Crimson Sky is the ninth episode of the FX limited series, Shōgun. The episode premiered on April 16, 2024.
Synopsis[]
Mariko arrives in Osaka for the fight of her life. Blackthorne and Yabushige scramble to save their own heads as their options dwindle.
Plot Summary[]
In a flashback 14 years earlier in the Shōnai region, a pregnant Mariko walks in the freezing cold before getting caught and taken in. Father Martin Alvito asks to speak to her, after hearing that she continues to seek death even after seeing forgiveness from her husband. He gives her a rosary and introduces her to Catholicism.
Back in the present, Mariko travels with John and Yabushige to Osaka. Yabushige advises John to stay close once they arrive because Ishido’s men will meet them immediately.
Mariko meets with Kiri-no-kata and Shizu-no-kata, passing on a letter from Lord Toranaga to Kiri. Kiri says “Let’s hope this works” before putting it in her pocket.
Meanwhile, Father Dell'Aqua suspects something is going on and that Lord Toranaga is planning something.
John and Yabushige go to see the Council of Regents to surrender and offer condolences for Daoyoin’s death. Yabushige claims he was deceived into leading Toranaga out of Osaka but Ishido isn’t buying Yabushige’s story believing him to be a traitor. He delivers the Anjin as a gift to apologize but Ishido says the heir isn’t interested in barbarians.
Mariko arrives and congratulates Ishido and Ochiba-no-kata on their engagement. Ochiba-no-kata welcomes Mariko herself. They invite her to enter a poetry contest but Mariko informs Ishido that she won’t be around for the contest because she needs to escort Kiri-no-kata and Shizu-no-kata back to Edo to reunite with Toranaga. Ishido denies her request and is shocked by her impolite requests. Mariko tells him her loyalty is to her lord and that she must leave.
Yabushige is floored by Mariko’s behavior and questions what Toranaga is really up to. John himself is curious about her intentions as well. She implies that she wants Ishido to acknowledge that the people in the castle are in fact hostages and not allowed to leave at their free will.
Mariko meets with her son who begs her not to try and leave because she will shame their family. However, Mariko still decides to try and leave. However, she is stopped and asked for a permit to leave, at Ishido’s orders. Mariko tells the samurais who escort her to kill the men blocking their way and they oblige. However, they all get killed. Mariko asks Lord Kiyama and Lord Ohno to demand for them to move but they said they are powerless to do anything as they are Ishido’s men. Mariko moves and gets a naginata to fight herself but Kiyama screams out that she must not be harmed. When she cannot pass, she tells them she cannot live with the offense of disobeying her lord and that she will commit suicide at sunset. She asks Lord Kiyama to be her second. He agrees but Ishido isn’t happy that he agreed.
Ochiba-no-kata clarifies the situation to Ishido and the Council of Regents- if Mariko dies, every noble family will revolt in protest. If they let her leave, the hostages will demand to leave as well.
The heir requests John’s presence, which means Mariko must join to translate. Ochiba-no-kata is there and welcomes them but Mariko immediately suspects it’s a ruse. Ochiba-no-kata immediately asks her to stop her games. She recounts their childhood and closeness to John. She then asks how killing herself will help her son. Mariko and John leave.
Yabushige receives an offer from Ishido- get pardoned from death but in exchange do him a favor. Mariko goes to confess with Father Alvito.
At sunset, Mariko sits and lays a knife in front of her. She leaves a poem as her final statement. She asks Lord Kiyama to step forward as her second but he does not come, however John volunteers to do it. Just before she plunges the knife, Ishido comes to give her a permit to leave. More step forward to ask to leave and Ishido tells them to apply for permits because he insists no one is a hostage.
Later that evening, John and Mariko make love.
Someone comes to relieve Yabushige from his post at the watch at the castle walls but he kills the man. Someone throws hooks over the wall guarding the castle. Yabushige goes and kills someone else before letting a mysterious man and group of people into the castle. The intruders kill many people. They try to get John and Mariko, who are laying together in bed, but they fight them off. Mariko informs him they are Shinobi, who have come for her. They try to hide but the shinobi plan to blow open their hiding spot. Mariko welcomes the explosion and stands in front of the door just as it explodes. She goes flying and John calls out her name.
Cast & Characters[]
Starring[]
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga
- Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne
- Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko
- Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige
- Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari
- Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba No Kata
Supporting[]
- Yoriko Dōguchi as Kiri No Kata
- Eita Okuno as Saeki Nobutatsu
- Tommy Bastow as Martin Alvito
- Paulino Nunes as Father Dell'Aqua
- Takeshi Kurokawa as Ohno Harunobu
- Mako Fujimoto as Shizu No Kata
- Sen Mars as Nakamura Yaechiyo
- Hiromoto Ida as Kiyama ukon Sadanaga
- Louis Ferreira as Ferreira
- Eisuke Sasai as Lord Ito
- Yuua Yamanaka as Toda Ryuji
Quotes[]
I am no peasant to be trodden on.
Lady Mariko