‘Shōgun’ Star Cosmo Jarvis Explains Why Blackthorne Brutally Beat His Former Shipmate Salamon in Episode 8 “Abyss of Life”

For weeks, all Shōgun character John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) has wanted was to be reunited with his crew. Ever since the Erasmus washed ashore in Ajiro, Blackthorne has not only been trying to survive, but to also keep his men safe, together, and on mission. However, as Blackthorne’s found himself more and more committed to serving Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), it seems he’s become less and less atrociously European. Mariko (Anna Sawai) has taught him some Japanese, baths have become a comfort, and Blackthorne has found a comfortable place for himself as a hatamoto and samurai.

**Spoilers for Shōgun Episode 8 “Abyss of Life,” now streaming on Hulu**

These changes became horrifically apparent in this week’s installment of the FX hit, Shōgun Episode 8 “Abyss of Life” because Blackthorne finally is reunited with his men and, uh, hates them. He specifically travels to the icky side of Edo (aka the future Tokyo) to discover that the six surviving crew have been living like disgusting, rutting peasants*, drinking all day and sleeping with poorly-treated prostitutes every night. The sight of former friend Salamon (Dakota Daulby) is enough to make Blackthorne shirk away. However, Salamon sees the pilot and recognizes him.

*In James Clavell’s novel, Shōgun, Blackthorne feels a particular strain of revulsion when he realizes his men have been living in the eta part of Edo; eta were the lowest of peasants, employed doing dirty deeds other Japanese of the era refused like grave-digging.

What follows is a deeply uncomfortable scene where Salamon accuses Blackthorne of purposely ruining the lives of the Erasmus‘s crew in order to satiate his own ambitions. Every time Blackthorne attempts to win Salamon back to his side, the sailor refuses. Eventually, Salamon mocks Blackthorne’s robes, telling him to get rid of his skirts. Soon, the two men begin brawling and let’s just say that Blackthorne, who has been eating fresh seafood and bathing away all germs, is by far the stronger fighter.

After Blackthorne knocks Salamon out, a Japanese attendant compels him to leave…which means that Blackthorne has officially seemingly rejected his men…or has he? By episode end, he’s returned his swords to Toranaga, deciding its a fool’s errand to stay in the doomed man’s service. Blackthorne is adrift.

Shōgun star Cosmo Jarvis told Decider during an interview at Winter 2024 TCA that he felt Blackthorne’s response to Salamon revealed what an “opportunist” he was.

“You know, at the core of Blackthorne’s motivation, there’s something that people may or may not pick up on. He’s an opportunist and that was in the book. In the book, he’s always comparing himself to the respect that Sir Francis Drake got from Queen Elizabeth,” Jarvis said, referring to the many, many times Blackthorne’s POV dreams of similar wealth and honors upon his return to London in Clavell’s novel.

“It seemed to me reading it, even though Clavell never nails it down – well, he doesn’t nail it down in the way that you think somebody may nail down a character who’s supposed to be this terrific opportunist, kind of bloody-minded opportunist — but I guess I read it that way,” Jarvis said. “And it seemed interesting to me that even though he professes to making allegiances with people and suggesting ways of helping, deep down there’s a part of him that is only in it for something that he thinks he wants.”

Jarvis went on to sing his co-star Dakota Daulby’s praises before hammering home why Blackthorne so cruelly dispatched with his former shipmate.

“In that scene, [Salamon’s] calling out Blackthorne for being the cause of what led them there, landed them there,” Jarvis said. “I guess it kind of became apparent that’s a threat to Blackthorn’s very being and those people are no longer useful to him, despite them being the men that he’s been at sea for years with.”

Hence punching the daylights out of Salamon and leaving him potentially for dead to rot in the street. Blackthorne is more than happy to rid himself of what no longer serves, including his former shipmates.