Farewells are hard. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for them, you’ll never really be prepared for them. There are many things up in the air including Vincenzo’s plans to stay in Korea and what that entails. With obligations back in Italy and an extended family in Korea, who will he choose in the end? Who and what will he bid farewell over?
Vincenzo: Episode 18 Recap
Vincenzo is shot by Han-seo at the ice rink during an intense confrontation with the InterPol and Korean police. Blood seeps through his hockey jersey and he falls to the ground seconds after getting shot. One of the InterPol officers inches closer to Vincenzo to check up on him, but Vincenzo takes advantage of the opportunity. He’s actually not dead nor is he hurt. He quickly grabs the gun in the police officer’s hand and aims it back at the officer. With that, Vincenzo wins again! Everyone is brought into a shed where the InterPol officers are shot dead by Vincenzo. The Korean police officers are released and warned by Vincenzo to never speak about the confrontation. Vincenzo also sends Han-seo off with a warning and shoots at the Babel Chairman’s arm to give him a preview of what to expect in the future.
Han-seo updates Lawyer Choi, Joon-woo, and Mr. Han all the details inside of his hospital ward. He’s been hospitalized as a result of his injured arm, but his own team members can’t help but suspect him. How did Vincenzo know that the International Police was coming after him? Why did Han-seo try to kill Vincenzo by himself? How did Han-seo manage to obtain a gun? Han-seo dodges all the questions and attempts to not look suspicious. Mr. Han can’t help but feel as if Han-seo is up to something, but he doesn’t think too much into it. On his way out of Han-seo’s hospital room, Lawyer Choi has another round of words and wisdom for Mr. Han. Now that he’s placed an attack on Vincenzo, he should expect to be on Vincenzo’s hit list. Lawyer Choi comments that Mr. Han should have listened to her all along and just stay quiet. He shouldn’t have made any moves on the Mafia member.
Our Jipuragi team is relieved that Vincenzo is alive and still in Korea. They could have been in great trouble if it wasn’t for Han-seo. With Han-seo’s tip on the International Police, Vincenzo and Mr. Nam were able to prepare against the police officers. Mr. Nam once again employs his experience and knowledge as a special effects make-up artist to trick everyone into thinking Vincenzo was bleeding when he was shot. Han-seo was also in on the plan and he purposely “shot” Vincenzo to push one of the police officers to approach Vincenzo. Mr. Nam saved the night by presenting the two groups of police officers with evidence of corruption committed by Paolo and Babel. It’s a win-win for everyone and Vincenzo heads home alive. After the ice hockey fiasco, Vincenzo and Han-seo headed back together and it was then that Vincenzo shot Han-seo in the arm per Han-seo’s suggestion. To avoid suspicion, he wanted to get injured. With that, Vincenzo shot Han-seo in the arm without hesitation. Han-seo can’t help but smile while eating some food inside of his VIP ward. Things are going great for him and he’s having quite some fun doing all of this. He knows he won’t ever become official Chairman of Babel anyways so might as well be on Vincenzo’s side.
While walking to the Jipuragi office, Vincenzo is interrupted by Mr. Park for a visit to the ByeBye Balloon office. Mr. Park presents Vincenzo with a hot air balloon ticket on his behalf. Vincenzo isn’t quite sure why the free ticket, but it’s a way for Mr. Park to show some gratitude and appreciation for the Mafia member. With that, Vincenzo leaves for work and he reunites with his team members. Now that they’ve resolved the situation involving the people in the Babel Tower auction, they can move on to getting rid of the other pieces involved with Babel. With that, their next target is former Chief Prosecutor Hwang. Later on that day, former Chief Prosecutor Hwang is ridiculed and humiliated when he arrives at a cafe expecting to meet up with Joon-woo. Instead, a recording of the conversation captured by Director Tae the night of the gathering at Joon-woo’s house plays out loud in the room and former Chief Prosecutor Hwang rushes to turn it off. Thanks to Director Tae as well as Mi-ri’s technology expertise, former Chief Prosecutor Hwang is riled up and he warns Joon-woo not to pull such a thing again. Hehe.
Ms. Kwak grows worried upon noticing that Monk Chaeshin and Jeok-ha has been leaving the temple more often to ask for alms. She brings this news to Yeon-jin and Cheol-wook’s attention and they all agree to help pitch in some money to the two monks. The lawsuit against Babel Tower is underway thanks to Cha-young and Vincenzo. They head to the courthouse together to submit their documents and says a few words to the group of reporters. They’re determined to stop Babel Tower before it can even be built and they’re confident they’ll succeed. After filing their claim for damages against Babel, Cha-young and Vincenzo bid farewell with each other at the courthouse. They agree to fight fiercely like Lawyer Hong did, but they should also remember to take things easy. Aww, I love our power couple. I wish we got more of just the two of them.
Lawyer Choi, Joon-woo, and Han-seo attempt to investigate and conclude where the recording came from. It has to be Vincenzo’s doing which only angers Joon-woo even more. The fun doesn’t stop there as Lawyer Choi receives a notification about the claim that Cha-young and Vincenzo has filed against Babel. Vincenzo gives Mr. Han a phone call and is willing to make a deal with him. It’s now or never. Cha-young sets out to visit Lawyer Choi. The talk between the two is feisty as they go at it. Cha-young is confident they’ll win against Lawyer Choi, but Lawyer Choi isn’t afraid. Even the recordings of confessions made by Mr. Pyo and his boss doesn’t scare Lawyer Choi. These people are all dead so it’s not a big deal, but Cha-young is prepared to bring Lawyer Choi down. Vincenzo and Mr. Han meet up to go over the deal that Vincenzo mentioned earlier in the phone call. Mr. Han doesn’t think too much about it until Vincenzo notes that he wants to make a deal on Mr. Han’s life. You see, he initially wasn’t going to kill Mr. Han, but he’s changed his mind after Mr. Han hired the InterPol agents. Mr. Han hasn’t quite learned his lesson and he has his security guards barge into the room to threaten Vincenzo.
Vincenzo is always twenty steps ahead of everyone else and he pulls out his gun to shoot at two security guards’ legs. Everyone is demanded to leave the room so Mr. Han stays stuck with Vincenzo and Vincenzo’s gun. He pleads to be let go and his life almost flashes before his eyes. It’s Joon-woo’s turn and he discovers three hitmen inside of his house. He’s able to fight them off for a bit before escaping and running outside. He eventually disappears from their sight and returns to his house with an injured foot. Lawyer Choi and Han-seo rush to Joon-woo’s house after the incident and they all deliberate on their next move. While Vincenzo enjoys a cup of wine at the restaurant he was at with Mr. Han, Mr. Cho is chased down by a group of men hired by Mr. Kim. He’s eventually brought to a room to meet up with the powerful man and is given an assignment by him. Mr. Cho is to work on finding the person who worked on the security system for the secret room or else he’ll die (oh nooo, not Mi-ri!). The attacks against Joon-woo doesn’t stop. While walking to his car in the parking garage, Joon-woo is confronted by some hitmen and he barely manages to make it out alive.
It’s too much for Lawyer Choi to handle and she brings all the attacks to Mr. Han’s attention. Mr. Han suggests that their best bet is to move Joon-woo to prison. It’s the only way he’ll be protected. It’ll be difficult for even someone like Vincenzo to have access to. Although Lawyer Choi doesn’t like the idea, she listens to Mr. Han and relays the information over to Joon-woo. Joon-woo complains and pouts upon hearing his consigliere’s advice. As much as he hates it, he gives in as it’s what’s best for him at the moment. So with that, Joon-woo is arrested the next day by prosecutors for tax evasion. Joon-woo abides with the arrest, but he has a quick word with Han-seo first before being taken away. The conversation doesn’t go according to Joon-woo’s plans and Han-seo unveils his true self before watching his brother be taken away by prosecutors. Han-seo’s postponed plans to launch Babel Bio due to all the rumors and controversy surrounding the unit at the moment. Joon-woo isn’t too happy and thrilled with Han-seo’s decision that he himself didn’t approve of, but Han-seo can care less. His brother will be in prison while he’ll be walking around out and about. Things are shaping up for him.
Joon-woo is brought to Mr. Han’s office where Prosecutor Jung is also waiting inside. The handcuffs are removed from Joon-woo’s wrists and the three reconvene. With Prosecutor Jung’s return as Assistant Chief, taking down Vincenzo should be easier. Speaking of Vincenzo, he and Han-seo spend some time together drinking some makgeolli and snacking on some food. Han-seo is afraid that he’s still somehow going to be killed by Vincenzo, but Vincenzo has no plans in doing so. He can tell through Han-seo’s actions that he’s actually repenting and genuine about helping him out. So why exactly is Han-seo helping Vincenzo out? What is his reasoning for that? It’s simple for Han-seo. Vincenzo is like a brother to him. He feels comfortable around Vincenzo (omg I’m going to cry. Stop cutting the onions, people!). With that, Vincenzo allows Han-seo to treat him like a brother when it’s just the two of them around. This probably has to be in my top 10 favorite scenes out of the entire drama so far.
Mr. Cho is forced to log into his International Security Intelligence Service account by Mr. Kim’s men. Meanwhile, Vincenzo pays a visit to Joon-woo at the detention center. Vincenzo proves once again why he remains the winner. Joon-woo’s imprisonment? It was all Vincenzo’s idea. The attacks in the parking garage and Joon-woo’s house were committed by none other than some of the Geumga men. Oh and Mr. Han’s suggestion to send Joon-woo to prison? That was Vincenzo’s instruction as well. It seems as if Joon-woo isn’t as smart as Vincenzo assumed he was. If Vincenzo is doing all of this, why doesn’t he just kill Joon-woo? Why is Vincenzo still keeping Joon-woo alive? Vincenzo shares the story of how he used to be referred to as the “cat that’s full.” A cat that is full toys with their mouse all day before gulping it up. To Vincenzo, Joon-woo is his mouse. He’s going to make sure he plays around with Joon-woo all he can before he eventually gulps Joon-woo up and kill him off. That day isn’t too far away and there’s no place where Joon-woo is safe. Vincenzo even has evidence on Joon-woo’s paper company, Jason Funds, that’ll guarantee Joon-woo another month of prison time. Vincenzo — always twenty steps ahead of everyone else.
Mr. Han and Prosecutor Jung discuss their next moves. They agree to keep Joon-woo behind bars in the meantime and let Han-seo figure out the situation with Babel Tower. Prosecutor Jung will also work with Lawyer Choi on handling the lawsuit against Babel. Speaking of Babel Tower, Joon-woo urges Lawyer Choi to hurry and resolve the lawsuit. He doesn’t want to see his precious tower go down into flames. He also requests for Lawyer Choi to keep a close eye on Han-seo. Vincenzo’s partner in crime from Italy, Luca, arrives in South Korea to meet with Vincenzo for an urgent request. Two of their Mafia members back in Italy has been killed by Paolo and Vincenzo is needed to go back to help sort things out. Vincenzo is enraged by the news and he prepares to head back to his former country. Cha-young, Mr. An, and Mr. Nam watch the two converse with each other in the Jipuragi office.
Before packing, Vincenzo tries to get a hold of Mr. Cho, but Mr. Cho is busy searching for the mastermind behind the secret room’s security system. After some intense research, he finally narrows down the list to four security experts and hackers with one of them being none other than Mi-ri. He presents the information to Mr. Kim (noooo). And so Vincenzo packs some of his belongings for his two week trip back to Italy. Among some of his items includes his infamous gold lighter as well as Cha-young’s fountain pen (ahhh I’m screaming!). Cha-young too is thinking about Vincenzo when she receives photos via email from the art gallery of her “proposal” with Vincenzo. The two are thinking of each other that night. The day arrives and Vincenzo sets off for his trip. He finishes packing in the Jipuragi office and bids farewell with a confident Cha-young and heartbroken Mr. Nam. What if Vincenzo never comes back? What if the two weeks turns into four weeks and then the four weeks turns into months? Cha-young reassures Vincenzo that they’ll be fine. Joon-woo is in prison and they’ll prepare for the lawsuit against Babel while Vincenzo’s gone. Mr. Nam wipes his tears and heads out to open the door for Vincenzo.
Upon opening the doors, Vincenzo discovers the rest of the Cassano family waiting outside for him. From side dishes to good luck charms to words of affirmation, the Geumga tenants bid farewell with Vincenzo. They hope to reunite with him in two weeks. Vincenzo is grateful and he’s so thankful he even fulfills Mr. Park’s wish of referring to him as “hyung” (LOL). Ms. Yang sheds tears as Vincenzo makes his way to the airport, but it’s not only her who’s crying. Everyone else is also crying internally at the sight and thought of Vincenzo leaving. Cha-young accompanies Vincenzo to the airport and it’s Cha-young’s turn to bid farewell with her partner in crime. Cha-young once again does her best to reassure Vincenzo that they’ll be fine while he’s gone. They’ll take care of the lawsuit and everything will be okay. Vincenzo reminds Cha-young to call him if anything happens, but Cha-young isn’t too worried. She’s got everything under control. With that, Vincenzo and Luca enter the airport and they prepare to head out.
However, Vincenzo is interrupted by Cha-young who catches up to him inside of the airport. She stops him for the opportunity to say one last thing that’s been on her mind. So while catching her breath, she voices the Italian phrase,
Friends are like one soul in two bodies.
Cha-young wishes for Vincenzo not to get hurt as doing so would mean that she’d be hurt too. Vincenzo makes a promise with Cha-young and the two give each other a handshake before Vincenzo really sets off this time. Cha-young watches as he moves further and further away from her. Once seated inside of the airplane, Vincenzo takes another glance at the fountain pen that Cha-young gifted him. He’ll keep his promise and return back to her. When Cha-young returns to the Jipurago office, she and Mr. Nam chat about Vincenzo. They’re sure the next two weeks will pass by fast, but they sure can feel his absence in the office. It’s just not the same without Vincenzo.
Things take a bad and dark turn when Mi-ri is captured by Mr. Kim’s men. She’s kidnapped to the temple where Mr. Cho and our two monks are also held captive and is forced to unlock the security system to open the secret room. Mi-ri eventually does as she is told and the secret room is opened. However, it’s unlike what Mr. Cho or Mr. Kim expected when they enter the room. The room is empty. There’s nothing inside. There’s no gold or Guillotine file like they expected to find. When the two men climb back up and out into the temple, Mr. Kim pressures Mr. Cho to update him on the whereabouts of the items. Mi-ri utilizes the opportunity to escape and she manages to run out to the hallway. She screams for help, but everyone is in their respective apartment units. Thankfully, Cha-young and Mr. Nam rush to Mi-ri’s aid, but Cha-young instructs Mr. Nam to inform the other tenants about the situation. While Mr. Nam hurries to rally everyone else, Cha-young is left alone with Mi-ri. It’s just them against Mr. Kim and his group of men.
Cha-young remains protective of Mi-ri and it doesn’t take long for Mr. Kim to recognize Cha-young as Lawyer Hong’s daughter. He’s quite familiar with Lawyer Hong, but that’s not his priority at the moment. He orders his men to grab Mi-ri again and Cha-young does her best to fend them off. Just when it seems like all hope is lost and help isn’t on its way just yet, there’s a beacon of light that radiates in Geumga Plaza. It’s none other than Vincenzo. He stops one of the men from hitting Cha-young and even goes as far as to throw the man outside of the window. He makes it clear that no one is going to hurt his family. Plus, he came back because he forgot to feed Injagi (LOL #priorities). With that, Vincenzo makes it loud and clear that he’s here to stay. He was able to take care of the situation back in Italy and he’ll take care of their current situation in less than 5 minutes. Vincenzo flicks open his gold lighter and motions for Mr. Kim’s men to come at him. He’s ready.
Extra photos from the episode~
MaryMeKpop 