Shogun, on ABC and Hulu, is one of those rare TV shows that gets my full attention when I watch. It’s along the lines of Game of Thrones, but without the dragon fantasy. Palace intrigue shows suffer if everyone is too grim and earnest, and the line between good and evil is too clear. That’s what Shogun and Game of Thrones gets right.
The white guy is a navigator on a shady trading ship that ends up in feudal Japan. He wants to go home, but nobody lets him. Using what guile and skill he has, he manages to stay alive long enough to show he has value.
The Japanese feudal lords are involved in palace intrigue and jostling for power when the white guy shows up. Japan in the 1600’s is interesting because it is sophisticated and brutal. Everyone has a defined role, but if somebody screws up, everybody dies.
I’m not big on subtitles, but in this case, it’s worth it. The Catholics were already in Japan, so some of the locals speak English.
What makes the story interesting is that nobody has all the power or is particularly good or evil. The Catholics are just trying to convert the heathen Japanese. The inscrutable Japanese lords are just trying to maintain their standing, knowing that if they fail, the lords and their subjects die. The white guy is just trying to get his ship and crew back so he can leave.
The season isn’t wrapped up yet, but I’d give it a 9/10.