In the second-to-last episode of Shogun, Mariko made a bold move against Ishido. She decided to take a stand and sacrifice herself to free the families of the Regents held hostage by him.

At first, it seemed like a clever plan to pressure Ishido into giving up control over the Regents. But then, things took a shocking turn in the last moments. Ishido used Yabushige to sneak the Shinobi into the castle.

Their mission? Originally just to snatch Mariko because she was causing big trouble for Ishido. But it all went wrong when they set off a bomb, accidentally killing Mariko instead.

Now, let’s see how this unexpected twist affects Yabushige, John, Toranaga, and Ishido in the grand finale of Shogun.

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What Drives Ishido’s Superstitions and Power Play?

Episode 10 of Shogun kicks off with a strange scene. Old John Blackthorne is chilling on his bed while his grandkids check out his stuff from Japan.

Then, boom, back to the blast scene, and yep, Mariko’s gone. But hey, she looks untouched, even though the bomb went off behind her and there was a door in between.

Weird, right? This show’s usually all about the gore, but suddenly it’s PG-13 for this bit. Why? Nobody knows.

Meanwhile, Ishido and his crew are having a pow-wow about Mariko’s demise. Turns out, they’re not cool with Ishido’s methods.

Saeki Nobutatsu drops the bomb that Toranaga’s prepping for war in Edo. Ishido’s all like, “Whatever, I got the numbers.” He even blames Mariko’s death on Toranaga, saying it’s a setup. But the Christian crew wants Mariko buried properly.

After some back-and-forth, Ishido caves when Lady Ochiba puts her foot down. When they mention John Blackthorne, Ishido’s like, “Not my problem.” As he signs the war document, boom, earthquake! Superstitious much? Now they’re side-eyeing Ishido.

Ishido thanks Yabushige for his help, but the guy’s shell-shocked and seems out of it. Then we switch to John, getting escorted to Toranaga.

Father Martin’s his guide, and they chat about Toranaga’s plans and if Mariko’s at peace. At the docks, Martin drops the bomb that Mariko wanted John to live, and he’s honored.

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Betrayal, Loyalty, and Redemption: What Happened?

Lady Ochiba and Yaechiyo had a chat about Mariko’s poem. It seemed like Lady Ochiba was leaning towards a different side.

Then, out of nowhere, Yabushige went all crazy and begged John to take him to England on his ship. But when they reached Ajiro, they were in for a shocker – John’s ship was wrecked!

Omi, who everyone thought was on one side, turned out to be with Toranaga. He took Yabushige to Toranaga for some serious talk.

Muraji dropped a bomb on John, saying that maybe Christians destroyed his ship because they thought he was some kind of heretic and didn’t want him helping Toranaga with his stuff.

Toranaga, on the other hand, was furious about the shipwreck and turned Ajiro upside down looking for those sneaky raiders.

He ordered Yabushige to end his own life for being the mastermind behind Mariko’s death. Yabushige, though, had one last wish he wanted John to be there with him. But Toranaga shot down the idea, saying John was just an “anjin,” not a big shot like him.

So, Yabushige turned to Toranaga and asked him to stand by his side, and surprisingly, Toranaga agreed.

Meanwhile, John finally found Fuji, and you could tell from the way they looked at each other that they were thinking about Mariko, even though no words were spoken.

Toranaga tells Shizu thanks for keeping his son safe. Then, Kiri brings a message from Ochiba to Toranaga. It’s kind of tricky, but it seems like she’s on Mariko’s side and wants to support Toranaga.

Fuji tells John that her time as his partner and her job with Toranaga is done. She’s gonna be a nun now. John wishes her luck and asks her to set up a meeting with Toranaga. Omi shows up to take John, just like before when he asks for John’s guns.

But this time, John gives up his gun and sword, surprising Omi. John tells Toranaga that the folks in Ajiro didn’t wreck the ship; it was Mariko’s doing to save John. So, Toranaga should stop causing trouble for the Ajiro people.

But Toranaga ain’t having it. Then, John decides to do seppuku to help Ajiro. That changes Toranaga’s mind, and he stops John. Instead, he tells John to rebuild the ship and make his fleet stronger.

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Toranaga’s Machinations: Ultimate Power Play?

Yabushige, before meeting his end, hands over his last poem to Omi. It’s not the best poem, kinda cringy, but hey, he’s about to kick the bucket, so no one’s laughing.

It’s like those memes about Taylor Swift’s album making her a ‘tortured poet’ – yup, Yabushige fits right in there.

Then he passes his final will to his kosho, then heads to meet Toranaga, who’s chilling at the edge of a cliff, ready to do the deed. They chat a bit about Omi and John before getting into Toranaga’s master plan.

First off, Toranaga spills the beans that he blew up John’s ship to make sure John’s on his side, not with the Christian Regents.

Sneaky, right? Then, he drops the bomb that he used Mariko’s death to convince Ochiba to cut ties with Ishido. If Ishido ain’t got the Heir’s army, he’s toast before he even steps onto the battlefield.

Lastly, Toranaga starts talking about how he’s gonna be the big boss, bringing in peace and calm. And with that, Yabushige does his honorable thing, seppuku, and Toranaga finishes him off with a quick chop. Peace out, Yabushige!

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Shogun Finale: The Ending

So, in the finale of Shogun, John takes Fuji out to the sea to lay to rest her kid and her hubby’s ashes. He also drops off Mariko’s cross, which he’s been holding onto for ages. It kinda hints that the old John scenes were all in his head.

Then, he heads back to the shore to fix up his ship. Buntaro shows up, and even though they don’t talk, it looks like they’re cool now.

Toranaga checks out the ship, John, and Japan, and the music’s all triumphant, hinting that Toranaga’s the winner of this whole messy battle.

Some folks might feel a bit let down that there wasn’t a big war after all. Yeah, I get it, that was the point of the story and Toranaga’s plan, but still, the ending felt kinda meh. Can’t decide if that’s a good or a bad thing, though.

But hey, let’s give props to Hiroyuki Sanada! Hopefully, this show gets more peeps to check out his other awesome work. And fingers crossed he gets even more cool roles in the future!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What Was Mariko’s Bold Move Against Ishido?

Mariko decided to sacrifice herself to free the families of the Regents held hostage by Ishido, making a bold stand against him.

How Did Ishido React to Mariko’s Plan?

Initially, Ishido seemed pressured by Mariko’s move, but he ultimately used Yabushige to sneak the Shinobi into the castle, leading to a shocking turn of events.

What Was the Mission of the Shinobi in the Castle?

Originally, their mission was to snatch Mariko due to the trouble she caused Ishido. However, it all went wrong when they accidentally killed Mariko by setting off a bomb.

How Did Ishido React to Mariko’s Death?

Ishido faced internal conflict over Mariko’s death, with some of his crew questioning his methods. Despite blaming Toranaga for Mariko’s death, he ultimately agreed to bury her properly.

What Superstitions Were Displayed by Ishido?

Ishido’s reaction to an earthquake after signing the war document showcased his superstitions, leading his crew to question his actions.

What Was Toranaga’s Reaction to Mariko’s Death?

Toranaga expressed fury over Mariko’s death and ordered Yabushige to end his own life for his involvement. However, he ultimately agreed to stand by Yabushige’s side.

How Did John React to Mariko’s Death?

John was deeply affected by Mariko’s death and resolved to rebuild his ship to honor her memory and strengthen his fleet.

What Was Toranaga’s Master Plan?

Toranaga revealed that he orchestrated Mariko’s death to manipulate Lady Ochiba into cutting ties with Ishido, weakening his power.

What Was Yabushige’s Final Act?

Yabushige handed over his last poem and will before performing seppuku, ultimately aligning himself with Toranaga’s plans for peace.

What Was the Ultimate Outcome of the Finale?

The finale saw Toranaga emerge victorious, symbolized by his inspection of the ship and Japan, despite the absence of a large-scale war.