Shōgun – Season 1 Episode 5 “Broken to the Fist” Recap & Review

Broken to the Fist

Episode 5 of Shōgun begins with Toranaga’s emphatic return back to Izu. The opening scene of the episode is beset with the brutal sight of decimated bodies from Ishido’s camp. It is quite disturbing to see the remains of people splattered everywhere like this. However, the sight of Buntaro riding with Toranaga has a foreboding sense of dread for Mariko after her dalliances with John. Since he has no knowledge it was her, John is free of guilt – for the moment.

Toranaga explains that Buntaro was helped by the ronin in escaping Ajiro. The odds were stacked against him but the warrior managed to survive, showcasing his perseverance and determination. He is asked to stay at John’s house, which he greatly dislikes.

Toranaga gifts John a pheasant to cook but the barbarian puts it out to rot, shocking Fuji and the other servant staff. It is one of the big markers of the cultural differences between the two countries.

In one of the most tense scenes of the season, we see Buntaro and John “go up against” each other. While it is not a traditional duel, the exchange is as ferocious. It involves a lot of sake for both men and eventually spitballs into an ego contest. Despite the sage counsel from Mariko and Fuji, the two men continue to drink to an extent where they lose the direction of their senses. When John asks Buntaro to narrate the stories of his heroics, the samurai takes offence. “Stories are for children,” he says, prompting John to give another challenge.

In his drunken state, Buntaro successfully shoots two arrows at the house’s front gate that go inches away from Mariko’s face, who remains unmoved. His vanity comes out when he spites Mariko’s family, forcing her to narrate their “shameful” acts.

Mariko’s father, Akicho Jensai, killed the erstwhile corrupt ruler of Japan. He was forced to kill every other member of his family and then commit suicide. However, since Mariko was married, she was forgiven…but it hasn’t been the same for her. Mariko has struggled to come to terms with the shame and embarrassment, asking Buntaro at every opportunity to commit seppuku.

Later that night, John is woken up by the noises of Buntaro beating Mariko black and blue. He tries to intervene but by that time, the damage has already been done. Mariko blames herself – and John – for Buntaro’s actions. John confronts his cowardly acts, prompting Buntaro to lay down his weapons since he is a houseguest.

John’s misery is further compounded as Uejiro, his gardener, is killed when he touches the pheasant. It is unclear what caused his death but here is a gist of how it came to this. John put up the bird to rot, asking everyone to stay away. He said in broken Japanese,”Bird touch die.” This forced everyone to stay away from it, despite the unbearable stench. However, Uejiro couldn’t bear seeing everyone struggle with the smell and decided to intervene.

On the same tangent, Toranaga secretly instructed Mujiro, his spy in the village, to find a scapegoat. Yabushige and Omi were getting restless, forcing Toranaga to make the first move. So the makers haven’t shown what happened to Uejiro but it is likely that Mujiro had something to do with it.

John is stunned into silence. He cannot believe that a man would lose his life for such an innocuous joke. Mariko doesn’t share his sentiments and her feelings toward him will also change going forward. She puts it into perspective bluntly, “We live, and we die. We control nothing beyond that.”

The biggest incident in the episode happens right at the end when Toranaga’s fleet of soldiers is consumed by a massive earthquake that triggers a landslide. The lord is buried in the ensuing chaos. John and the others rush to his aide and get him out of the trenches. 

It is indeed a huge hit to his chances of winning a war against Ishido, who receives Jozun’s remains in a box. Lady Ochiba also makes a stunning comeback from the Edo castle, prepared to take on the challenge of ruling the country. 

The Episode Review

Episode 5 of Shōgun might have felt like a filler episode on paper. But through dextrous writing and committed execution, it acts as a precursor to major cinematic events in the season. The baby earthquake was not a red herring after all, as the mega destruction in this episode took all the attention.

There is a lot of variety in character dynamics to enjoy here. If John and Buntaro’s “duel” was not enough, we have so many other things going on beneath the surface.

Lady Ochiba promises to become an influential character in the coming episodes. Her demeanour and sardonic tone were completely unexpected. I am not sure what waits for us in the offing but it should be an exciting layer to the story. Big kudos to the creators for managing to make that earthquake scene look realistic to the last detail. 

Episode 5 offers a lot of complexities and nuances, all bundled together. But even then, the momentum doesn’t die down before its breathtaking finish.