Plus, Blackthorne and Mariko visit a brothel (SPOILERS ahead).

Shōgun episode 6, “Ladies of the Willow World,” opens up 22 years earlier at Azuchi Castle, where Mariko (Anna Sawai) grew up with the then Taiko’s daughter, Ochiba (Fumi Nikaido).

The pair can’t understand why their fathers are always so angry with each other. When Mariko grows older, she’s clearly a skilled warrior. Which is why she’s puzzled when her father marries her to Buntaro (Shinnosuke Abe), as his clan makes for a worthless alliance. As Mariko departs, her father knows she has many questions, but reminds her that “her duty is what endures.”

What else happens in Shōgun episode 6, “Ladies of the Willow World”? Take a look below to find out.

Aftershocks

In the wake of the earthquake, and Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) saving his life for a second time, Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) gifts him a fief and makes him the general of the canon regiment. Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) and the rest of Toranaga’s clan are upset at the preferential treatment being given to Blackthorne.

Toranaga also gives a rallying speech to the village, while Yabushige learns that thousands are dead because of the earthquake. When Lord Omi (Hiroto Kanai) tries to plot against Blackthorne, Yabushige says they have bigger concerns, as they’re in a fruitless war they’re not ready for. Yabushige decides to write a new will.

Despite the gifts he’s receiving, Blackthorne still wants to leave. Toranaga asks him what he would want to do while he’s in Japan? Blackthorne wants his ship and men so he can sail against their shared enemy, the Portuguese. He’d also look to disrupt Toranaga’s regent enemies, Kiyama and Ohno. But Toranaga isn’t interested in starting a war with a “friendly” nation, even though Blackthorne insists Portugal is using Japan.

Blackthorne and Mariko are getting obvious

In a separate conversation with Mariko, Toranaga asks about her relationship with Blackthorne. She insists it purely consists of her translating for him, but even Toranaga has noticed the tension between them, while the rest of the village is talking about how much time they spend together. All of this upsets Buntaro, who tells Toranaga  he loses himself around Mariko because she is so ungrateful and icy toward him, but not Blackthorne. Toranaga tells Buntaro to not see Mariko for seven days.

Toranaga wants Mariko to take Blackthorne to a brothel so he can spend time with a courtesan. He also wants Mariko to join him there, in case he says anything while having sex.

It is arranged for Blackthorne to see Lady Kiku (Yuki Kouri). She talks him through how she’s going to enrich his mind, nurture his spirit and make him escape. But Blackthorne only has eyes for Mariko through this explanation. Even when Kiku leads him to a separate room, where Mariko won’t be joining them, he tries to touch her hand. But Mariko doesn’t reciprocate.

The next day, the entire village sees Blackthorne leave the brothel.

Osaka burns

Osaka Castle is on fire and Ishido has taken the rest of the regents hostage in an attempt to force a vote against Toranaga. Even Father Martin (Tommy Barstow) isn’t allowed inside. He now thinks they should work with Toranaga, especially as he can see that Lady Ochiba is pulling the strings.

Ishido proposes that Lord Ito, an actor, becomes the new fifth member of the regents council. But Lord Sugiyama (Toshi Toda) votes against him, insisting that Ishido is dishonoring the Taiko. Ishido tells Ochiba they’ll impeach Sugiyama, but she wants him dealt with quickly. So Ishido and his army kill Sugiyama and his clan in a forest, blaming it on bandits.

Lady Ochiba

Through out the episode we’re made privy to Lady Ochiba’s backstory. After the death of her father, we learn she was picked by the new Taiko’s wife to try and father his child. Ochiba says she was repeatedly drugged to make her more fertile, then, out of the hundreds of other women, she was able to conceive because she, as she puts it, “compelled fate to look at her, so she could scratch out its eyes.”

We also learn that Ochiba is adamant Ishido gets rid of Toranaga . At first even Ishido can’t understand her hatred. That’s until she explains that, while Mariko’s father was the one who killed him, Toranaga was the one who plotted against him.

Mariko finally understands

Meanwhile, back in Ajiro, Toranaga meets again with Mariko, and he asks specifically about her childhood. He knows she used to be friends with Ochiba, and wants any information he can about why she hates him so much and her potential weaknesses. But Mariko says their friendship was a long time ago.

Toranaga then tells Mariko her father had a great plan for her. She doesn’t believe him, saying her father should have married her off better. Toranaga explains that marrying Buntaro was a part of his plan. That way she could be kept safe and away from the fight so one day she could return to finish it.

Mariko didn’t know this and suddenly becomes overwhelmed, feeling she has failed him. But Toranaga  insists the war isn’t over yet.

Crimson Sky

Hiromatsu (Tokuma Nishioka) escapes Osaka Castle, arriving in Ajiro to warn Toranaga about Ishido taking it over and how he is pressuring his allies to turn on him. Hiromatsu says they should enact their plan known as Crimson Sky, which is a single violent rush on Osaka Castle that will eliminate the council, form a new government and end with Toranaga as the sole regent, known as Shogun.

But Yabushige feels it is an impossible plan because Ishido has such control of the city. The only option is if Toranaga joins with his half brother, Saeki Nobutatsu. Still, Toranaga doesn’t want to become Shogun, claiming he has never sought it, so they’ll have to come up with a new plan.

The death of Sugiyama forces his hand, though. Without any other options, Toranaga says they’ll enact Crimson Sky, but he insists he doesn’t want any land or honors, he just wants to protect the young Taiko. Once they get the support of his brother, they’ll rush Osaka, and destroy their enemies.