Shogun‘s conclusion has been a major talking point on the internet in the last few days, as the protagonist Lord Yoshii Toranaga’s plans became clear in the season finale.
Shogun was intended as a miniseries, and the show has run its course with the end of season 1. The show won’t have a second season as things stand, as confirmed by the creators, Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. Shogun has been one of the standout shows of the summer, and its initial viewing numbers reflect that. The show has also received widespread critical acclaim, especially for its realistic portrayal of end-of -16th-century feudal Japan. Lead actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, and Anna Sawai have become household names and are likely to get a healthy number of acting offers for major projects going forward.
The show’s lone season was only ten episodes long, so if you’re looking for episode 11, bad news: There won’t be an 11th episode of the FX show.
[Warning: This paragraph contains spoilers for Shōgun’s season finale.]
The season 1 finale ended with Toranaga seizing power from the Regents and realizing his plan to lead Japan into a period of peace and harmony. It is shown that Yabushige was the only character who was aware of his plans, which also included keeping Blackthorne in Japan. It is revealed that it was Toranaga who ordered the destruction of the ship Erasmus, putting all the events related to Blackthorne in motion.
Blackthorne is then stopped from committing seppuku, and instead ends up commencing the repair work on the ship. The destruction of the ship also works in Blackthorne’s favor, as it was a part of the deal Mariko had cut with the Portuguese in exchange for the foreigner’s life. The last episode confirmed that the show was always about Toranaga finding ways to fulfill his masterplan, and Lady Mariko and Blackthorne were just two cogs in Lord of the Kanto’s designs.
Shogun is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney Plus in the U.K.
(featured image: Hulu)
