Vincenzo

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

Vincenzo Cassano is the Consigliere of a powerful Italian mafia family. After his boss’ death, he returns to South Korea in order to get his hands on a ton of gold. Meanwhile he meets a lawyer Hong Yu Chan, trying to protect the residents of Geumga Plaza from a pharmaceutical group: Babel. Vincenzo is entangled in the fight.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Amazing drama! I am not going to lie, I haven’t seen such an incredible drama in a long time. From the first episode to the last one, the plot, the direction and the general acting performance were excellent.

If they had chosen to write more than 20 episodes, I would’ve definitely kept on watching. I can’t find a single fault in this drama. They really paid attention to all the details, even the smallest ones. Plus the content and characters are extremely fresh and original, though it may not seem like it at first.

I highly recommend you watch Vincenzo, it is definitely a must-watch!

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Vincenzo managed to introduce atypical main characters as well as original supporting ones. It was really pleasant to see that not only Vincenzo, Hong Cha Yong and Jang Han Seok were necessary to the action, but also all the residents of Geumga Plaza or second leads. Everyone had a role to play and participated in the evolution of the plot. A novel and excellent way to celebrate all characters!

Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong Ki) is the embodiment of the dark hero. When he was 8, he was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage and then adopted by an Italian family. He grew up abroad and joined the mafia afterwards. He became an important figure of the Italian mafia, as the Consigliere of one of the most powerful families. His Italian boss considered him a son and protected him until his death. When his “adoptive father” died, clashes in the family emerged. So Vincenzo decided to leave. All along he had a plan: to retrieve Wang Shaolin’s (a wealthy Chinese business man) gold, hidden under a building called Geumga Plaza in Seoul.

Escaping internal strifes in Italy, Vincenzo arrives in Seoul and discovers that the residents of the Geumga Plaza are currently involved in a litigation with Babel Group. The pharmaceutical company wishes to redevelop the area and Geumga Plaza’s residents refuse to sell.

Thus, when the first episode starts there are already two main plots, which eventually converge at the end. Vincenzo wants to extract his gold (that is by the way protected by a high-tech system and a cornea recognition) and the residents want to keep their houses in the building.

Based on his background it is clear that Vincenzo is not going to be the “righter of wrongs”. Indeed, he is only interested in his gold and himself. Still, his cohabitation with the residents and his encounter with lawyer Hong Yu Chan (Yoo Jae Myung) will progressively make him change his mind, as well as his behavior.

In terms of personality, Vincenzo is a brilliant strategist. He is always many steps ahead of everyone, as if he were playing chess in real life. He knows what pawns to use and when to move them on the board. Moreover, he is quite reserved and discreet, making it difficult for others to know what he is thinking. He is cold and doesn’t trust people easily, which is understandable considering his education. Talking about his background, Vincenzo is definitely not your typical hero. He has murdered, tortured and haunted a great amount of enemies. He doesn’t fear death and uses terror as his main weapon. That’s why he can be described as a dark hero. He is quite ambivalent and of course his methods are really questionable. Yet, he decides to put his skills (as violent as they may be) at the service of protecting others. In that matter, he is a hero. He doesn’t hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it and destroys those who harm innocent victims.

I think that his past as a Consigliere of the Italian mafia has allowed Vincenzo to acquire a certain number of values that he can’t really betray such as honor, principles and a sense of justice (his own in that case). Though he is a dangerous man, he has a line of conduct. Even at war, you need to remain dignified and fair right? A maxim he seems to meticulously follow.

Yet, Vincenzo is not all bad. Little by little we actually see him opening up to the other residents and seek revenge for the injustice committed. He has in fact a warm heart behind all that mafia aura. His relationship with his mother for instance proves that he can be vulnerable as well. Indeed, his mother had a cancer when she left him at the orphanage. She thought she was going to die and so chose to give him away. Unexpectedly, she beat her cancer. However, her son had already been adopted abroad and she couldn’t get him back. She felt like she had failed her son and thus didn’t try to find him. Years later, she was sexually assaulted by a company chairman, who died shortly after. She was accused of the murder and was sent to jail. Helped by lawyer Hong Yu Chan (and later by Vincenzo himself), she got out of prison. She also suffers from a new cancer, which is another reason why she was allowed to go out.

Even if her presence in Vincenzo’s life was ephemeral, her murder by the enemy deeply wounds Vincenzo. When he discovers she has been murdered, he goes rogue and emotions take control. Even if Vincenzo is rational and cool-headed most of the time, he can also be quite impulsive and blood-thirsty when his family is hurt. In case you need to know: “you don’t mess with Vincenzo’s family”.

Interestingly, I believe that Vincenzo’s attachment to his family, whether it’d be his Italian one or that of the Geumga Plaza, is what makes him humane. He would do anything to protect them. This urge to keep safe those he loves is also the reason why first, he is a dark hero, and second able to defeat Babel and its minions. It is also the only element that distinguishes him from Babel’s CEO Jang Han Seok (Ock Taec Yeon).

Apart from that, we can’t oversee the fact that Vincenzo has an incredible aura. He embodies pride, dignity and charisma, even when he terrorizes others. Don’t you think?

Opposite to Vincenzo stands Jang Han Seok. We don’t know his identity from the get-go and the drama did an excellent job at hiding the face of Babel’s real CEO. At the beginning, Jang Han Seok goes by the name of Jang Joon Woo, Hong Cha Yong’s (Jeon Yeo Bin) assistant at Wusang law firm. Jang Joon Woo’s personality can associated with that of a child. He is immature and careless, considering everything as a game. He gets along quite well with Hong Cha Yong and they form an interesting duo, Hong Cha Yong in the role of the almost responsible adult and Joon Woo as the child.

As Jang Joon Woo, Jang Han Seok is able to have control over his firm’s lawsuits and to monitor Wusang’s loyalty to him. He seems quite satisfied with Cha Yong’s work, as she gets Babel away from civil complaints. Of course, she switches sides after her father’s death (lawyer Hong Yu Chan), when she realizes Babel is behind it. That is also approximatively by the same time that Han Seok’s identity is revealed and let me tell you, he has nothing to do with Jang Joon Woo’s.

Indeed, Jang Han Seok is the epitome of the psychopath. As a teenager he killed several of his school mates, keeping their watches as trophies. The affair was hushed up and Han Seok sent to the USA. He came back because of his father’s sickness, whom he ended up killing. He doesn’t feel compassion, he is arrogant and capricious. What he wants, he has to get. Even if it means trampling on others or killing them. His power, money and terrifying personality enable him to control prosecution and to nip in the bud his numerous misdeeds. He also oversees Wusang, a law firm whose goal is basically to protect Babel.

Vincenzo represents for Han Seok the perfect rival. He is of course annoyed by his presence and his victories, but this only works as a trigger in order to surpass him. Vincenzo is probably the only character who makes Han Seok’s blood boil and who can defeat him. Indeed, Han Seok is arrogant and think that he is God and others are insects (to be trivial). So he knows Vincenzo is dangerous, but he never thought (until the bitter end) that the Consigliere could have the upper hand in the fight. This arrogance is exactly the reason why he crumbled. Because he doesn’t have any consideration for others (including his little brother, whom he beats up constantly), he doesn’t understand the determination one can have if it means putting his family out of harm’s way. His appalling personality pushes people away as well (out of fear), making it difficult for him to find allies when money and power run low. Han Seok also lacks experience. Indeed, he uses violence and terror to get rid of his enemies (Vincenzo’s mother for example) but they are single actions that are not included in a broader picture.

It is clear that when we compare Vincenzo and Han Seok’s methods, they look quite similar. However, Vincenzo’s cruelty serves a purpose (obtaining information, getting his revenge,… aimed at protecting his family). On the contrary, Han Seok uses violence for the only purpose of using it and hurting people. He doesn’t combine it with tactics and uses it to fulfill his desires. That’s a huge difference between both characters, which explains why Vincenzo triumphs at the end. Despite the similarities, both characters go down a very distinct path.

Hong Cha Yong is definitely my favorite character of the drama. Just like Vincenzo, she is also very ambivalent and complex. At the beginning of the drama, she works for Wusang and protects Babel from getting sued. Her behavior and actions are therefore morally questionable. She doesn’t seem to care about the victims. Instead her career and paycheck prevail. Moreover, she defies her father Hong Yu Chan in court, as he represents the victims. Thus her relationship with her father is quite complicated. She blames him for having been constantly absent in her life because of his sense of justice. So father and daughter are quite estranged. Nevertheless, her father’s death makes her realize that law should be used to protect and not to justify dirty deeds. As a victim herself of Babel, she goes on a crusade against him, accompanied by Vincenzo.

Hong Cha Yong can be defined as outstanding in all aspects. She is determined, stubborn, strong-willed and brazen as hell. She is not afraid of anything and doesn’t let other’s terror games get to her mind. Even in defeat she gets back on her feet and retaliates. Because of her strong personality and bold (sometimes reckless) behavior, she can be considered as Vincenzo’s equal. They are quite similar and Hong Cha Yong has absolutely no problem with Vincenzo’s dark past. On the contrary, she accepts him for who he is, doesn’t judge him and supports him, even in his craziest (and most violent) moments. The fact that she hides her emotions and vulnerability behind a strong face helps her understand Vincenzo more because he acts exactly the same.

Together they are definitely invincible! I loved that duo! They are surely one of the best duos I have seen on screen and actually reminded me a bit of Lee Joon Ki and Seo Ye Ji’s partnership in Lawless Lawyer. Vincenzo and Hong Cha Yong are bold, brazen and full of panache. Plus they are really funny as well.

Choi Myung Hee (Kim Yeo Jin) is also an atypical dark villain. She is a prosecutor turned lawyer, who uses law to her advantage. If Cha Yong is similar to Vincenzo, Myung Hee is definitely Han Seok’s equal. Both are cruel and violent individuals, who walk on people to get what they want. The more we see Choi Myung Hee, the more we discover about her. We witness actually her ascension from low prosecutor to Babel’s Consigliere, to her terrible death as well. Paired with Jang Han Seok, they also form a strong duo and undeniable rivals. Despite the fact that they were totally horrible (not going to lie on that one!), it was actually quite interesting to see the bond they create over the course of the episodes. By the end of the drama, they have this great trust in each other, to the point that Myung Hee accepts to sacrifice herself and go to jail for Han Seok. Both characters started as loners but entered a solid partnership, that could’ve been indecently powerful, had Vincenzo not been there.

Choi Myung Hee also had a funny side with her obsession for Zumba, which turns against her in death (or so to speak).

Jang Han Seo (Kwak Dong Yeon) was literally my second favorite character after Hong Cha Yong! Just like Myung Hee’s evolution, Han Seo’s character was also beautifully developed. He went from this immature and irresponsible puppet CEO to a grown-up man protecting his allies and sacrificing himself. Apart from that, the bond Han Seo unexpectedly created with Vincenzo was so heart-warming. He saw in Vincenzo the brother he never really had and a mentor figure. Their scenes together were so tender, as Han Seo was like a cute little puppy trying to win over Vincenzo’s heart. In the end, he managed to become his dongsaeng (little brother). The admiration and respect Han Seo had for Vincenzo is also the reason why Han Seok is defeated. Indeed, Han Seok underestimated once again family by mistreating his stepbrother Han Seo. Therefore, the latter turned against him and chose to side with Vincenzo. His sacrificial death broke my heart, but his evolution as a character and a person was amazing to see!

Supporting characters: Like I said, all supporting characters have a role to play in the story. They represent the pillars of the story and their hidden skills enable main leads to get out of tricky situations.

First, there are Lee Chae Wook (Yang Kyung Won) the owner of the pawnshop and his wife Jang Yeo Jin (Seo Ye Hwa). Though they don’t look like it, both are ex-champions in wrestling and weightlifting. Thus they are quite able to take down anyone who messes with them (or the rest of the residents). Their skills, especially Chae Wook’s, are often helpful to Vincenzo during the several missions against Babel.
Plus, I have to say that their story line about their desire to have a child is very sweet. Even if Chae Wook is stabbed at the end, he still survives and we see him reunited with his wife and baby at the Plaza.

Second, there is Tak Hong Shik (Choi Duk Moon). The owner of the dry cleaner seems quite harmless at first glimpse, but wait until you give him a pair of scissors. When he was younger, he used to be part of a gang and known as a dangerous individual. A past that comes in handy for Vincenzo.

Seo Mi Ri (Kim Yoon Hye) the piano teacher is an invaluable asset to the team too. She is a professional hacker and the creator of the security system guarding the gold. Without her, Vincenzo would’ve been unable to retrieve the gold.

Kwak Hee Soo (Lee Hang Na) and her son Kim Young Ho (Kang Chae Min) can throw some punches too. Hee Soo used to be a boxing champion and her son takes on the same path. Moreover, Hee Soo can be quite persuasive and strong-willed when it comes to getting her chewing-gum back, if you see what I mean!

Chef Toto (Kim Hyung Mook) has a tense relationship with Vincenzo at first. As an Italian chef, Vincenzo expects him to cook amazingly. Yet, they start of the wrong foot because of the Consigliere’s obvious dislike for Toto’s food. However, Vincenzo’s hurtful remarks don’t prevent Toto from coming at the rescue, either on field or at the Plaza. Indeed, he used to be a ssireum champion.

Working with Chef Toto as his assistant, there is the funniest character of the drama. NIS undercover agent An Gi Seok (Lim Chul Soo) is probably Vincenzo’s greatest asset. Though Gi Seok suspects Vincenzo at the beginning, he rapidly becomes fond of him. His admiration and respect, combined with his love for Italy, push him to side with the Consigliere and to protect the Plaza. Later on, he involves his boss Tae Jong Gu (Kwon Tae Won) in Vincenzo’s plan to take down Han Seok. Without Gi Seok, I can’t really see how Vincenzo would’ve won.

Speaking of NIS, another important figure is to be mentioned: Cho Yeong Un (Choi Young Joon). The official owner of Geumga Plaza probably has 3 to 4 covers in the drama. He is also responsible for a certain number of twists in the story: at first he is Vincenzo’s ally, then turns against him when they manage to open the lid leading to the gold. Indeed, he wants to get the Guillotine File back, which contains all the dirty deeds of politicians, prosecutors, lawyers,… in South Korea. After an unfortunate event, the lid becomes unaccessible and Yeong Un thinks the Guillotine File is lost. In reality, it is in Vincenzo’s possession. At the end of the drama, Yeong Un participates in Vincenzo’s trap to catch Han Seok and is reinstated as a NIS agent, under Gi Seok’s management. A satysfying end for a character who went through so many ups and downs.

Yeong Un is not the only one who switch sides. Geumga Plaza’s official Nutria Park Seok Do (Kim Young Woong) and his crew used to antagonize Vincenzo and tried several times to violently expel the residents. They failed most of the times and were met in ridicule by Vincenzo himself. Yet, their support at then end, especially Seok Do’s nursing skills, was a life-savior (literally).

Larry Kang (Kim Seol Jin) is a useful dancer as well, who is definitely capable of playing a zombie and attracting attention on his performance.

Moreover, Vincenzo is aided by the most honest and cutest clerk ever: Nam Joo Sung (Yoon Byung Hee). His love for his bicycle and Vincenzo are adorable. Also, he is hard-working and is a trustworthy pillar in our favorite duo’s scheme against Han Seok.

Last but not least, it is obvious that the monks in the drama are a discreet force to be reckoned with. Thanks to them, Vincenzo is not only able to transport the gold in a safe place, but also receives wise advice to guide him.

Opposite to this amazing community, Han Seok’s side also has some strong assets. There is the sneaky and two-faced lawyer Han Seung Hyeok (Jo Han Chul) for instance. He is partly responsible for Han Seo’s change of heart, as he pushes him to slowly turn against his own brother.

Prosecutor Jung In Kuk (Ko Sang Ho) can also be mentioned, since his betrayal is a turning point in Vincenzo’s revenge. Indeed, it can be correlated with Vincenzo’s decision to use very unorthodox methods.

All in all, the drama illustrated the importance of each grain of sand that together, make a desert and become unstoppable. (I’m sorry for the crazy metaphor!).

Direction: The intricate and complex plot (or should I say plots) led the way to the creation of a real masterpiece. Vincenzo perfectly combines action, violence, suspense, comedy and romance, constantly oscillating between darkness and light. It is a roller coaster of emotions, that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

Humor is present all the time (the pigeons coming to Vincenzo’s rescue, residents confusing Corn Salad and Consigliere, Vincenzo venting out his frustration in Italian or being robbed the minute he sets foot in Korea…. and I could go on forever).

Still, this humorous tone is sometimes clouded by the plot’s dark and evil twists. Such turn of events are sublimated most of the time by Kim Hee Won’s beautiful direction. She manages to capture Vincenzo’s essence on screen and to convey through her ingenious shots and original frames the seriousness, gravity and intensity of each scene. Therefore, Vincenzo is a well-written story to follow as well as a mind-blowing cinematographic experience, that deserve recognition.

If all of this is not enough to convince you to watch the drama, the acting performance may do so. Song Joong Ki is a very charismatic and mysterious Consigliere, Jeon Yeo Bin is a cunning and sassy lawyer, Kim Yeo Jin is devil incarnate and Taec Yeon’s portrayal of a psychopath is accurate, just and subtle. No to mention of course his capacity of playing two characters with completely opposite personalities. To be quite honest, I really think that this is Taec Yeon’s best acting performance so far. Even Kwak Dong Yeon is incredible! His ambivalent character made me feel compassion, attachment and tenderness for him. Well done everyone!

To complete this perfect picture, the OSTs celebrating a victory or arousing tension, have been meticulously chosen and participate in the global success of the drama!

What are the themes tackled?

World of the mafia: As Vincenzo is a respected Consigliere, it was expected that Italy and the mafia would have an important place in the drama. That’s why the drama begins in Italy and shows Vincenzo burning down a wine plantation, because the owner has not honored his part of the contract. Vincenzo takes his famous lighter out and starts a grand fire. After that he hops on a plane to Seoul, bringing with him a part of Italy. The drama worked hard in order to keep alive his adoptive country and show his dual personality (deeply related to the countries he has lived in). The Sicilian part, his insults in Italian, his dialogues with Lucas (a member of his Italian family), his maxims, the music he listens to, Chef Toto and his Italian restaurant, up to the methods Vincenzo uses are all elements referring to his hidden side and duplicity.

Vincenzo brought the Italian mafia’s spirit with him. Therefore, he terrorizes his enemies, transforms them into allies before getting rid of them or even builds up tension and fear to play with their minds. His violence and his audacity are reminiscence of his past, as well as a defense mechanism to protect his team. Talking about family, it is definitely obvious that Vincenzo has a lot of affection for the Geumga Plaza’s residents and considers them his own crew. As a true mafia leader, he is thus bound by honor and duty to stick with them and protect them.

Myung Hee and Han Seok also refer to the fact that he acts like someone who belongs to the mafia. Yet, they constantly underestimate him and don’t really grasp what it means to be part of the mafia. They intend to act like one, but they lack the honor, duty and respect that comes with it. For that reason, they aren’t able to surpass Vincenzo.

World of pharmaceuticals: The drama offers a glimpse of the pharmaceutical world too. Though its realism can be questioned of course, I still found interesting to see how big pharmaceutical companies work. Between clinical trials, disrespect for labor unions, deaths of engineers working on confidential projects and so-called ground-breaking scientific progress, Babel seems to be irremediably rotten to the core. I am aware that not all pharmaceutical companies are like that (thankfully) but some issues (especially about clinical trials and failures) are also sometimes tackled in real life and can lead to quite the controversy. Naturally, some events in the drama are too big too be true, but still, nice portrayal of that world.

A corrupted judicial system: Well, this is definitely not new, but dramas love to shed light on a corrupted judicial system. In the drama, its functioning is compared to that of the mafia, showing how unlawful (pretty ironic for the justice) and unfair it actually is. Instead of helping and protecting the most vulnerable, prosecutors and lawyers (and judges, let’s not forget) hijack the system. This leads to a considerable amount of unjustified deaths in the drama and enables Vincenzo to stand as the hero of the story.

If the portrayal of that corrupted system was not enough, the name of Hong Yu Chan’s firm Jipuragi makes you understand right away how bad and critical the situation is. Jipuragi means “straw”, that is to say the last thing defenseless people can hold on to, when confronted with injustice and unfair treatment.

Hong Yu Chan explains by the way this meaning to Vincenzo himself, and it seems like the message has been well received. Vincenzo gradually becomes this last straw for the Plaza’s residents as well as Babel’s victims.

Religion: I wouldn’t particularly say that religion occupies a huge place in the drama, but there are still some elements that remind me of biblical/historical fights and deaths. Plus the presence of the buddhist temple guarding the gold at the Plaza can’t be overlooked.

David and Goliath: Vincenzo has definitely a “David-and-Goliath” vibe. The fight seems disproportional because Vincenzo and Hong Cha Yong, with very few resources, have to stand against an enormous and powerful pharmaceutical group, backed up by the country’s judicial system. Though strengths are not balanced, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Yong win because of their amazing determination and naturally their wits. Remember that David threw his sling right on Goliath’s head and defeated him like that. Well, Vincenzo did quite the same: he shot Han Seok in the ear and brought him god-like punishment. Using a Russian mafia method, the spear of atonement, Vincenzo pierced Han Seok’s lungs and heart with the tool. It was a long and painful death for the villain, which ended with a crow, messenger of death, eating his intestines. Han Seok tried to act like a God and he was punished for his hubris.

The myth of Prometheus: In the Greek mythology, Prometheus is also punished by the Gods (Zeus in particular), for having stolen fire and giving it to humans. Though, Han Seok’s behavior distinguishes itself from Prometheus’ in the myth, their defiance brought them to their own demise. They died, while being eaten by a crow.

Abel and Cain: In religious texts, Cain is Adam and Eve’s first son. He is also the first murderer in history, because he kills his own brother Abel. I guess you can see the resemblance with our story: Abel and Babel are quite similar in terms of pronunciation; Babel group resorts to killings and violence all the time; Han Seok embodies perfectly Cain, as he kills Han Seo (his brother) at the end. A further interpretation of the myth says that Cain represents evil and Abel good, an idea that fits quite well the plot of Vincenzo.

The Tower of Babel: The name of the biblical story kind of gives away the connection right away. But in the drama, it is not impossible to draw parallels between the tower built by men aimed at reaching God and the pharmaceutical Group of the same name, whose CEO is keen on deciding who lives and dies (hence playing God). Not to mention Jang Han Seok’s obsession with his Babel tower that Vincenzo destroys several times. If that is not enough to make you see the link, I don’t know what can.

Meaning of Vincenzo: The name Vincenzo is not uncommon either. It comes from the Latin “vicere” which means to defeat. Saint Vincent is also said to have been a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He was tortured and died a martyr in 304. His tenacity was celebrated by everyone, because he kept on smiling during torture and didn’t flinch a bit. This tenacity is similar to Vincenzo’s in the drama so I can’t help but seeing a link here, as far-fetched as it may be.

Myung Hee’s punishment: Her death by fire is not without sense I believe. Fire assures you a very slow and painful death, but it is also the element of purification. Considering Myung Hee’s many sins, it is rather ironic that she dies like that. Plus Vincenzo breaks her feet (once again this is ironic considering her passion for zumba) so she can’t run away.

Caesar’s death: Okay, once again this might be my imagination, but Seung Hyeok’s death is actually similar to Caesar’s death. First, both their deaths are the results of conspiracies from their former allies, second they died stabbed in the middle of a crowd. Finally, killers escape in both cases. Based on all of that, I guess we can assume there has been an inspiration.

All in all, I have to admit that either in the mythology are on screen, these deaths are spectacular punishments!

Vaisravana: This reference is directly explained in the drama during Vincenzo and one of the monks’ conversation. Vincenzo doubts himself and regrets his evil actions, but he knows he can’t change his life now. Despite that, he doesn’t wish to inflict more pain to anyone. Seeing his doubt and dilemma, the senior monk of Geuma Plaza’s temple compares him to Vaisravana. This figure is one of the 4 celestial Kings in Buddhism. Despite his terrifying appearance, he acts like a protector. That being said, Vincenzo is comparable to that figure: behind the cruel mask of the mafia, he wishes to protect those he loves.

The ending: By the end of the drama, Jang Han Seok and Choi Myung Hee are dead, Babel Group has been defeated in court and victims compensated, all the Plaza residents stayed in the building and protect it, the gold has been retrieved and distributed among those who took it out. Hong Cha Yong and her clerk still fight for justice, while Vincenzo had to flee because he was accused of the villains’ murders. The NIS has now the Guillotine File and safely guards it. As for the romance between Vincenzo and Hong Cha Yong it is kind of bittersweet. Vincenzo has bought an island near Malta and can only sneak in Korea using the diplomatic Italian team in order to see Cha Yong. Though they love each other, their story seems difficult to maintain. Of course, this doesn’t mean that they won’t try.

Ah and I forget, Vincenzo’s mother has been absolved for the Chairman’s crimes! Briefly said: all is well, that ends well!

References: In case you hadn’t noticed, the drama is full of references to the actors’ previous roles or to pop culture in general. Here are a few ones that deserve to be mentioned:
– Space Sweepers‘ cast members in Episode 1 as thugs and thieves (Space Sweepers and Vincenzo were released almost at the same time and Song Joong Ki is the main lead in both drama and movie)
– Song Joong Ki as the Great Gatsby at the Sicilian party
– The life reproduction of Delacroix’ painting La liberté guidant le peuple (Liberty Leading the People) by the Plaza’s residents
– A quote from Les Misérables in Episode 10
– Taec Yeon referring to his own Kpop group 2PM “Can you feel my heartbeat”
– Nam Joo Sang’s plants named after Song Joong Ki’s previous roles (Eunseom, Maru…)
– The name of Vincenzo’s pigeon Inzhagi is also the name of a famous Italian soccer player
– Jeon Soo Nam’s haircut compared to Park Seo Joon’s in Itaewon Class
– The voice imitation of My Mister and Parasite’s main actor Lee Sun Gyun
– Taec Yeon watches a drama with 2 other members of 2PM
– The obvious references to “My Precious” and The Lord of the Ring in episodes 13 and 15

And there are surely others that I haven’t spotted but are definitely there!

P.S.: Did you spot all of these references?