Warning: spoilers for Episode 9 of FX’s Shogun, “Crimson Sky,” are going to be heavily discussed.
In a series about measured sacrifice and honor, it’s probably fair to say that even the most diehard fans of Shōgun are still reeling from the death that capped off last week’s episode. “Crimson Sky” is the penultimate entry in FX’s James Clavell adaptation that has been sweeping the 2024 TV schedule, and it’s set up quite a high bar of emotion that this week’s finale will definitely try and clear.
After discussing the episode with its director, Frederick E.O. Toye, I came to appreciate how those final moments for a beloved character were crafted. And on top of that, Mr. Toye shared some interesting stories about its production, among which was an account of the time a positive COVID test almost derailed the entire episode.
Let’s Talk About Shogun’s Spoiler Death From Chapter Nine – ‘Crimson Sky’
Consider this your final spoiler warning for Shōgun’s “Crimson Sky” episode, which saw the death of the honorable Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai). While she survived challenging the guards of Lord Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira), and narrowly avoided committing seppuku, it was one final twist that sealed her fate.
In order to avoid capture, Mariko stood in front of the door that the shinobi sent to capture her were about to blow up. Closing out the penultimate episode, Mariko’s defiance in the face of her captor delivered her to the death she’d been begging for over the years.
It was certainly a moment that landed with a huge impact, as some Shōgun viewers were probably as stunned and upset as John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis). However, both this ending, and Anna Sawai’s favorite Shōgun battle scene with Mariko fighting for her freedom, presented some interesting wrinkles of their own.
The COVID Test That Almost Derailed Shogun Episode 9
Let’s start with that Naginata fight that saw Mariko-sama making what looked like the first of her three potential final stands. As CinemaBlend was given the opportunity to speak with director Frederick E.O. Toye about his work directing Shōgun, the discussion favored his work on the final two episodes of the season’s run.
And in recalling how Anna Sawai’s huge sendoff came together, the veteran television helmer tipped his hat to one of his fellow directors on the project, Takeshi Fukunaga. That tribute was paid thanks to his assistance when the following COVID test scenario presented itself:
Admittedly, there’s never a good time to catch COVID, but even worse if we’re looking at the viewpoint of a director for Shōgun, coming down with that nastiness during the production of the second-to-last story in the ten-episode series. Thankfully, technology and the assistance of director Takeshi Fukunaga came to the rescue, as Fredrick Toye would mention further along in our talk:
All told, Frederick E.O. Toye claimed that he was gone for three days of the seven that it took to capture Mariko’s Shōgun showdown. But if there was a greater challenge, it’s capturing Anna Sawai’s big death scene. Especially when those final heroic moments almost looked a lot different!
How The Death Of Mariko Was Almost Depicted In Shogun
The final moment of “Chapter Nine – Crimson Sky” happens in a literal flash. As soon as the explosion takes out Toda Mariko, the episode basically ends with that scene as the cliffhanger to Shōgun’s finale, “Chapter Ten – A Dream of a Dream.” But as Frederick E.O. Toye was preparing to shoot the moment, ideas on how he’d play with everything from the sound to the room’s reaction to that moment were on the table; which led to this initial approach to shooting Mariko’s death:
Just as Shōgun valued authentically capturing Japanese culture, all involved also wanted to stay loyal to the emotional stakes that had been set up throughout the entire season before. That approach in particular helped reshape the sacrifice of Mariko, which meant scrapping that slow motion shot that Toye had originally planned. Rethinking things through that lens, here’s why Fred and the team decided to scrap what they’d done:
Framing this shot of Shōgun wasn’t all for naught though, as Frederick Toye and the powers that be found even more of the emotional core of the moment in its execution. And in the final part of Frederick’s story about capturing this massive moment, he shared a funny story about how Anna Sawai’s birthday offered an opportunity to play a good natured prank.
How Frederick E.O. Toye Was ‘Complicit’ In Ruining Anna Sawai’s Birthday With That Unused Shot
Many people would probably say that they’d rather not work on their birthday, and who can really blame them? Shōgun’s Anna Sawai apparently didn’t have that option, since her birthday happened to be the day of shooting Toda Mariko’s final farewell. Keep that in mind as you read this final section about how the most unlikely of celebrations took place during a moment of death:
Shows like Shõgun are usually terribly serious affairs, which means that letting off steam on set is usually important. After learning about the various obstacles and one massive prank that helped make “Chapter Nine – Crimson Sky” as fantastic as it is, that lesson seems more important than ever. While the future past the finale is yet to be seen, the entire run of FX’s latest hit serious has been a thing of beauty, even in the darkest of times.
If you’re ready to finish the journey, or to trace the entire path from square one, you can do just that. All ten episodes of Shōgun are currently available for those who hold a Hulu subscription. Just be ready to question what the words “Crimson Sky” truly mean once you’ve reached the end.
Source Agencies