The final episode of Shōgun, FX's spellbinding adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel, wrapped up the other day, and we're still putting ourselves back together. The show, about warring lords in feudal Japan, has been a beautiful watch from start to finish, full of little details that reward close viewing. In the finale, there were lots of lines and moments that called back to scenes much earlier in the season. Over on X, @clonehumor put together a thread recounting all of them, which is well worth perusing if you want to savor the end of this remarkable show. Let's check it out, but beware SPOILERS below:
We begin at the end, when Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) tells the treacherous Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) his plan for the future of Japan, something Yabushige always wanted...but not like this:
Also in the first episode, Mariko helps Fuji by getting her to deny the pull of death and finding purpose. In the finale, Fuji does the same thing for Blackthorne #ShogunFX #Shogun pic.twitter.com/QoMMdORA92
— Lalo The Bad Batch/Shōgun‼️ (@clonehumor) April 23, 2024
Like a lot of good dramas, Shōgun wasn't afraid to kill off characters, even those the audience loved. So it was with Mariko (Anna Sawai), who died in the show's penultimate episode. Her absence was keenly felt in the finale, which composed shots like this one to call back to (slightly) happier times when she was still around:
Also in episode 4, Blackthorne honors his gardener Uejirou by fixing the garden after the earthquake. In the finale, Blackthorne honors the memory of Uejirou once more #ShogunFX #Shogun pic.twitter.com/H6ilICqi1m
— Lalo The Bad Batch/Shōgun‼️ (@clonehumor) April 23, 2024
Back to Yabushige, he finally finished writing that will he was talking about all season, and not a moment too soon:
In episode 9, Mariko tells Ochiba "Flowers are only flowers because they fall." In the finale, Ochiba finishes the poem: "But thankfully, the wind." #ShogunFX #Shogun pic.twitter.com/F5RHDz2im2
— Lalo The Bad Batch/Shōgun‼️ (@clonehumor) April 23, 2024
The title of the episode, "A Dream of a Dream," is a reference to something the Taikō said in a flashback scene in Episode 2:
And finally, the title of the finale "A Dream of a Dream" is itself a callback to what the Taiko says in episode 2. One day we're here and the next we're gone. Or as Yabushige says in the book: "What is life but an escape from death?" #ShogunFX #Shogun pic.twitter.com/fjLvADw2ml
— Lalo The Bad Batch/Shōgun‼️ (@clonehumor) April 23, 2024
After this thread blew up, fans started pointing out other callbacks they'd noticed:
People are already replying with more parallels/callbacks! But here's another one:
— Lalo The Bad Batch/Shōgun‼️ (@clonehumor) April 23, 2024
Yabu realizing Toranaga, in his secret heart, always wanted to be Shōgun, is a callback to Rodrigues's monologue at the end of episode 1. Thank you @avatarjosiah17! #ShogunFX #Shogun pic.twitter.com/YnVdPejPJA
Congrats to the cast and crew of Shōgun for a thrilling season. Will we ever get a second? Well, that's probably something the folks at FX and Hulu are talking about right now:
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