The tvN dark comedy Vincenzo starring Song Joong-ki as a mafioso sounded so bonkers that I just had to check it out. Since the story is only beginning to take shape, it's hard to know what to make of it yet. But I have to say, it's more coherent than I anticipated. The premiere episode focuses predominantly on setup and introducing the large ensemble of characters central to the story. The wacky premise and cast of characters suggests we could be in for a lot of fun and hijinks. And, of course, there's Song Joong-ki being all dark and mysterious which doesn't hurt.
EPISODE 1
VINCENZO CASSANO (Song Joong-ki) stands staring at a building and proclaims, "My goal is to tear this building down." We see it crumble to the ground.
72 hours earlier, Vincenzo wakes in Rome and readies for the day. A chyron tells us he's the consigliere – or legal advisor – for the Cassano mafia family. He's driven to the heavily guarded mansion of someone named Emilio and presents him an offer from his recently deceased boss Fabio.
It's less of an offer and more of a threat, really, since Emilio killed a close friend of Vincenzo's boss Fabio. When Emilio refuses complete with racist remarks, Vincenzo smiles and curses him in Korean before walking off.
During their conversation, a plane has been flying overhead crop dusting. But rather than pesticides, it's been spraying the grounds with lighter fluid that Vincenzo ignites by tossing his lighter behind him on the way out. The vineyard goes up in flames. Emilio is very angry which we know by his intense gesticulating, grit teeth, and screams to the heavens.
Vincenzo goes straight to Fabio's funeral where he stares at his open casket, calling him, "Father." There's tension between Fabio's biological son Paolo and Vincenzo with Paolo whining about how his father trusted Vincenzo more. As the new boss, Paolo wants his "brother's" loyalty which Vincenzo would happily give were he to deserve it. Damn.
That night, three men sneak into Vincenzo's and shoot several rounds into his bed only to find it empty. Vincenzo strides out of the bathroom, gun raised, and shoots all three dead.
He calls Paolo who's stunned to hear he's alive. Aboard a plane, Vincenzo tells him he let him live out of respect for Fabio. He does blow up his car, though. Vincenzo is leaving Italy for good and warns Paolo not to look for him because he'll kill him next time. On the flight, Vincenzo examines files on Geumga Plaza, a building slated to be demolished due to a conglomerate's "tyranny."
Elsewhere, HONG CHA-YOUNG (Jeon Yeo-bin) strongarms a whistleblower with threats of a suit from her client. She literally has him pull laminated bills out of a cake, so it's safe to say she's a bit eccentric and, shall we say, spirited. Deed accomplished, she meets up with her bubbly intern JANG JOON-WOO (Taecyeon) at the courthouse.
In court, she argues for a pharmaceutical company the opposition claims is responsible for the deaths of its test trial participants. That whistleblower was a star witness, but she got him to recant, so the trial is adjourned.
Outside, she and the opposing counsel get into a little tiff. It turns out, he's her father HONG YOO-CHAN (Yoo Jae-myung). They're not on good terms, and he even accuses her and her client of being like the mafia. She begins crying and begging him to call it quits, worrying this is taking a toll on his health.
He deadpans that she should be an actress so she'd have less chance of hurting people. Cha-young's crying immediately ceases, and she asserts that he can't beat her. Her father insists he'll find a way to disown her, at least.
Meanwhile, Vincenzo arrives in Korea with a plan. He'll wrap things up within a month and head to Malta. But the big bad mafia consigliere immediately gets swindled by a fake taxi driver who spikes his water.
