Spoilers

“Broken to the Fist”

What a show this is.

An absolute banger of an episode after the huge and brutal episode last week, “Broken to the Fist” was truly a beautiful combination of conflicting cultures.

A few episodes ago, I wrote that Mariko’s husband, Buntaro, had been killed, but we did not see a death on screen so he may return someday. Someday was this episode as he arrived at the very beginning, immediately reclaiming the role of asshole that he seemed to have shook free of with this apparent sacrifice. The scene with Buntaro, Mariko and Blackthorne and the drunken bow and arrow display was about as tense of a scene as you are going to find.

This show is doing a marvelous job of portraying many truths of the Japanese culture of the time that I was unaware of and how it conflicts with the ideas of Blackthorne. I am never sure what the Japanese people in this show might consider shameful or what they may do in response. It is fascinating to watch them attempt to co-exist.

Especially with the secretive night that Blackthorne spent with the “cortisone” last episode. Mariko’s returning husband certainly places them both in jeopardy.

The earthquake at the end was devastating, showing the power of nature over everyone, including the most powerful of them all, Toranaga. Blackthorne’s immediate rush to save Toranaga was very heroic, but I did wonder how the Japanese would react this this? Did it insult honor to have this man save Toranaga? Did it show weakness of Toranaga? Just my own uncertainty of the culture makes this show unpredictable for me.

The whole scene when Blackthorne learned of the fate of his gardener and how it was indirectly his own fault was powerful. I knew that when John had stated if someone touched the peasant it would be death was an error, and it certainly came back to pay off at the end.

The army on its way sure picked a fine time to arrive.

This is very exciting and is one of the best TV shows going right now.