Servants of Two Masters is the second episode of the FX limited series, Shōgun. The episode premiered on February 27, 2024.
Synopsis[]
Blackthorne’s arrival in Osaka stirs up a hornet’s nest of rivalries. Mariko is trapped between her cause and her faith when she must translate for the barbarian in Lord Toranaga’s custody.
Plot Summary[]
In a flashback to one year before, in Osaka, men surround Taikō on his deathbed. He speaks to his son, his heir, about the after life. Most of the other men leave at the request of his wife but Taikō asks for Toranaga to stay behind. He tells him the vultures are circling and asks what he would think of becoming sole regent until the heir was grown. However, Toranaga believes that his enemies will kill him and the heir for this. He then tells Toranaga he formed a Council of Regents to share power until Yaechiyo is sixteen, including Toranaga as one of them. He asks him to protect his heir from enemies.
Back in present day, Rodrigues shows Blackthorne’s journals to his colleagues, who plan to show them to the Japanese and have him hanged for piracy. However, Father Martin Alvito insists that Toranaga will request a complete translation of the journals first. He promises to make sure Blackthorne doesn’t create any problems for them. He goes to meet Blackthorne and introduces himself. He translates for him but Blackthorne doesn’t trust him to translate properly because he is Catholic. Mariko, who also understands Portuguese, listens in to ensure the translations are honest. Blackthorne explains that he is an English Protestant and that England is against Catholics, which is why he doesn’t trust Alvito. Lord Ishido arrives and Father Martin Alvito advises Blackthorne to stay quiet if he wants to keep his life. Blackthorne then gets detained.
Later that evening, Lord Toranaga calls Mariko back for a meeting and asks her her thoughts about the encounter with the barbarian. She said the translations were honest and that her instinct is to guard against him. Hiromatsu asks Toranaga why they should keep the barbarian around when his impeachment and possible death is on the line. Mariko supposes that he intends to sow division amongst the regents (who must vote as one to impeach) as he believes the Christian lords will disagree with Ishido.
Locked up, Blackthorne speaks to Father Sebastio who explains that the detained men are waiting for death. Blackthorne insists he is a guest of Toranaga and here by mistake but the Father explains Toranaga himself is a prisoner of sorts as he awaits a possible impeachment. Father Sebastio insists death is his fate but Blackthorne insists he didn’t come all the way around the world to die on a cross. He explains to Blackthorne that all trade in Japan goes through the Portuguese. Taikō tried to put a stop to it but the church incited a rebellion and smuggled guns from a secret base in Macao. Blackthorne remembered a man telling him hundreds of Catholic Japanese soldiers are stationed in Macao. He insists this is the key to getting himself out of this situation.
The Council of Regents discuss the heretic. The Christian lords demand he be executed before the vote because he offends their god. Ishido demands a vote but they continue to insist he die first. Ishido approves it. He leaves to discuss with Yabushige. Yabushige wonders about a future after Toranaga’s death, explaining that keeping the heretic might benefit Ishido in the end. Ishido explains that he already approved the execution and it’s too late.
Blackthorne gets taken away to be executed, however "bandits" intercept them and kill the men who took Blackthorne. Yabushige appears, seemingly behind the attack, and unties Blackthorne as his men kill the others. Yabushige takes him to Toranaga, who thanks him for bringing him the barbarian not just once but twice now. Mariko arrives to interpret and asks questions on Toranaga’s behalf about his country, queen, and intentions. At Toranaga’s request, he draws a map of the world as he knows it in the sand. He mentions the Portuguese base in Macao that employs Japanese mercenaries. He believes the base was used for gun running, possibly against Taikō in the past. He believes Portugal and Spain divided up regions of the world and that Japan “belongs” to Portugal. This infuriates Toranaga. He then says the Portuguese want to replace all non-Christian leaders with leaders of their own. He explains that he seeks to vanquish their common enemies.
Father Alvito asks Toranaga to approve the departure of the Black Ship to go to Nagasaki. However, Lord Toranaga says to delay the departures and expresses his intention to find out more about the secret Portuguese bases.
Blackthorne gets taken to the West Palace and given Toranaga’s personal quarters, a great honor. That night, there is an attack by an intruder in the castle- Kayo the Maid (who is actually an assasin)-searches for her target. She finds what she thinks is Blackthorne's room and attacks Toranaga instead. Blackthorne runs to protect him. They fight her off and she dies. Toranaga believes the assassin really came for Blackthorne, since they had switched rooms.
Cast & Characters[]
Starring[]
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga
- Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne
- Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko
- Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige
- Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi
- Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari
- Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji
- Shinnosuke Abe as Toda "Buntaro" Hirokatsu
- Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu
- Yasunari Takeshima as Muraji
- Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado
- Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba No Kata
- Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito
- Yuka Kouri as Kiku
- Yoriko Dōguchi as Kiri No Kata
Supporting[]
- Néstor Carbonell as Vasco Rodrigues
- Hiromoto Ida as Lord Kiyama ukon Sadanaga
- Toshi Toda as Lord Sugiyama
- Sen Mars as Nakamura Yaechiyo
- Paul Moniz de Sa as Father Sebastio
- Takeshi Kurokawa as Ohno Harunobu
- Mao Asou as Kayo the Maid
Quotes[]
Thank me after we put an end to Toranaga's threat.
Lord Ishido
Gallery[]
Photos[]
Videos[]
