"Servants of Two Masters" (Japanese: 二人の主君に仕えて, Hepburn: Futari no Shukun ni Tsukaete) is the second episode of the American historical drama television series Shōgun, based on the novel by James Clavell.
The episode was written by series developers Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, and directed by co-executive producer Jonathan van Tulleken.
John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance.
In his cell, Blackthorne meets Father Domingo, a Franciscan friar, who informs him that the Portuguese Black Ships are using profits from the silk trade to support a secret military base in Macau, implying that the Jesuits are planning to take power for themselves.
With Mariko translating his words, Blackthorne explains that Portugal and Spain have divided the world among themselves and intend to replace all non-Catholic governments, shocking Toranaga.
[3]: 25:54–26:40 In its original FX broadcast, "Servants of Two Masters" was seen by an estimated 0.764 million household viewers and gained a 0.14 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Men with katanas slice heads clean off, characters go on throat slashing sprees, arrows pierce through people in the woods, a guy gets boiled alive.
A story about an actually noble nobleman, beset by rival houses, in a world where adherence to rigid rules of duty and honor can make the difference between life and death: People kind of like that stuff.