“Shogun” Episode 2 Recap and Explained: FX originally presented a ten-episodic American historical action war drama series ” Shogun” is currently streaming now in Hulu & Disney+ Hotstar. In this article, we are going to discuss about the recap of the first episode. But before we start began let’s know about the story of this series. The series is an adaptation of a best-selling novel ” Shogun” written by James Clavell in 1975.
The series shows Japan in the era of 1600 when the Civil War emerged. Lord Toranaga trying to fight against the Council of Regents who want to defeat him.
Let’s back to one year ago in Osaka. We see Tariko in extremely bad condition so his family & friends surround him. He ordered everyone to leave without Toranaga. He said that there was a time when Ochiba could marry him but Toranaga thinks that he can’t take care of that beautiful woman. Together they shared about their past. He questioned Tariko about his thoughts about becoming the sole regent unit untill his son grew up. More he added that if he protected his son he could share the title with him. Toranaga denied this order because this could trigger the enemies to kill him along with Tariko’s son.
Previous Episode: “Shogun” Episode 1 Recap and Explained
Tariko is impressed with the answer of Toranaga & he said it’s been over 100 years since the end of any true Shogunate. He fears that soon the civil war will start after he dies so he ordered the formation of a Council of Regents. Ishido, Kiyama, Ohno, Sugiyama & Toranaga will share their power & establish Peace untill Yaechiyo is sixteen. This is all Tariko wants to protect his son from the enemies .
Shogun Episode 1 Summary
Back to the present, John Blackthorne reached in front of Toranaga & Lady Mariko. On the other side, Rodrigues met with his boss telling about Blackthorne. He said the boy is simple. But another man named as Martin trying to read the diary of Blackthorne. They understood that these journals were the proof of his depravity.
Boss thinking of handing that diary to Japan so that they could hanged Blackthorne for piracy. but it’s not simple as Toranaga is the in-charge of foreign relations so he is not gonna take any discussion without transletting his dairy. The boss ordered Martin to see that the man wasn’t a problem. While Young Yaechiyo watching the man & Toranaga there, Martin reached into that place.
Martin Alvito is from the Society of Jesus he was trying to be the translator between Blackthorne & Toranaga while Mariko was present there. Blackthorne said he is from England which is an Island kingdom, 1000 miles north of Portugal. Toranaga asks him why he is an Enemy of his interpreter & Blackthorne replies that ” their countries are at war”. Toranaga asked, ” Why are you at war with my kingdom?’, Blackthorne replied,” England refuses to be intimated by Catholics”.
Toranaga asked if he was also a catholic or not. blackthorne said there are two groups one is ” Protestant ” & another one is ” Catholic ” & he belongs to the first group. Blackthorne said he was not a Pirate the reason of his ship carried a cannon is his ship contained the letter of Marque from the rulers of a nation called Holland.
Right then, Lord Ishido reached there. Alvito informed Blackthorne about Ishido that he is a Chief Rival of Toranaga. Ishido isn’t happy by seeing Blackthorne. He said to Toranaga that he should be more careful about his impeachment. To make peace Toranaga send Blackthorne to jail.
More Recaps: Avatar The Last Airbender (2024) Episode 2: Recap & Explained
Later we see Lady Mariko having dinner with her son & husband. Buntaro her husband asks his son Gobo what happened today. Gobo said Lord Toranaga invited His mother to meet a barbarian. Buntaro asks his wife why she went there & Mariko replies that the Lord wished for her to practice Portuguese. Later he said more his father Hiromatsu reached there. After that Mariko went to meet with Lady Kiri & Toranaga also joined for a discussion more about the morning.
Mariko said her father’s translation is good & her instinct is to guard against that Barbarian ( Blackthorne). Hiromatsu asked Toranaga what the matter was with Blackthorne with his impeachment & Toranaga replied that his grandchildren had been born in Edo that morning & lady Ochiba requested to return to Osaka. Toranaga granted it & to do so would have been a hostile act. Hiromatsu understood that they were now near their deaths. But using Blackthorne can create trouble among the Portuguese & they will soon ask the Christian Regents, Kiyama & Ohno to protest his presence in Osaka.
Hiromatsu asked more about why they should care more about Regents. Now, Mariko said that their Lord can only be impeached if the council votes as one. So, Toranaga wants to use the barbarian between Ishido & the Christian lords so that a division will be created.
Blackthorne understood that Toranaga is a prisoner in Osaka Castle. Isolated by his rivals on the Council of Regents. There’s Sugiyama, descended from the richest samurai family in Japan. Ohno, a feared warrior whose affliction of Leprosy led him into the arms of the church. Lastly, Kiyama, is a man whose faith in Christ is guided only by his greed and ambition.
All of them are in the palm of Ishido, the caretaker of the castle. Those mam will vote on Toranaga’s demise. He also understood that if Toranaga marked him as his Ally he couldn’t leave Japan alive. He Heard that Toranaga was born in Monowara a name that carries great weight in Japan. For centuries, his ancestors dominated this country, carrying with them a divine mandate. ” mandate ” means a title revered through the ages. The ultimate rank a mortal can achieve is known as ” Shogun “.
All the things he heard from an old man in the prison. He asked him if Toranaga is wanted to seek the title but the old man said “Who knows what lurks in the heart of a Minowara “. The old man later said the Chinese hated Japan so all the trades went through the Portuguese, the late king Taoko tried to stop this but the church had incited the rebellion, and smuggled guns from the secret base in Macao.
Recaps: Avatar The Last Airbender (Netflix) Episode 4 Recap and Explained
After hearing the name of ” Macao” Blackthorne said that he met a man who said that he had been to that fortress and that there were Japanese soldiers hundreds of them converted to Catholicism & this news is unknown to the lords present here. Blackthorne wants to inform these News to the lord which could lead him to leave this country. The council gathered a vote against the impeachment of Toranaga but they got some threats from the barbarian. Ishido said he protested & sent him to prison. But, the councillors said that they heard some stories that the Christians created a massacre. They want the execution of Blackthorne before they do their vote.
We see Alvito talking with Lady Mariko asking about her favourite language, Portuguese or Latin. She said she knows Portuguese more but it comes slowly. She shared some dark pasts with her father but what is it we didn’t know?
Explained
Ishido met with Yabushige & asked him about the barbarian whom he brought into Osaka. Yabushige said he is a pirate, brash & simple. They also got twenty canons, five hundred guns etc. Yabushige also said that the Barbarians believed that the Christian Regents would be their enemies soon. Yabushige said he always thinks about the future he knows that Toranaga is impeached & dead.
Yabushige tried to provoke him by saying that if he had that Barbarian & a vassal to control him, he might be the strongest ruler. Ishido got the orders to execute the barbarian from the Christian Regents & in this situation, he can’t do anything. But Yabushige trying to help him.
After that, a group of men take Blackthorne with them & say that he is now a prisoner of Lord Kiyama.
They take him into a forest & some people attack those guards. late lord Yabushige rescued him & brought him to lord Toranaga. Yabushige said that he rescued the man from execution. We can’t trust Yabushige too much. Maybe whatever he is doing is just his plan. Later Toranaga welcome the Translator as Lady Mariko. This time only Mariko will translate him so the Priest will not be here. The first Lord said sorry to send him to prison.
After that, he started to ask him about his country, culture & ethics. Blackthorne said he is not their enemy instead he wants to increase his hand to make friends. Master Toranaga ask him to map their country. Blackthorne talked about the earth’s shape & where Japan & England are situated. He said come here by the way of Magellan’s Pass which is a secret passage. This is the safer way because they have to avoid a Portuguese base in Macao.
Hearing about ” Macao” everyone because surprised. Blackthorne said that it employs Japanese mercenaries who is known as ” Ronin”. He also added that ” a secret catholic base used for gunrunning which contains Ronin. Employed during an uprising some years ago maybe against Taiko. Later Toranaga asked him to point out the perfect location. Blackthorne said, that Portugal & Spain have divided up one region of the world & Japan belongs to the Portuguese. He also said that each Spanish & Portuguese king had the right to lay claim to any non-catholic land they discovered & to replace its government with the catholic rule.
More Show Recaps: Avatar The Last Airbender (Netflix) Episode 4 Recap and Explained
Lastly, Toranaga said what he wants & Blackthorne replied that he wanted to vanquish their common enemies. Toranaga said to Blackthorne that they should not war against the Portuguese in Japan as their number was huge. But, Blackthorne thinks that he can win. Later, Toranaga asked him to stay in the West place tonight.
Blackthorne got the house to stay he saw a battle Armor which is ordered specially by Toranaga after he saw it in a dream. It stays after many generations all the way to the Minowara Shogunate. Blackthorne called it ” Shogun ” Later he thanked Lady Mariko for her honest translation. Mariko said she is learning Portuguese for 14 years. He claimed that her lord was in danger & he had a ship to leave from there.
Later we see that Toranaga refuses to do a signature on the papers given by Alvito and holds the departure of the black ship as he is now doubting the priests. He also said that their church might be building some secret bases in their region. He wants to know more about their base before doing further negotiations.
Alvito informed these words to Dell’Acqua and all others in his team.
You May Like: Avatar The Last Airbender (Netflix) Episode 6 Recap and Explained
After allowing Blackthorne to stay in his house we see Toranaga is more alerted. We saw a lady trying to attack Blackthorne but her plan was unsuccessful because lord Toranaga killed her with the help of Blackthorne. Soldiers of Toranaga think it might be Ishido but Toranaga thinks it’s not him. He said the woman actually wants to kill Blackthorne, not him & he also knows who is behind of this plan.
Two episodes of this series are currently streaming now in Hulu in English language along with subtitles. Rest episodes will come on a weekly basis.