Shōgun spoilers follow.
Shōgun stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis have broken down episode five's pivotal moment.
In the latest episode of the critically-acclaimed samurai drama, which arrived on Disney+ yesterday (March 19), Sanada's character Lord Yoshii Toranaga gets swallowed up by the earth during a huge earthquake.
However, Pilot Major John Blackthorne (Jarvis) manages to save Toranaga by physically digging him out of the ground, further cementing their connection.
Related: Shōgun stars respond to Game of Thrones review comparisons
Discussing the scene during an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Sanada explained how this was a "bonding" moment for the two characters, though he added this was "especially" the case for Toranaga.
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"Blackthorne helped me to escape from Osaka and now also saved my life again. He was almost dead," he said. "Then, when he opened his eyes, this guy maybe looked like God. And then this guy helped me again, so that's more believable for Toranaga. This is a guy who is going to be important in my life."
Jarvis also weighed in on the pivotal scene, adding: "That moment occurs just after a very serious exchange where Blackthorne is very frustrated with the place he finds himself and the customs."
He continued: "Suddenly, this huge interruption happens in the form of the earthquake. It's after that in that moment you're describing where Blackthorne, despite what he thought before, finds himself hopelessly connected to this man.
"It just sort of unravels in that way. From that moment on, I think it fundamentally changes Blackthorne's opinions on many, many things."
"That was an easy way to show our relationship to the audience," Sanada concluded.
The actors also discussed the show's third episode, where their connection initially starts to form after Toranaga asks Blackthorne to teach him how to dive, to which Blackthorne continuously jumps off the ship until Toranaga finally jumps too.
Related: Shogun's Anna Sawai on why Mariko's translation scenes are so important
"That's my favourite scene," Sanada said. "It started our relationship, our friendship after the escape. It was easy for me but hard for [Cosmo]. So many times he had to jump right?"
Jarvis went on to share how the "invigorating" scene was the "beginning of the common ground between Blackthorne and Toranaga," one of whom is a "very serious and powerful and mysterious man" while the other is a "man who has been portrayed as having individualistic notions".
"Suddenly they come together and they're having fun," he added.
"From the beginning, I thought this guy's gonna be a good partner, not the enemy. Every single episode made our relationship deeper and deeper," Sanada then shared. "So by the end, even with a far long away eyeline, I could feel him very well without any words."
The first five episodes of Shōgun are now available to watch on Disney+, with new episodes dropping every week.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
