A Cat That’s Full
Episode 18 of Vincenzo begins with Han-Seo panicked over what he’s just done. Vincenzo lies on the ice rink in a puddle of crimson red. Suddenly, he makes his move. He stands up and turns a gun against the Interpol agents. As we skip forward to a warehouse, Vincenzo murders these officers. He keeps two alive though – Officer Kim In-Yong and Baek Gyeong-Su – to tell their superiors that Interpol found no evidence and head home. He also tasks them with hiding the bodies. If they don’t, both men will be dead in two days. Han-Seo is also shot in the shoulder for his troubles. At least, this is the story he tells the Babel group. In reality, it turns out Han-Seo was actually working with Vincenzo all this time. At the ice rink, Vincenzo handed over the Guillotine File to Interpol to confirm all the shady dealings Paolo has been involved with. Han-Seo knew that Joon-Woo wasn’t going to make him Chairman and wasn’t going to fall for this ploy again. Back at Geumga Plaza, Vincenzo heads in to speak to Seok-Do, who hands over a ticket for a free hot air balloon ride. He mentions his love for Godfather and Michael Corleone, likening Vincenzo to that fictional gangster. It’s a small moment but one that lightens up the final push to topple Han-Seok’s dominoes. First up, the group band together with papers for the courtroom. Cha-Young and Vincenzo speak directly to the cameras, telling Babel in Italian: “You can see yourself out. Goodbye.” Things go for bad to worse for the Babel group. Myung-Hee receives a message confirming that Jipuragi have filed a claim for damages against them. They have a lot of evidence. This is then followed up by another gut punch. Vincenzo rings Seung-Hyeok and tells him he’s dealt with Interpol already. However, he also wants to strike a deal – a deal for Seung-Hyeok’s life. When Seung-Hyeok brings in numerous foot soldiers, Vincenzo moves at lightning speed. He makes quick work of the men, leading the Chief prosecutor to drop to his knees and plead for his life. Cha-Young meanwhile, heads off to visit Myung-Hee. She shows the voice recordings incriminating her. Cha-Young promises an early Christmas present too – 30 years in prison. Myung-Hee doesn’t seem too phased though, as the pair both try to oust the other, sipping drinks. That evening, three masked men carrying weapons go hunting for Han-Seok, who bolts from his apartment complex. He manages to get away but it’s clear all of this is being done to provoke him. It seems to work too, and the next day he’ bundled into his car and breathes heavily when he sees people after him. Because of this, Seung-Hyeok decides the safest place to put Han-Seok is in jail, at least for a few weeks until the heat dies down. When the handcuffs are put around his wrists, Han-Seo makes sure to tighten them a little. After, he heads out for drinks and food with Vincenzo. He admits that the mafia man feels like a brother to him. Unlike the fear he feels with Han-Seok, with Vincenzo everything comes naturally. It’s a nice moment and one that ends with him calling Vincenzo “bro.” Vincenzo eventually heads into prison to see Han-Seok. He admits that this whole elaborate plan has been him all this time. He was the one who convinced Seung-Hyeok to put Han-Seok behind bars. Vincenzo likens Han-Seok to his mouse, admitting that he was known as the “cat that’s full” in Italy. Vincenzo has been toying with him all this time and wants Han-Seok to see Babel Tower fall around him. Thanks to the Guillotine File evidence (namely the information relating to the Paper Company), Vincenzo will make sure Han-Seok stays behind bars and see his tower topple from there. Meanwhile, Mr Cho is beaten down and brought before Mr Kim. He asks about the secret room hidden in the basement. He tells Cho to use his contacts to figure out how they can get in there. If he can’t do this in two days, his life and that of his family are on the line. For now, he’s told to work with Mr Kim’s men and look into different security experts. Eventually they narrow it down to four names. The one that stands out the most though is Seo Mi-Ri. The same Mi-Ri who lives in Geumga Plaza. Oh no… Back at Geumga Plaza, Vincenzo returns and learns there are important matters to attend to. Luca returns to warm greetings (and hugs) from the residents. However, he also comes with grim news. It turns out Dario and Sebastian have been killed by the Luciano family. Luca begs Vincenzo to return to Italy and help set this right. It’s a tough choice to make and one that sees him torn. Vincenzo eventually puts bird seed out on the window sill but Inzaghi is not there. Meanwhile, Cha-Young receives a message from the art gallery. Within this email is Cha-Young and Vincenzo’s “engagement” picture, which shows the pair kissing. Vincenzo says his goodbyes to all the residents, who hand over various dishes and trinkets to see him off. Tellingly, Vincenzo also calls Seok-Do his bro. Cha-Young is the last to say goodbye at the airport, tellingly speaking some Italian to him. Vincenzo promises to make it back as the pair shake hands. Back at Geumga Plaza, Mr Kim wastes no time grabbing Mi-Ri and forcing her to open the basement vault. Eventually she does just that, sending the boss down to find…nothing. The place is completely empty. Mi-Ri clearly knows something though and charges off for help. Instead of Mr Park though, he finds Cha-Young. Just as things look like they’re hopeless, Vincenzo arrives! He’s back! It turns out he took care of his Italian friends in a different way. However, for now he gestures these goons to come at him.
The Episode Review
What an absolute badass. Vincenzo Cassano brings the heat and it’s clear not everyone is cut out for life in the kitchen. The Babel group in particular have been put through the ringer here and all the soldiers on their side are falling like flies. The entire plan involving Han-Seo is a lovely touch and seeing him actually working with Vincenzo to take down his brother is an incredibly satisfying moment. The ending involving Vincenzo returning to save the Geumga Plaza residents is definitely a nice touch as well. It’s also one that’s preceded with a cheeky look at Vincenzo’s book on the plane, aptly titled “How to befriend a bird.” It’s a small detail but one that definitely helps to add some comedic undertones to this scene. That’s just as well because there’s some very intense segments in this episode. The conversation between Vincenzo and Han-Seo in prison is easily the highlight here. That entire sequence worked beautifully and showed that Han-Seok isn’t as clever as he thinks he is. I’d imagine Vincenzo has paid off the Italians with the Gold, possibly with Mi-Ri’s help, but that’s still unknown at this point. These later episodes have been much improved compared to the earlier half of the season though, with much more urgency and a more consistent tone. Everything now rests on these final two episodes. Quite how this one is going to wrap up its story is anyone’s guess!
