Series creator Rachel Kondo discusses the dramatic Shogun episode 7 ending and how the show’s events will affect Toranaga and his grand plans.

The series creator discusses the dramatic Shogun episode 7 ending and how it will affect Toranaga and his grand plans. The latest episode of FX’s acclaimed period-set drama series ended with a shocking twist. After Toranaga was betrayed by his brother Saeki, leading to his army becoming surrounded, Toranaga’s ever-eager son Nagakado attempted to attack the traitor at the tea house, with help from Kiku, but accidentally died in the process when tripping over a rock.

This tragic twist ending leaves Toranaga’s plans to attack Osaka very much up in the air, as Shogun co-creator Rachel Kondo discussed in her latest appearance on the show’s official podcast (via FX Networks). At issue is what Toranaga will do now that his plans have seemingly unraveled, leaving him facing surrender at the same time he is grieving for his ill-fated son. Check out Kondo’s remarks below (around 6:27 of the clip):

It’s a great question, because he’s trying to either survive, or he’s trying to accept and surrender to what is about to befall him. And we don’t know. And no matter what it is…it’s a very pressurized situation. And the stakes are very high. And then all of a sudden, his son dies in this very, very terrible way. And it feels so pointless. And how do you hold up the whole of your plan/non-plan and also grieve, right?

And it just feels like the world, or Toranaga’s world, as he knew, it is done.

Why Toranaga Will Likely Not Surrender

Toranaga’s plan to unleash Crimson Sky, a full-on blitz of Osaka, already felt like an act of desperation, coming after Ishido and Ochiba-no-kata’s own move to fill out the Council of Regents and move forward with impeachment. But carrying out the plan became a seeming impossibility when Saeki sold out his brother, aligning himself with the Council of Regents, and leaving Toranaga with no apparent option but to surrender.

It could be that the pointless death of Nagakado will be too much for Toranaga to bear, pushing him to accept his fate. But Toranaga is nothing if not resilient. Indeed, he has been playing his long game for many years, treating those around him, including Mariko and Blackthorne, like pawns in a massive chess game.

Though things seem very dire after the events of Shogun episode 7, it’s unlikely that the chess player has unleashed his last move. Blackthorne and his cannons and ship are still in play, and indeed the Englishman spoke about executing a naval attack on Osaka. Now could be the time for Toranaga to unleash Blackthorne, and retake the advantage over the Council of Regents, despite his army being taken out of play.