The Reel Rejects - SHŌGUN 1x05 "Broken to the Fist" | Breakdown & Review

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Starting point is 00:01:17 I've been supporting the channel by checking out our merch at RejectNationshop.com and becoming Royal Reject. Andrew, are you ready, sir? John, I'm ready for episode 5. That's right. I'm waiting for the John Blackthorn, man. I was saving it for the appropriate time. That time is now.

Starting point is 00:01:33 Let's go. All right. And Jin, take it away. What did you think, my friend? Yeah, another solid episode. One of the biggest things I loved in this episode was just the cultural indifference, especially between John Blackthorn. And, I mean, just a lot of different characters.

Starting point is 00:01:54 Obviously, Mariko, just, yeah, you could just see that, you know, you know at some point they're going to have to meet in the middle uh but just like he didn't have an understanding of just like how buntaro is treating her and then vice versa like you know and also too i loved getting more of the backstory of mariko's character i mean it's very tragic i didn't know it was going to go you know to to that extent so um i was definitely plugged in with that and just uh it just gets me more invested in her character she's a very you know she's got a very tragic backstory. And then, you know, it's interesting, too, how, you know, when you go back to the episode where she saved Fuji, like, again, they have very, you know, tragic backgrounds with each

Starting point is 00:02:37 other. So, you know, it's an interesting contrast between the two. But, yeah, and then also to that conversation between Yoshi Tornaga and his son, like how disappointed he was that, you know, he let, what's, uh, his nephew, but what's the main character? I forgot. Ibushige? Thank you. Sorry, it's hard to remember all the names.

Starting point is 00:03:01 That's why we got John here. But yeah, he was just letting him know how disappointed he was in him and that he took a man from him. And just, again, just so many different layers and things that were going on.

Starting point is 00:03:13 And then also, too, just that whole drunken scene as well was just so much tension. Again, this show just really thrives off doing a good job. Whether it's from the facial emoting, and you just can feel what these actors are doing or just tension.

Starting point is 00:03:28 This show just excels at that kind of thing. And also, too, we talk about all the amazing action sequences, even though we haven't gotten like a crazy amount yet. They've like really done a good job just, you know, really holding out on them. But when we do get them, they're done so well. But that earthquake or mudslide or whatever that was, that was absolutely incredibly insane, visually speaking. and then just seeing, you know, encapsulating the town like it did.

Starting point is 00:04:00 And I'm glad they didn't like keep on seeing like it happened. Like we just needed that quick visual storytelling that they gave us right there for like about five seconds and then seeing the aftermath. I thought that was done incredibly effective. Yeah. So. And also too, it's a good way to save on budget like not having to show the whole thing. But that was just in like I said,

Starting point is 00:04:19 it was an incredibly effective job of just showing the horrors of what can happen in that type of situation. And again, I just love how just resourceful and just like how John Blackthorn, it doesn't matter how scarier the situation is. Like, he's going to go in there and, you know, do the dutiful, honorable thing and, you know, try and say people like he did with Rodriguez in that episode where he was drowning. So it's just in his character, in his nature. And also, too, I like that he was, even though, again, it's not in the culture for, you know, in Japanese culture, like the man's allowed to do whatever he wants with his wife. I like that John, because obviously he's invested in Mariko, like he likes her.

Starting point is 00:04:59 And, you know, he's standing up for her. And, you know, when he was calling Buntaro out, I just, I really appreciated that scene. So, but I got more to say, what did you think of the episode? Yeah, absolutely. I'm not ignoring you. I'm just making sure some files get uploaded. John, pay attention to me, damn it. No, I agree.

Starting point is 00:05:21 it's been a fascinating, again, this whole journey of the show has been quite fascinating. And this episode certainly was not what I expect. It was like, it was just as tense as I expected in ways, but not dealing with exactly the situations I was expecting. And so I'm loving the way that they are balancing out both the tumultuousness and the sort of slowly mounting tension, slowly mounting, I mean, there's a lot of conflict that's just already in full gear, but, you know, like the conflict that's about to boil over and on the heels of the end of the last episode, you would think like, oh, man, you know, uh, uh, what do they

Starting point is 00:06:00 have in terms of, um, uh, like, what are we to expect in terms of immediate retaliation or something like that, you know, what are we to expect in terms of, you know, when this word is going to reach Ishido and company. And, uh, yeah, it's just such a, a fraud, like the politics are so fraught and then to spend so much of this episode in these intimate situations it kind of reminds you i think it does a nice thing in in the sense of like the time and place that it's set because i think we're used to pacing nowadays that would sort of put you immediately into like we're rocketing into big stakes and and uh you know we're immediately going to war and like on the yeah the way the last episode ended part of me was like oh man

Starting point is 00:06:46 the war's definitely going to be popping off right now um but it's not exactly what is happening, you know, and, uh, and yeah, it's like there is still time and distance to account for it. And the head of Joseon needs to make it back to, uh, Osaka. And, you know, the, the word needs to spread, but also they need to figure out their, you know, uh, infighting among the regents and all this stuff. And then, um, uh, uh, we should pull up our character list again, because what's her, the, lady Oshiba, is that her name? Uh, the heir's mother. Um, like, you know, her returning and sort of taking control

Starting point is 00:07:23 sort of toward the very end. Yeah, and in a show that is so much about, and in an episode that is so much about again, the clashing of cultures and etiquette and traditions and whatnot, you know, that's certainly something that seems a bit out of, you know,

Starting point is 00:07:39 the realm of the norm in terms of like, you know, are you really going to be able to, like, I guess you are the heir's mother, you know, ostensibly, wife to the late tycho so like i suppose you could usurp the the chain of command but also i don't know and uh and yeah all these things you know these i like that i guess what i'm trying to say is i like that we without feeling like we're spinning our wheels or anything like that sort

Starting point is 00:08:09 of took a pivot to yeah like we know that you know again big conflict lies around the corner we know that again we're halfway through the show we're inching toward war but yeah we spent so much of this episode on the personal and on like i think they're really good at personifying and just like filling the room with the air of like unspoken tension and unspoken conflict and things that can come of you know tradition again traditions clashing and people who you know just don't understand and each other and the ways in which, you know, yeah, like, I love the talk that he has with Mariko, I mean, as tragic as it was on the cliff side there with the snow,

Starting point is 00:08:55 because they both have a point, and I think that's a sign of solid writing. And it's like on the heels of the last episode where she comes and visits him in his quarters and you have the cute little exchange about the cortisone. Like you think it's going in a particular direction in terms of romance, and I'm sure that they will, you know, rectify or find a way to bridge the gaps

Starting point is 00:09:14 that have been, you know, driven and wedged in this episode. But, you know, as of right now, I really do kind of buy the authenticity of, like, the fury and the hurt and the incompatibility and the deeper traumas versus, you know, the eightfold fence and all those things. Like, yeah, they're really great at, again, like the silent tensions and the layers of communication that happened beneath the dialogue and beneath the talking, you know. Yeah, and I also, too, I really love that line from Toranauga, where he saw, like, that Buntaro had, you know, hit Mariko, and he said, like, hey, men are allowed to do whatever they want to their wives, but I can't have them doing anything to my translator.

Starting point is 00:09:56 You know, Tornaga really cares about Mariko in, you know, a daughter type of way. So I really appreciate that line. And also, too, it was interesting to see just Blackthorn, just, you know, going through, like, almost like a breaking point, just in the incultural differences that, because obviously we saw, like, okay, they weren't, they didn't want the, the, the stew. And obviously what Buntaro was doing to Mariko, that affected him, obviously, in a very negative way. And also, too, what happened to the gardener because it's like, oh my God, not only did this man die, but based on something I said because of a miscommunication, because obviously Mariko was not there to translate this. And he's obviously getting a lot better with his Japanese vocabulary. But it was just, again, a little bit

Starting point is 00:10:43 of a miscommunication. A little bit. Just a little bit of a miscommunication. And it's like, because of the incultural difference in the miscommunication, a man that I liked and I appreciated having around is now dead. So, I mean, it was, again, used for very dramatic effect, but it almost like drove. And now he wants to get, he wanted, like, obviously before the whole mudslide earthquake thing happened. Like, he wanted to get out of there now. It was at the breaking point of, all right, I'm done.

Starting point is 00:11:11 I'm gone. I'm out of here. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, it's things like that. Like, I loved the way they set up and paid off moments like that because, you know, when he's telling them not to touch the pheasant and he's, you know, talking up like, oh, it's got to be the greatest. You know, I'm going to, I'm going to, you know, prepare this for you, the way we do it in my home, you know, and, and, you know, it's a moment that hits the first time around when he says, like, you know, this, it's forbidden. You know, if you touch it, I'll kill you, you know, or you're dead or whatever. And the way they paid that off, you know, like you got to handle that the right way because, yeah, it's like a misunderstanding of the hyperbole. And it's also, yeah, a byproduct of his Japanese is getting better, but it wasn't precise enough to prevent this. Right. And seeing, I love the way that they draw his character in terms of like the way he clashes with his surroundings, but then comes around and sort of catches himself and tries to extend the compassionate understanding. It's like he he is, you know, know rash to some extent and he is you know certainly apt to speak his mind and to you know be confident in his way of living in the face of a completely different way of living and and at the same time like i think they draw a realistic balance of that where it's like yeah you can easily see how at times he goes

Starting point is 00:12:31 too far or does something that might be a bit rash or insulting but you see the the true nature of his heart usually after something like that when he is contrite or he's realizing the bigger picture. And so I like the way they allow that character to learn. And yeah, having him like in this, like I didn't expect that scene to go on, you know, to be such an integral part of the episode, this crossroads almost between, yeah, John and Mariko and Fuji and Buntaro and like the back and forth. And I mean, we were joking about like, oh, they're going to be buds by the end of this. But like there's so many great little notes and moments and you can see like the parts of their nature that are similar and the parts of their nature that are very sort of diametrically

Starting point is 00:13:15 opposed. And that moment he has with him afterwards, you know, when he's sitting in the guard, or when he turns around in the garden and sits down and he's like, you know, I've, I can't remember the exact line. But again, it's like, I've come into your house and I've caused this disturbance. And he's, you know, again, willing to like accept, to accept, you know, finite consequence for that. And that's another fascinating thing to look at across these episodes, too, is, you know, the way in which people are, again, the debate between do you throw yourself fully 100% into, you know, this, these traditions, you know, or do you adapt and kind of learn that like it's, it's, yeah, it's a compelling debate because there's so much in what she's saying about the collective, the community and these things that we do in order to hopefully try and, you know, rise above our base. instincts and our base desires and all that stuff. But at the same time, yeah, like, you can also lose yourself. And there is, you know, I think that's kind of a question throughout human history

Starting point is 00:14:19 is how much should you value the individual versus the collective and what kind of balance can be struck between the two. And, and yeah, I like that, again, they allow the conversations to unfold where it's like you very much get what John's saying, especially after seeing the intimate, you know, sort of both the physical, you know, nature of Mariko and Buntaro's relationship and what we know about Fuji, you know, all in his mind. But also, yeah, hearing about her backstory and hearing that he like forces her to, you know, keep on living out of spite and shame because, you know, her family lineage is, you know, that of, it did remind me for a moment of like a game with like a Kingslayer, like, oh, you.

Starting point is 00:15:06 thought you were doing the right thing, so much that you were able, willing, not able, but willing to, like, lay down your life after the fact, basically, being like, hey, I acknowledge that I stepped out of line and that I have upset the natural order of things, but I did it for a reason, and now I will, you know, see myself out honorably. And it's, it's so much to think about. And I think they do a really nice job of laying in all these things in a way that, that feels very impactful, but it's also, you know, fleshing out characters and the story. or should I say royal rejects because that is who we call those who check out our RR apparel at Rejectnationshop.com. We come out with new designs every month or every two months. It is personally my favorite way you can support the channel. Reason being is because we are involved with every one of the exclusive RR designs that are up at the shop. Every month it's been growing every month we are getting more and more royal rejects and I really love to hear how people are finding the shirts to not just be cool looking, but also so fit nicely and feel comfortable.

Starting point is 00:16:08 I cared about that more than anything else. I'm a hairy guy, so I'm really in like sensitive of the fabric. We got a bunch of designs already, such as our Super Marvel bro shirt. My sister actually designed this one. Deadpool Wolverine inspired, my personal favorite one. But then we also got our number one bestseller. The Last Daddy T-shirt, which has Pedro Pascal from The Last of Us inspired, carrying baby Grogu.

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Starting point is 00:16:47 we have new seasons of those shows coming up. And then of course you got a bunch of other designs as well like our batverse one who influences the influencers. Another Last of Us inspired t-shirt. And of course you know the classic reject symbolism t-shirts as well. Either one is an amazing way to

Starting point is 00:17:03 support the channel and like I said you get a look good while doing it. So thank you guys so much. Do consider going to rejectnation shop.com and also tag us on social media. If you end up buying a shirt, please tag us. We'd love to see it when people do end up buying the shirts. Thank you, Royal Rejects. See you guys soon. I also thought too. I love seeing, you know, in that scene where they're at, you know, at drinking. And Marik was put in a really tough position. And, you know, is that we were choking around calling her like a peacekeeper. And she was really like quick underfeet and resourceful. But I love seeing her in that situation.

Starting point is 00:17:37 Like, I got to be very careful with the dialogue here because I don't want the wrong thing to happen because I know about these cultural indifferencees these two gentlemen have because I know my husband very well. I'm trying to save you both from each other. Exactly. But I thought that was, again, very, I know we keep praising it, but it's the writing is so damn good. It's very consistent. It's very good. It's very compelling. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:18:00 And it's not doing always the thing you would naturally expect. Again, like this makes a lot of sense to be the very. next episode, but it's not the stuff and the plot beats you would have been expecting this. And it also grounds it because like in that situation, like if that were me, like I would want like want to be peacekeeper there too and like kind of choose your words very carefully here because I don't want something crazy to happen because I really care about this guy. On the flip side, this is my husband. So it's like very tense situation. So yeah, it was definitely, I think that was probably one of my favorite scene. I mean, I loved the whole episode, but those are one of my favorite scenes. I just loved again, seeing how quick on her feet she was.

Starting point is 00:18:38 So I was like, because in my head, I'm like, what, what is she going to change around right now in the dialogue between what Blackthorne is saying and vice versa, what Buntaro is saying? Because, again, she's got to be so careful with her words right now. Yeah. Everybody does. But that, yeah, for sure. But that, again, that just adds. But especially. Yeah. Also, too, I know I said that one of my favorite things, a couple episodes in, was, the relation, even though we haven't gotten a ton of it yet, they use it very sparingly as the relationship between Tornaga and John Blackthorn. I really love that moment where he did go diving in after him after like he got sink into the, you know, from the earthquake and all. And just giving him right away, giving him the swords. And then he said, like, I'm honored to take it or thank you or whatever he said. Like, again, those heartfelt moments to me that just again, just really sucker me in into that relationship. And again, I wonder if he knows what the true nature

Starting point is 00:19:32 of the swords is. Part of me feels like he would. That broke my heart for Fuji, that whole thing about your father died a coward. We got these swords just to make up a story for you. She has no idea, yeah. Also, too, I mean, that really broke my heart too when John was yelling at her

Starting point is 00:19:48 and like seeing her. Again, the facial emoting is so phenomenal from all these actors. It's just like I really feel what they're, without anything being said, no dialogue. I just really understand what they're thinking and feeling in that moment right away. And it's just, it's fantastic acting all around.

Starting point is 00:20:05 Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I mean, too, it's funny. Like, I love that, again, in a show like this, every, pretty much everybody is a strong leg because, you know, we remarked that the previous episode, Toranooga was away for most of it. And then he comes back in through part of this. And certainly with a big entrance with, you know, mounted battalion in tow. That was insane. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:20:30 And, you know, we're even gearing up for like a new demonstration. but we're not even really doing that stuff. And even though he is back and he is a part of the episode and there are some really striking moments with him, I love that, you know, we mostly spend time with other people in the more, you know, down, in the more, in the situation that feels like it's taking place more at home in a way. Like, I like the ways in which they allow you to sometimes focus on him

Starting point is 00:20:53 like a main character and then other times have him more as an outside figure. And especially, you know, thinking back on some of the back and forth between him and Blackthorn. Like, I really liked this version where, yeah, this earthquake hits and he gets caught up in the rubble and, you know, he's got to dive into a different element now. And, yeah, the way he just immediately jumps in and goes to save him. Yeah, because with Rodriguez, water is totally in his element. This is like something he's never had to deal with.

Starting point is 00:21:21 So I love that again. He didn't cower. He's like, I don't care. I'm jumping in. So that was great. Also, too, again, we always talk about the strategist that Torinaget. that Toranauga is. So, you know, seeing that the whole spy thing and then how they kind of blamed the gardener.

Starting point is 00:21:38 I'm curious to see because like John and I talked about, usually in movies and TV shows, the truth that usually comes out. So I'm curious when that's going to happen and how that's going to affect everything. Because, I mean, Toranauga is usually playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. So I'm curious. The reveal and what's going to happen. Also, too, is interesting. Again, what's the character's name?

Starting point is 00:22:00 you already said his name earlier. Yabushige? Yes, thank you. God, him and Ome, dude. Hopefully. Yeah, hopefully. And the whole breakdown of like. That was quite, I mean, again, we always talk about him being an opportunist, which he is.

Starting point is 00:22:11 And he's always trying to save his skin, which again, understandable, I might do the same thing in this, given circumstances and stakes and in the same situation. Point being is, like, to see him, like, in such a threatening manner and tone with his nephew, like, I can relinquish command to you in any way. He's like, do you think like that? Yeah. Like, I love the dialogue and the tone and again, the manner in which he said, he's like, dude, you're, and like, you said the perfect response because I was already thinking, am I having like, A.k.a. You are my puppet. Like, there's nothing for you to relinquish. Yeah. But thank you for the sentiment. And on the heels of, you know, Torunaga talking about like, oh, Nagako, like, you know, you didn't do this out of some grand, you know, military inclination. Like, you know, this was clearly like planted in your ear. and yeah watching again as the sort of

Starting point is 00:23:02 they confront like well you know you I guess you had to buy some time so it's not to go you know to immediately pledge your allegiance again to Ishido but then you know where do you think my son would have got an idea like this and him sort of telling uh I like the conversation he has with Nagakato too is like you know you basically I know you think you were acting on your own but essentially what you might have just done is you basically are someone else's instrument you were broken by the fist of someone else's instrument you were broken by the fist of someone else

Starting point is 00:23:29 you know, to be their, you know, instrument, essentially. Yeah, and he's, that's in character. He's a very intelligent person, human being. And so, I mean, that makes sense for him to completely know his son and figure that out. So I'm glad he was not told that or had to figure that out through other means of being told or whatever. But I'm glad that, yeah, he's smart enough to know that. Yeah. Again, in character.

Starting point is 00:23:49 And again, not even not the consequences. Like, part of me was expecting, like, oh, man, there's going to be some major punishment for the son here. Yeah, because we saw like, obviously with food. Uji's husband. What happened when there was a disrespectful moment towards Ishido? Sepiko and then obviously the son, the lineage had to end. So I'm glad it didn't go there with his son, but I thought there was other than relinquishing command,

Starting point is 00:24:13 I believe is what he did to his son, right? He relieved him of his command. I thought it was going to be a little bit more than that. But he's like, hey, war was brewing. They go kill me anyway. Yeah, we don't. I guess we don't need to have you. ended at the moment

Starting point is 00:24:30 for this transgression. True, very true. But again, another solid episode. And last thing I want to say, I love the point that you make earlier. Also, you know, about like, hey,

Starting point is 00:24:42 the, you know, what happened with Chosen and now, like, you could immediately, obviously we know there's six, seven more episodes with now five at the end of this one. You could immediately just go right into the war. But I like how they're taking their time right now.

Starting point is 00:24:54 But it's, you still have it always looming. Like, even though, like, the birds were flying off, And I was like, oh, are the horse? Like that, that threat of war is always like, it's always on the precipice. I'm always like feeling and like thinking about it, even though like, I figure, okay, we still got a few more episodes at least. So it's probably not going to happen.

Starting point is 00:25:11 But I just like that that looming threat is still there. And I'm like, I'm always like, I was thinking like, oh, are those horses or those horses? Yeah. Like, yeah, I'm just. And it's great because you would have to wonder that initially. It's again, that's, that's the tension they've built on this show. And it's just, it's not. something that can be done just by right like you have to really you got to have all the elements

Starting point is 00:25:32 working together yeah it's it's a very hard thing to do and for me they personally have nailed it so but again great another solid episode i'm just sad we got to wait every week yeah i i envy the people who one day get to watch this show just in tandem full 10 episodes you're so lucky but i'm glad we're getting to react to it at least it's it's it's a joy absolutely great show absolutely we'll leave us your below people. Thank you, as always, for just enlightening us and keeping our journey rich with footnotes. It really does help, actually. Seriously. I appreciate it.

Starting point is 00:26:05 So, hey, leave us your thoughts in the episode and we'll catch you next week for number six. Loving it. Be well. Catch you next time. Later, guys. Mikhail Linden. Look, Mikhail, happy March. It is spring break month, but it's also St. Patrick's month.

Starting point is 00:26:25 And what I really want, I want something in return from this year's shout out. Tell me what you do for St. Patrick's Day in Sweden, all right? Because, you know, obviously America, we've got a lot of, you know, easy to distinguish Irish heritage. So we're doing all sorts of green beer tacky stuff. But I want to know what you're doing, man. Are you out here, you know, kissing Irish people left and right? Or are you, you know, waging some kind of war? on, you know, cultural tensions I'm completely unaware of because my knowledge of European history is slight, you know?

Starting point is 00:27:02 Either way, how do you get the let out, my friend? How do you let off your aggression, but also sing joy to the high heavens? Did you drive snakes out of Ireland, Mikhail? Let us know. Give us some history and keep on pledging because we love you. And that's the true luck of the Irish. It's the true pot at the end of the rainbow. It's all you, buddy. Shout out was certainly about Irish facts this time around. Yeah, gotta keep them guessing.

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The Reel Rejects - SHŌGUN 1x05 "Broken to the Fist" | Breakdown & Review

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