- Title: Shōgun – Servants of Two Masters
- IMDb: link
With his impeachment all but assured, Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) uses John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) as a wedge to divide the lords planning on his removal by pitting the Christian and non-Christian sects against each other. During his stay in prison, Blackthorne learns a bit about the local politics from a priest (Joaquim de Almeida) coming to understand, at least in some small part, value he could provide to Toranaga whose plans not to kill the heretic have already born fruit.
In “Servants of Two Masters” we get more insight into the larger game being played by Toranaga. We also see multiple examples of Mariko’s (Anna Sawai) intelligence as Toranaga chooses her counsel above many others for her wits and skills as a translator. Surviving both imprisonment and an attack on his life, Blackthorne’s continued survival allows him to also provide crucial information about the Portuguese secret military base in Macao and how Portugal sees Japan as already belonging to them as part of its empire. For better or worse, the lots of Toranaga, Blackthorne, and Mariko are now all intertwined in a dangerous game which will determine the future of Japan.
