FX’s Shōgun: The Official Podcast Episode 8: The Abyss of Life
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Apr 9, 2024 Showrunner Justin Marks, production designer Helen Jarvis, historian Frederick Cryns, and director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour discuss loyalty, tea ceremony intricacies, real-life shipwrecked sailors' fates, and Tokyo's evolution in FX's Shōgun. The podcast delves into themes of imprisonment, futurism, character dynamics, high-ranking funerals, Japanese poetry, Edo's transformation, and meticulous design details in the city's genesis.
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Setting as Character Reflection
- Each setting in Shogun has a unique atmosphere, like Osakafur's paranoia and Edo's sense of an unbuilt future.
- These settings reflect the characters' inner states, especially Toranaga's uncertain path.
Belonging vs. Integration
- Blackthorn's reunion with his crew subverts the "stranger in a strange land" trope.
- It emphasizes that true belonging is difficult to achieve, even with integration.
Cosmo Jarvis's Impact
- Actor Cosmo Jarvis influenced Blackthorn's character arc, pushing for a confrontation with his own flaws.
- This led to a scene where Blackthorn's ugliness is exposed through his interactions with his men.