Yeah, she fine, fine.
It's not rigged. Toranaga is playing on their need for decorum and ritual and has been for the whole season. Blackthorne points it out multiple times, that they have so many seemingly pointless rules. But to them those rules maintain order. He plays on them when it came to leaving Osaka, he played on them to making Anjin-sama a Hatamoto, he played on them to buy himself time when his son died and he played on them now when it came to creating unrest in Osaka.
Ochiba is in her feelings because her ONLY protection and status is the fact she popped out the Taiko's son. Toranaga is a threat to that. Not to mention, he already was a factor in getting her dad killed. She's super emotional because she knows her best friend (and perhaps only friend she ever had) is on the other side and not only opposed to her but openly will NOT change her mind about it. Mariko's son was shown because it was a way to express that IF she died in disgrace he would disown her, but instead she did the exact opposite and
became a martyr
Also, yes the old lady was the Taiko's wife. Ochiba was a concubine, which was common practice in the nobility then, especially if the wife couldn't produce a male heir. So she basically raised Ochiba as a sort of daughter while grooming her to sleep with the Taiko.
Finished episode 9, but want to comment on something from an episode or two ago.
Damn Mariko being giving her husband some bars
What she said about a thousand deaths was cold as hell
Buntaro was a perfect example of a hard man that couldn't soften for his wife. He was so caught up in her name and past he didn't treat her like a human. Only when she shows warmth to another man does he realize he had the hottest chick in the game wearing his chain.
So by the end, Mariko still wanted to die. She just wanted to die with purpose and not in some freezing room with dude she literally can't stand.
