The war portended by so many ends before it begins.
The combat is emotional, andthe spectacle is the story’s command over character.
The clues about this clarity of vision were there all along.
Image via FX
In fact,Shogungoesout of its way to prevent unnecessary death.Crimson Skyis done.
What creates a civil war?
InShogun’s case, it’s those who hoard power craving more.
When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.
With that in mind, how do individuals react to another impending conflict?
Japan itself does via the earthquake that follows Ishido proclaiming “war is inevitable.”
The goal is to minimize collateral damage instead of treating the overlooked and exploited as expendable.
“If you win,” Toranaga continues, “anything is possible.”
You see, Mariko also had a dream.
Everyone inShoguntries to bend fate to their will.
Image via FX
Ochiba vies for revenge and her son’s safety, which guarantees her own as his mother.
Mariko fights torestore her family’s tarnished name.
Usami Fuji (Moeka Hoshi) serves her liege lord as a stepping stone to freedom.
Still, he isn’t Toranaga the pacifist dreamer, who schemes for Japan’s sustained betterment.
Toranaga’s allies agree, propelled into selfless and self-sacrificial action.
Another battlefield clash damages the soul of a war-torn nation anddistracts from the characters' satisfying evolutions.
Equally fitting is how deeply Toranaga grieves Mariko.
In the past, his opaqueness cast him in a ruthless light.
With the chips fallen and the deed complete, the cracks show.
Characters Find New Purpose in Shoguns Finale
Ultimately,everyone inShogunis broken by something.
How they re-emerge depends on them.
For all that Yabushige and Blackthorne mirror, their paths diverge in the finale.
Like Yabushige, Blackthorne admits his duplicity, but he learns and applies the lesson Yabushige can’t.
Even though Blackthorne’sattempt atseppukuis a Western take on the ritual, it’s transformative.
Blackthorne can’t fully integrate into Japanese culture, and he shouldn’t.
Her death poem, and her life, make one hell of a bonfire.
Rather than Toranaga admitting his heart’s secret desire, he and Yabushige exchange smiles.
Buntaro (Shinnosuke Abe), helps Blackthorne retrieve theErasmuswithout the men exchanging a word.
Likewise, the final onscreen look Blackthorne and Toranaga share is a moment of silent understanding.
Conclusively knowing everything isn’tShogun’s point, and neither is the heightened excitement of battle.
Taking preventative measures, and ensuring the best landscape for future generations, is the goal.
They defy, re-direct, or surrender to a larger fate;a broadened perspective.
War is a curse men perpetuate.
It’s something to dread, not glorify.
The characters who surviveShogunlearn acceptance, selflessness, and honor instead of choosing that other well-trodden path.
Arriving atShogun’s quiet, sensitive, and tranquil ending is like exhaling a long-held breath.
Bodies still litter the journey, but their sacrifices held back a greater tragedy.
He overlooks calm, still waters.
Shogunis available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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