Well, I guess my roll wasn't as good as I thought. Didn't that executioner totally seem like one of the samurai in disguise, though?
There are so many characters in this series that even the plot seems to be losing track of them at times. For the past couple episodes, I really was wondering when the Scarlet Samurai and Kambei's "mate" were ever going to show up, again (or at least get referenced). Judging by the focus of late, I'm going to bet that only Kambei, Mifune and the Rookie are going to survive by the end - - the three other samurai definitely have to bite it. The show's going off in its own direction, right now, but it's going to have to stick fairly close to SEVEN SAMURAI's ending, won't it?
== TEASER ==
And while we're speaking of endings, this one had to have one of the most weirdly uneventful cliffhangers ever. Basically Kambei smacks these other two guys around for being too unsympathetic to emperor's pregnant concubine, and the button line is him telling them to shut up? What could that be teasing for next episode? Is he just going to going to elaborate about why the need to shut their traps? That ain't exactly a subject of great suspense.
What I am intrigued to learn more about, though, is Ukyo's continued arc. He's playing head games with me, as a viewer, and developing something of a honey-dipped forked tongue. You really can't tell whether he's legitimately trying to establish himself as an enlightened ruler, or if it's all just a politician's lie. I'd figure if he was asking the Nobuseri to commit Hara-Kiri - - and with the enemy of your enemy being your friend and all that - - then he'd at least have some sympathy for the peasants' plight. But perhaps he just sees the threats as a threat to his power, even in their servitude, and wants to simply cut all potential threats away?
I love it when a shows get me asking these sorts of questions.
this episode, "The Rescue" here and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
Tom Pinchuk's a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk
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