'Shōgun' Episode 8 Takeaway: John Blackthorne's crew fallout may empower Lord Yoshii Toranaga's schemes
Contains spoilers for 'Shōgun' Episode 8
OSAKA, JAPAN: With its amazing cinematography and top-notch performances, 'Shōgun' deftly navigates the cunning world of Japan's feudal age.
The show, which is created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, revolves around ship pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who unintentionally becomes involved in the quest for dominance between five damiyos.
Blackthorne's desire to rejoin his crew was rising, was thrashed when upon meeting his crewmate as a fresh revelation will finally enable him to assist Lord Yoshii Toranaga's (Hiroyuki Sanada) quest to dominance.
John Blackthorne gets shunned by his crew in 'Shōgun' Episode 8
From the onset of the series, Blackthorne was determined to reconnect with his crew, who was taken by Toranaga.
Thanks to his tenacious efforts, Blackthrone finally gets the chance to get in touch with his crew and see Salamon (Dakota Daulby).
However, much to Blackthrone's dismay, the guy was not happy to see his pilot and instead held him responsible for his problems.
In response to Salamon's hurtful remarks, Blackthorne punches his former colleague and he comes to the realization that his crew no longer wants him.
John Blackthorne to help Lord Yoshii Toranagana after being ostracised by his crew
After seeing his crewmate's violent attitude, Blackthorne was suddenly confronted with a reality. He is now a guy who exists in two worlds but is accepted by none.
In his desperation, he contacts Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) and promises to sail for him if he refuses Toranaga's surrender.
Yabushige first denies the offer, but as the story develops, he accepts it, indicating that Blackthorne is ready to split ways with Tornagana.
However, it is to be noted that Toranaga previously anticipated this, and he does have a cunning plan to keep Blackthorne under his control.
Aditionally, since being engaged with the Japanese warloads, Blackthorne's motive has been clear: rescue his crew, demonstrating his great sense of duty.
However, considering his not-so-good meeting with his crewmate, it is logical to assume that the crew is reluctant to accept him back since they believe he abandoned them, resulting in intense animosity.
It is realistic to predict that the failed meeting will result in a large amount of animosity and self-doubt inside Blackthorne which also makes it clear that his interests will also change drastically.
From his original purpose of reconciling with his team, he can now totally focus on Toranaga's mission of defeating Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira).
Furthermore, after rejecting Blackthorne's overtures, the fate of his crew is also uncertain; it is conceivable that they will remain in captivity or that they may join Blackthorne in the struggle, which might be benifical to Torananga.
The series premiered with its first two episodes on February 27, 2024, on Hulu and FX. The subsequent episodes are scheduled to be released weekly.
