Blackthorn never leaves Japan, just like the man his character was based on, William Adams.

We’re still talking about Mifune nearly 40 years after his death. Not only was he one of the greatest actors to grace the screen, he was a decidedly cool guy off of it.

That’s what I think.

True about Mifune, he’d have probably been a great Yabushige if he’d been younger when the first miniseries came along.

I just watched 47 Ronin, which featured Sanada and Asano.

I think that’s why I liked him. Yabushige was trying so hard to be a bad ass, but he really couldn’t get out of his own way. I got the impression that he was in over his head long before Blackthorn showed up. Still, you had to admire his fortitude.

Indeed. The Council of Regents were either too greedy or too afraid of losing their status to go against Ishido, until it became apparent that he’d lost favor with Lady Ochiba and the heir.

I think Yabushige wanted Anjin as his second because he’d come to respect him and think of him as a friend. He gives his sword to Anjin before he dies in both the book and the ‘80s miniseries.

Asano definitely has a young Mifune vibe. His portrayal of Yabushige gave us a character we liked, even though we had every reason to hate him.

I haven’t watched the finale yet, but as I recall from the previous miniseries, Ishido isn’t afforded the opportunity of an honorable death.  

The Taikō’s dying widow summed it up last week when she told Ochiba that Ishido “comes from nothing and is nothing.”

It’s easy to do with Asimov. All of his characters have some kind of phobia or complex.

Indeed. Toranaga sees Yabushige for what he is—a bully and an opportunist hiding behind the facade of being an honorable samurai. He’s always known Yabushige will most likely turn on him for the right price, and he’s using it to his advantage.

I agree that the source material is why so many of the show’s installments seem to be almost stand alone episodes. The TV series is based on a collection of short stories.

The PBS version of The Lathe of Heaven was far superior to what A&E decided to do with it.

Indeed. The vast majority of it takes place underground. Pretty much any studio worth its salt could shoot that movie.

I think it’s the least they could do, considering they tried to make us all endure Battlefield Earth.

Mother Night is one of the few films I genuinely like Nick Nolte in. That and Mulholland Falls. I guess 1996 was pretty much peak Nolte.

Smith’s I, Robot was an entertaining film, but it bore only a passing resemblance to anything Asimov ever wrote.

We should all give you at least two stars apiece for that comment.