ship, but just as they pulled away, Mariko's husband Buntaro — whom she earlier described to John as a "strong and admired warrior" — arrived on the dock. Buntaro bowed to his lord, then proceeded to take on the horde of soldiers giving chase, allowing Toranaga & Co. to escape.
The expression on Mariko's face as her husband made that sacrifice was... almost one of admiration, but not anything close to a soon-to-be-widow's grief.
"That scene where she kind of says goodbye to her husband.... It was interesting, because while you're sad for him, the fact is he treated her awfully and they never had a happy marriage," Shōgun star Anna Sawai tells TVLine.
Also, Sawai notes, Mariko is Japanese and possesses "that samurai spirit" which says "you have to live for your purpose, and that was his purpose. So it's mixed feelings" that she is having.
"I don't know if there's a lot of grief" on Mariko's part, Sawai adds. "It's more just accepting the fact that that was how [Buntaro] was going to live."
And die.
With a well-negotiated assist from the Black Ship's Captain Ferriera, Toranaga and his people were able to make it past a harbor blockade of menacing Christian fishermen. And though Ferriera had negotiated for Blackthorne to be left behind in Osaka, the intrepid pilot instead took control of Toranaga's ship and brilliantly followed the Black Ship to safe waters.
Come morning, Toranaga back on his own ship informed Blackthorne that it had been brought to his attention that the Anjin might in fact be a pirate — though, wink-wink, it will take his people some time to translate the logs handed over to him by Captain Ferriera and Father Alvito. In the meantime, Toranaga said, his vassal can no longer be known as "the barbarian," and instead is hereby dubbed hatamoto. Toranga then tasked the new hatamoto with teaching him now to dive into the sea, and a new bond between the men formed — all as a pleased Mariko looked on.
Is Mariko herself now seeing John in a new, (ahem) different light?
"I don't know if she's already like, 'OK, I'm ready to move on'" after Buntaro's death, Sawai says, "but I think a weight was lifted off her shoulder, and that's how she's able to connect with [John] a little more.
"He's someone that does make me feel comfortable, that sees me differently — he doesn't see me as a woman who has to keep their mouth closed, he wants to hear what I say — so, they're definitely getting closer," the actress adds.
How are you enjoying Shōgun thus far on FX/Hulu?
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