Shōgun episode 6’s “sad” and “strange” brothel scene between Mariko, Blackthorne and Kiku is explained by stars Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis.
Shōgun episode 6’s “sad” brothel scene is explained by stars Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis. Having seen their romance seemingly ended with the return of Buntaro, Blackthorne and Mariko find themselves in a truly uncomfortable situation in episode 6, as Toranaga orders Mariko to arrange a night in a tea house for Blackthorne, with she herself going along as interpreter. This leads to a uniquely intimate and revealing scene, in which Mariko’s interpretation of the courtesan Kiku’s words take on a deeply personal meaning, paradoxically conveying more of Mariko’s true heart to Blackthorne than her own words ever have.
This strange moment between a trio of Shōgun characters was broken down in an interview at Winter 2024 TCA by stars Sawai and Jarvis, who talked about the sadness of the scene, the emotion that comes through as Kiku’s words express Mariko’s own feelings, and how everything is on the table between Mariko and Blackthorne as Kiku tells her story. Check out their remarks below (via Decider):
Jarvis : “It’s quite a sad scene. In a way, I don’t think Blackthorne ever wanted to go there in the first place. But obviously within this culture, the way it’s presented, there are so many obligations, and so there was no way of saying no.”
Sawai : “I kind of just trusted the director, Hiromi [Kamata], and Rachel and Justin’s vision of that scene because they had come to me multiple times explaining how they wanted to shoot it and I didn’t have to do any turning around. It was just doing what was written in the script.”
“So I just focused on the more emotional side, what she’s going through. And there’s not a lot showing. I’m not trying to show that [passion], but I think it comes through with Kiku’s words and the way that they did shoot it. Very intimate.”
Jarvis : “And it’s a strange situation to be in where, you know, almost everything is said, everything’s on the table between the two of them and yet it’s sort of just not said so. And I guess that’s why it’s an interesting scene.”
What Are Toranaga’s Plans For Mariko And Blackthorne
The plans of Lord Toranaga seem utterly unfathomable, as the would-be Shōgun manipulates other characters like pawns on a chess board. Mariko and Blackthorne seem particularly important to these plans, especially after episode 5, when Blackthorne rescued Toranaga from certain death after the big earthquake, earning him great honors.
Toranaga’s playing of Mariko and Blackthorne is indeed fascinating and rather vexing, as viewers are left confused by exactly what might be the end game. Episode 5’s developments, as Toranaga ordered Buntaro to live in the same house with his wife and her lover, seemed contrived to drive a wedge between Mariko and Blackthorne, but may actually have been intended to teach Blackthorne a lesson. Whatever Toranaga’s intention was in arranging a night at a brothel for Blackthorne, with Mariko present at the same time, the result was Blackthorne developing a deeper intimacy with his interpreter.
The final moments of Shōgun episode 6 reveal exactly how long Toranaga has been playing his long game with Mariko, making it plain that her entire marriage to Buntaro was part of his slow-gestating design. The form of Mariko that is intended to emerge as a result of Toranaga’s schemes is yet to be seen, but it seems he has a prominent place in mind for her within the new order he seeks to bring about.
