I feel you bro, tears poured down my face like there's no tomorrow while in this very intense scene - I didn't expect that to happen to me with this show.
If it was just Ishido, maybe he could’ve gotten away with just his surrender, but with someone as smart as Ochiba, all the spies must believe he’s a broken man. Such a sad episode but so much to think about
Toranaga's son's death and Hiromatsu's seppuku were not planned by Toranaga. With his son, it was an accident. Hiromatsu, on the other hand, saw through Toranaga's plan and knew, that at this particular moment, he had to do something to force generals to sign in and go to Osaka with their lord. That's why Toranaga said that Hiromatsu knew his duty well. Look how much was said non-verbally between those two and it was the opposite of what was said loud. It was a spontaneous need of the moment but immediately understood and agreed upon by those two. When Toranaga says at the end that he will not waste this given time it's because he is a master of using circumstances for his advantage.
