The Shogun finale was a masterful closing of the book to one of the greatest miniseries in television history. After the events of episode 9 the world suddenly felt empty, and the reality of the show really kicked into place. But with that emptiness came a light of life that left it's impact on the entire series and the world that was built within it.
Every character had a fitting ending to their arcs that left open interpretation for what could still come, but also closed the door at the proper moment. Blackthorne and Toranaga's encounters weren't entirely what I expected, but the void that was left on the show in the last episode made their scenes everything they needed to be.
But what made many elements of Shogun come together was the monologue near the end, which was probably my favorite scene of the entire show. Toranaga being given the freedom to let out his thoughts and put many of the events of this show into perspective was something I didn't know I needed but I'm very glad it happened. Doing justice to many arcs with his own words and also opening himself up to be seen in a different light. Crimson Sky was seen as this Great War, but turned out to be much more impactful and devastating with one individual that made everything go into motion. The sacrifice that was made seemed small compared to what I expected of Crimson Sky, but what happened left an impact that nobody else ever could and that was shown in this finale.
The dynamic in that monologue was great and not what I'd expect of a scene with Toranaga and Yabushige. But given the circumstances it made sense. Yabushige is a character that has a comedic undertone, but ever since episode 1 when he risked his life to help the sailor he immediately became one of my favorites. The poem he wrote perfectly encapsulates what I'd expect from him in that moment and after the events of the last episode the ending to his arc was perfect.
Also I'm not sure if I'm bugging out, but in the final shot was that character holding what I think it was in his hand? I'm not sure if it's the exact cross because I feel like that'd be impossible, but I think that goes to show that those 2 characters will be intertwined far past Shogun's finale which makes sense considering the words that were spoken prior.
It pains me that Shogun ends here and that it's a show that won't have a tight hold on the TV world for the rest of the decade, but in these 10 episodes it certainly will leave a great impact if it hasn't already. Better to end a series while it's on top rather than to drag it out longer than it should be. Huge kudos to the performances from Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis to name a few. They were perfectly casted and guided this story masterfully.
Every character had a fitting ending to their arcs that left open interpretation for what could still come, but also closed the door at the proper moment. Blackthorne and Toranaga's encounters weren't entirely what I expected, but the void that was left on the show in the last episode made their scenes everything they needed to be.
But what made many elements of Shogun come together was the monologue near the end, which was probably my favorite scene of the entire show. Toranaga being given the freedom to let out his thoughts and put many of the events of this show into perspective was something I didn't know I needed but I'm very glad it happened. Doing justice to many arcs with his own words and also opening himself up to be seen in a different light. Crimson Sky was seen as this Great War, but turned out to be much more impactful and devastating with one individual that made everything go into motion. The sacrifice that was made seemed small compared to what I expected of Crimson Sky, but what happened left an impact that nobody else ever could and that was shown in this finale.
The dynamic in that monologue was great and not what I'd expect of a scene with Toranaga and Yabushige. But given the circumstances it made sense. Yabushige is a character that has a comedic undertone, but ever since episode 1 when he risked his life to help the sailor he immediately became one of my favorites. The poem he wrote perfectly encapsulates what I'd expect from him in that moment and after the events of the last episode the ending to his arc was perfect.
Also I'm not sure if I'm bugging out, but in the final shot was that character holding what I think it was in his hand? I'm not sure if it's the exact cross because I feel like that'd be impossible, but I think that goes to show that those 2 characters will be intertwined far past Shogun's finale which makes sense considering the words that were spoken prior.
It pains me that Shogun ends here and that it's a show that won't have a tight hold on the TV world for the rest of the decade, but in these 10 episodes it certainly will leave a great impact if it hasn't already. Better to end a series while it's on top rather than to drag it out longer than it should be. Huge kudos to the performances from Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis to name a few. They were perfectly casted and guided this story masterfully.