Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha marks the grand comeback of the biggest k-drama breakout star of 2020: Kim Seon-ho. The wealthy and dapper second lead that we all fell in love with in Start-Up is now the hero of his own k-drama romance. While there are many of us in Team Good Boy who are still licking our wounds from last year, we are ready to move on and see Kim Seon-ho have his happy ending.

Does the new tvN-produced and sure Netflix hit live up to the hype? Find out in our spoiler-free Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha review. Take note that I am only reviewing the first two episodes, so a lot of my opinions about the show may change from now!

I mean, I was so quick to declare Record of Youth as the perfect k-drama for zillennials, but that one turned out to be pretty disappointing.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Plot

With such a unique name, you’d expect the show to be about a cha-cha dancer moving back to their hometown to live his dream. But this remake of the 2004 film Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong tells the story of a city girl dentist from Seoul, Yoon Hye-jin (played by Shin Min-a), who moves to a small seaside village called Gongjin to open her own clinic. She does this after quitting her comfy job in Seoul when she is fed up with her money-hungry boss.

In Gongjin, she meets the handy Hong Du-sik (played by Kim Seon-ho) who does everything in their town. And when I say everything, I mean everything — being a barista in the cafe and the sauna, a painter, a renovator, a soapmaker — you name it, and he has the license to do it.

Yoon Hye-jin’s privileged upbringing in Seoul becomes a nuisance when her snobbish behavior turns everyone in town against her. But Hong Du-sik is well-loved by everyone in their town because of his jolly can-do attitude. Du-sik helps Hye-jin adjust into her new life in the province and eventually fall in love in the process.

The promos leading up to the show also promised that it was going to offer warmth and healing. While the first two episodes of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha didn’t really tackle any of those yet, there were some subtle hints about the two leads’ families having a complicated past. And we were also introduced to a whole slew of whimsical characters from the village who will surely provide some entertainment and heartwarming moments as we learn more about them.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Review: The Characters

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is shaping up to be one of the best romantic k-dramas of 2021. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been biased about this series because Kim Seon-ho is probably my favorite k-drama actor right now. But I’ve been in a drought with k-dramas lately where nothing that I’ve been watching has been serving.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha episode 1 was one of the few k-drama episodes in a while where I was hooked from start to finish. Let’s start with the cast and characters.

I didn’t think much of Shin Min-a coming into the show, but the girl can admittedly breathe life to her character. The problem with having an unaware snobby rich city girl as the main character is that she can easily become unlikable. Shin Min-a is able to do her job in making Yoon Hye-jin just the right amount of annoying, and more importantly, rootable.

As for Kim Seon-ho, his Chief Hong character doesn’t feel too different from roles that he has played before. I mean he does the easily irritable/tough love character pretty well as we saw in his role as Han Ji-pyeong (Start-Up), and Cha U-sik (Welcome to Waikiki 2), but Hong Du-sik doesn’t feel too different. So if you fell in love with him before, then you’ll probably enjoy him here as well.

Hong Du-sik still feels like a two-dimensional character without a lot of concrete motives, but we still have a long list of episodes to go through where we can explore who he is, so I’m giving the show a pass.

We can’t talk about Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha without bringing up the entire village of Gongjin. I presume this show is going to be a lot like It’s Okay to Not Be Okay where we learn more about the supporting characters’ backstories one by one.

There’s no one as iconic as Chef Toto in Vincenzo yet, but I already appreciate their presence a lot even if the first two episodes don’t do a good job highlighting their personalities. One of the things I’m looking forward to is how Yoon Hye-jin will get along with the more conservative elders in Gongjin. They already badmouthed her just because she had the galls to wear *gasp* leggings while jogging, so I’m hoping that getting to know Hye-jin more will help them reflect on their outdated values.

Then episode 2 of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha fleshed out the washed-up 90s one-hit-wonder, Oh Chun-jae, whom Hye-jin had a pretty awkward and hurtful encounter with.

If the writers keep the village residents as a central element of the show, then I undoubtedly see it raking in success. The characters are interestingly whimsical, and it would be a shame if we didn’t give them enough shine.

And perhaps the most stunning character in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is Gongjin itself. I’m a sucker for TV shows set in gorgeous beaches like Yangyang Beach in Lovestruck in the City, so I’d like to point out how much value the seaside village adds to the show “about healing”. It really does a lot for me whenever we get a relaxing view of the sea, the boats, or the mountains. The setting being so present sucks us deeper into the universe, especially when complemented by the simpler people we meet in the village.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Review: Final Thoughts

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha has never been presented as a groundbreaking k-drama, but does it have to be? I’m not gonna lie and say that it’s a “must watch” show (for now), but I’ve been waiting for a quality romantic comedy to sink my k-drama lovin’ teeth into. In that aspect, it seems to do its job well.

The k-drama led by Kim Seon-ho and Shin Min-a is a cute harmless romantic story that doesn’t really take a lot of effort to watch.

The future episodes promise to add some spice into the story, but I have a pretty good feeling about the general vibe of the show just from the first two episodes alone. It’s going to be a breezy boy-falls-in-love-with-girl thing where Hong Du-sik teaches Yoon Hye-jin the “simpler life”… until we start to unpack some of their family baggage from the past. And maybe throw in a richer and more handsome second lead into the mix, then you’ve got yourself a winning romcom!

Like I said earlier in this Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha review, the show has a lot of potential depending on how they use their supporting characters.

Because aside from them, it’s really hard to see where the show can potentially go from here — and not in a good unpredictable kind of way — but in a “how are they going to stretch this to 16 episodes” type of thing. I hope the writers are able to introduce enough compelling elements soon to help the story be more interesting when the main romance plot starts to peak.

For example, the cliffhanger of episode 2 doesn’t really entice me to watch the next one because I don’t know what conflict I should be looking forward to.

But overall, the main characters and their insane chemistry are enough to make me enjoy the show. I mean I was hooked from the very first scene of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and it kept me smiling until the end of its 80-minute running time, so there is something really great here. Not all k-dramas impress me from the start so I have no doubt that it will pick up soon.

Plus, who doesn’t love a good ol’ princess and the pauper story? There are some pretty funny moments thrown in there set up by the premise of a clueless city girl living in a conservative small town.

And if there’s anything to look forward to, it’s Lee Sang-yi’s character. We haven’t encountered him yet, so things can only get more interesting from here.

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Do you have a Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha review of your own? Leave your thoughts and questions about the show in the comments below!

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The post ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ Review: A Cute, Light Romcom K-Drama appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Last week in The Penthouse, Baek Jun-ki has finally inserted himself in all the Hera Palace drama when he introduced himself to everyone as Joo Dan-tae’s friend from Japan. Little do they know that it could not be further from the truth! But Cheon Seo-jin snooped around his things and found the metaphorical bomb that Jun-ki had been keeping in his back pocket: a poster of Joo Dan-tae being a wanted criminal from Japan.

The Penthouse 3 episode 4 took us to the most action-filled episode of the season yet, thanks mostly to Oh Yoon-hee being a pain in Joo Dan-tae’s ass. What will Baek Jun-ki tell Cheon Seo-jin now that she knows his secret? Who is Kim Moo-sik and why is her dead body in the Hera Palace fountain? The burning questions get answered in our review, recap & reactions.

Feel free to leave your thoughts about this episode in the comments down below! And remember: if you missed our discussion of previous episodes of The Penthouse 3, you can always go back to them HERE.

Note: I am sorry that I was not able to do last week’s episode, but that’s what happens when real life gets in the way. The important thing is I am back to cover this very exciting part of The Penthouse 3.

The Penthouse 3 Episode 4 Recap

As always, sooo many things happened in this week’s episode. The Jun-ki vs. Dan-tae storyline that dominated much of last week’s episode had taken a backseat to more pressing matters. But Dan-tae better act fast because his enemies are growing, and he has no one but himself to rely on this time.

Cheon Seo-jin tried to extract more information out of Jun-ki after seeing Dan-tae’s face on a wanted poster. But the bigger piece of the puzzle was why it said that his name was Baek Jun-ki. Despite the Fake Jun-ki threatening her to stop digging, the ever-so-smart songstress was able to put two and two together: they were not actually friends as they claimed, and Dan-tae was stealing his identity.

We also saw how Logan Lee helped Jun-ki escape the mental institution that he was locked in for years. He even lent him his credit card afterwards! Rich guys be richin’.

READ: ‘The Penthouse 3’: Episode 2 Review, Recap & Reactions

Speaking of Logan, everyone in town was talking about the $10 billion dollars of his that they (correctly) thought Oh Yoon-hee had. In The Penthouse 3 episode 4, we were finally let in on the reason why he was giving that money to her. Are you ready for this?

Shim Su-ryeon didn’t give birth to only one daughter in America… she actually had twins. And the other twin — Min Seol-a’s sister or brother — may or may not be alive! And of course the disappearing twin act was orchestrated by Joo Dan-tae himself.

So Logan asked Yoon-hee to use the money so that she could uncover the truth about the mysterious twin without Su-ryeon knowing. And there was sooo much more drama that involved Yoon-hee and other people’s children. Su-ryeon told her about Dan-tae forcing Seok-kyung to steal her legal seal so that he could transfer the ownership of the penthouse and Lot 27 under his and Joo Seok-hoon’s name.

It raised a red flag in Yoon-hee’s head: why would he place Seok-hoon’s name instead of Seok-kyung when she had been the one helping him all this time?

Soon, Oh Yoon-hee was stealing hair from the kids’ hairbrushes for a DNA test that revealed everything: (1) one of Joo Dan-tae’s children was not his, (2) Shim Su-ryeon’s biological daughter AKA Min Seol-a’s twin sister was alive, and (3) it was Joo Seok-kyung all along!

Mind. Blown.

But before Yoon-hee could tell the truth to Su-ryeon, she was preoccupied with a car chase against Joo Dan-tae whilst rescuing a kidnapped Ha Eun-byeol. Girl was buuuuusy in The Penthouse 3 episode 4!

So let’s rewind a bit to how we got to this situation, shall we?

Jin Bun-hong was getting extremely, psycopathically obsessed over Eun-byeol to the point where she would not allow the child to do anything out of her sight. But a chance encounter with Bae Ro-na in the restroom made it possible for Eun-byeol to escape her precarious situation… temporarily.

Ro-na was able to deduce that Eun-byeol was being abused by Ms. Jin, so she and Seok-hoon created a plan to rescue her rival-and-almost-murderer. She instigated a fight with Eun-byeol that led to the latter being able to take a cab to Ro-na’s place in Hera Palace.

It was going well until Little She-Devil Joo Seok-kyung got a whiff of what they were up to. To make her former schoolmates’ lives miserable, she told Ms. Jin about where the two lovebirds had been keeping her “daughter”. This allowed Jin Bun-hong to set up a trap for Eun-byeol and chloroform her to unconsciousness. But Oh Yoon-hee was able to see the kidnapping take place, and the car chase was on!

Ms. Jin would call Joo Dan-tae for help, who already seemed like he was very eager to drop her as an ally earlier. But when he learned that Yoon-hee was involved, he knew that it was his chance to destroy her. So he told Ms. Jin to lure her into his cottage in Gimpo.

Yoon-hee was able to arrive at Dan-tae’s Gimpo cottage with Ms. Jin and an unconscious Eun-byeol. She was smart enough to run towards Ms. Jin’s car immediately and attempted to drive away from the scene as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Joo Dan-tae followed her in the heart-stopping car chase of a lifetime!

Their long-winded adventure was cut short when they reached the end of a cliff. This only meant good things for the evil Dan-tae, who continuously rammed his car onto Yoon-hee’s several times in an attempt to push her (and Sleeping Beauty Eun-byeol) off to their death. She-Hulk Yoon-hee was only delaying the inevitable by getting behind the car so that she could stop it from falling off the cliff.

As police car sirens sounded off, Dan-tae made his exit. But to make sure that the girls would plunge into their death, he placed a huge rock on the gas pedal of his own car. And that’s where we ended her journey in The Penthouse 3 episode 4: with Yoon-hee hanging on the edge of a cliff, trying her damndest to rescue Ha Eun-byeol.

And if you didn’t get enough of She-Hulk Yoon-hee this week, then you’ll be happy to know that she has another thing to hold over Joo Dan-tae’s head if she survives. When she learned more about Joo Hye-in’s birth mother, Kim Mi-sook, she immediately confronted Yoo Dong-pil about her murder. Even if he just threatened her to back off, she already knew that he was covering for Mi-sook’s real murderer: Dan-tae.

So Dan-tae found out that she had been snooping around about the Mi-sook thing too, so add that to the long list of Why Oh Yoon-Hee Should Die.

But in a flashback in The Penthouse 3 episode 4, we finally learned more about what happened the night she was murdered. Kim Mi-sook was blackmailing Dan-tae because she found out that one of the twins was not really his own. And just to make it clear, that also meant that Na Ae-gyo never gave birth to twins!

The ballsy move by Mi-sook was enough for Dan-tae to murder her. As he tried to cover up the body, Dong-pil walked in on him and agreed to take the fall for the whole thing. As what had been hinted to us in the second season, he did it to ensure his family got compensated well and had a place in the penthouse.

We ended the episode with Dong-pil discovering Mi-sook’s dead body within Hera Palace. And of course, Dan-tae stood there laughing at him like the cockroach that he was.

That was mostly all the excitement we got this week. Elsewhere, the Cheong-a Arts Theater had finally been built and most Hera Club members are vying for the director position. And we finally got some insight into Secretary Cho and his undying loyalty towards his abusive boss! We confirmed that he was originally “Dong-pil’s guy”, but Joo Dan-tae had his family captive or something. There was also a scene where a scary maid drugged Seok-kyung in the Gimpo farm… wonder what that’s all about.

The Penthouse 3 Episode 4 Review & Reactions

Are all episodes in this season just gonna have a lot happening all the time? If so, then sign me up!

I never realized how “average” the start of the season was until I watched this episode. It definitely made me realize that we had been missing something from the previous weeks. Plot twists, compelling character arcs, more Ha Eun-byeol… whatever it is, we’re back!

The Penthouse 3 episode 4 basically made me root for Oh Yoon-hee again. I’ve always been meh towards her since the very beginning, and felt especially betrayed by her when she turned to the dark side in season 1, but she has proven herself to be a great person recently. Even her sketchiness around Logan’s $10 billion dollars had a justifiable reason behind it.

If only she wasn’t stupid enough to keep Su-ryeon in the dark for sooo long.

I also loved how Joo Dan-tae recognized her (and all the other women in his life) as a pest that just won’t go away. How does she always manage to be an obstacle in his life? Unfortunately, I think that go-getter behavior of hers may have just landed her a spot in the afterlife.

I don’t think I’ve ever been scared for a character in the show since Shim Su-ryeon was allegedly killed back in the first season. But the car chase between Oh Yoon-hee and Joo Dan-tae was just excellent and had me at the edge of my seat! I was rooting so hard for her to hang on for dear life. The fact that she personally rescued her daughter’s almost-murderer spoke to her character.

This is one of those moments where I’m actually not sure about how a character will escape their death. With only a few episodes left in the show, anything is possible! If I were a betting man, I’d say that Yoon-hee will fake her deaths for some time and wait for her moment to strike against Dan-tae.

Regardless of what happens, I’m sure that act of bravery would almost be enough to make Cheon Seo-jin trust her… almost. While I always mention how frustrating it is that the Hera ladies can’t come together to take down Dan-tae, I totally understand the slow burn. Between murders, man-stealing, and multiple betrayals, they have many reasons to distrust each other.

In fact, if Yoon-hee actually does give up on trying to save Eun-byeol’s life to save her own, it might cause an even bigger rift among the ladies.

Anyone else got confused about the whole Shim Su-ryeon/Na Ae-gyo/birth mother/twins situation going on? For the past two episodes, I found myself gasping at all the revelations about the twin switches and birth mother drama, and after a few seconds, I’d be like: wait, what? The whole situation has become ridiculous and complicated — as if it wasn’t already after the second season — but a few rewinds and online searches later, I am finally caught up to speed.

Joo Seok-kyung being Su-ryeon’s real daughter is gonna shake up their rocky dynamic… for the better, I hope. After they find out the truth, the two of them could hopefully attend some family counseling because Seok-kyung has some issues. And hopefully, learning that she had been bullying her twin sister Min Seol-a would be enough to make her realize that she needs to change her ways.

But I wouldn’t put it past Seok-kyung to continue being the way she is.

I’m surprised with how abruptly the Kim Moo-sik murder played out. With the way the show has been building it up since the first episode, I thought that there’d be more to the story behind it. Instead, her appearance was just used as a way to confirm that Na Ae-gyo gave birth to only one child.

It was quite odd, but I guess she served her purpose? She was a vehicle to start the Yoo Dong-pil vs. Dan-tae storyline. While the scene where her dead body tumbled out of the wall definitely scared the living hell out of me, the whole Moo-sik thing definitely became less interesting to me because of how anti-climactic her death was.

On the other hand, I am interested in what Dan-tae has planned for Dong-pil now that he has been caught red-handed trying to dig up the past.

Joo Dan-tae better watch out with everyone figuring out all the skeletons in his closet. Baek Jun-ki is a ticking time bomb, and he’s just waiting for the right opportunity to play his cards. I hope that he’s not holding out on revealing the truth for so long though, because it sucks that Dan-tae has still been getting his way when: (A) Jun-ki can easily end his life with one call to a TV station, and (B) Cheon Seo-jin knows that he killed Logan Lee.

And speaking of, when will Seo-jin tell the girls that she knows?! Su-ryeon and Yoon-hee just risked their lives to save her daughter, so she better spill sooner or later.

Since we’re on the subject, how happy are we that Eun-byeol had more scenes in The Penthouse 3 episode 4? I was never a fan of Bae Ro-na because she started out a really spoiled brat in the first season and then slowly became a boring Mary Jane in the second season. Although her saving Eun-byeol from the psycho that is Ms. Jin just earned her some brownie points from me.

You bet your ass that I’m waiting eagerly for the next episode to learn what Eun-byeol’s fate is! If she dies, I’ll riot.

 Get updated with our weekly episode recaps of The Penthouse Season 3. Just place your e-mail address below, it’s that easy! 

 The Penthouse 3 Episode 4 Rating: 8.5/10 

What were your thoughts watching the fourth episode of The Penthouse 3? Let me know in the comments below!

If you feel like reminiscing about the early days of The Penthouse, check out our listicle series where we pick the best moments here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘The Penthouse 3’: Episode 4 Review, Recap & Reactions appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Last week in The Penthouse, two of the most notorious Hera Club members in Joo Dan-tae and Cheon Seo-jin were able to escape a longer prison term. And we also finally got to see the events leading up to the shocking death of Logan Lee!

The Penthouse 3 episode 2 directly took off from the final scene of the previous episode where Shim Su-ryeon pushed Seo-jin off a cliff. Then we had quite the class reunion when everyone in the Hera Club finally got out of prison. Now it feels like The Penthouse again!

How did Cheon Seo-jin survive being pushed off a cliff? Who is this Mr. Baek we’ve been hearing about? Where has Ha Eun-byeol been hiding? Let’s find out the answers to these questions in today’s review, recap & reactions.

Feel free to leave your thoughts about this episode in the comments down below! And remember: if you missed our discussion of previous episodes of The Penthouse 3, you can always go back to them HERE.

The Penthouse 3 Episode 2 Recap

Let’s follow Cheon Seo-jin first, shall we? After getting pushed off a cliff, she was quickly saved by a pair of divers hired by Su-ryeon. So the penthouse owner possibly just did that as an intimidation tactic… and because she was bored. Su-ryeon and Oh Yoon-hee finally told Seo-jin why they really kidnapped her: personal vendettas be damned, they needed to form an alliance to take down Joo Dan-tae. Finally!

Obviously, these three ladies were hesitant to trust each other given their history. But all of them knew that it was the only way to take him down for good.

After that, Seo-jin’s assistant came to fetch her. He immediately revealed that he was actually there when the bomb went off on Logan Lee. And the kicker was, he had photos taken of an “old man” in the scene. She realized that he was in fact, Joo Dan-tae in disguise.

It didn’t take long for her confidence to come back as she stormed into a Cheong A board meeting with people from the press. Her presence shocked Dan-tae, who thought that he would be able to take over the Cheong A Group that afternoon. In a hilarious scene, Seo-jin and a reluctant Dan-tae acted their asses off pretending to be a happy couple in front of the cameras. Seo-jin would then give an apology to the public for betraying their trust in an effort to increase stock price.

While this was not an ideal situation for the ex-couple, they did end up agreeing to a contract marriage. The tables have turned this time around. Cheon Seo-jin was calling the shots and was basically turning Joo Dan-tae into her slave. She didn’t hesitate to blackmail Dan-tae with the photos of him in the old man disguise, so she was going to have some fun with him… until he inevitably slithers his way out of that predicament.

What was interesting was that Seo-jin didn’t tell Su-ryeon that Joo Dan-tae was involved in Logan’s death.

READ: ‘The Penthouse 3’: Episode 1 Review, Recap & Reactions

Meanwhile, Seo-jin learned that she had other enemies aside from her husband in The Penthouse 3 episode 2. She came to visit Ha Eun-byeol in the most awkward Coffee Bay scene ever. So apparently, Eun-byeol was able to avoid juvie.

As had been foreshadowed in the previous season, Ms. Jin had been grooming Eun-byeol to see her as a mother instead of Seo-jin. After having a screaming match with the two of them, Seo-jin laid off Eun-byeol because she knew that they would be much safer from Joo Dan-tae if they were apart.

And if you’re wondering how Seo-jin was able to get her assets back, she had to blackmail her goody-two-shoes sister and her mother into giving her back the Myeongdong building. Her sister was apparently involved in a scandalous affair with her driver, so Seo-jin used that information to make her mother cave. But she was furious when she learned that Cheong A Foundation was actually now in the hands of Su-ryeon.

Shim Su-ryeon’s whole world was shaken when Alex Lee, Logan’s brother, came to visit her. I’m not sure if he was ever mentioned before this, but yes, Park Eun-seok (the actor who plays Logan) is officially back sporting a bad dreadlock wig and lots of tattoos.

The presence of someone who looked so much like her former lover was enough to make her break down. He came to threaten Su-ryeon because Logan was going to give her $10 billion which has gone missing.

Little did they know that Logan actually entrusted the money to Oh Yoon-hee, who used a portion of that $$$ to open a shop in Hera Palace. Obviously, Su-ryeon and everyone else was suspicious of how she was able to fund that shop when she had just gotten out of jail.

But Su-ryeon also had her hands full with her family when her daughter, Joo Seok-kyung, came back running into Dan-tae’s arms. The latter had enough of her mother not supporting her dream of getting into Seoul National University. Now that Su-ryeon took over as the Director of Cheong A Arts, she vowed not to give anyone special treatment… including her own children.

Obviously, Seok-kyung was not happy about that. She also hated how Su-ryeon and her twin brother seemed more fond of Bae Ro-na than her. So it wasn’t a surprise that she immediately sided with her father instead.

We got to see how the performance test for Seoul University turned out in The Penthouse 3 episode 2. Not only was Seok-kyung super competitive, but she knew that she’d have a difficult time in college if the people she bullied got in with her. So she simply asked the help of her father to get rid of her fellow classmates.

Jenny’s father, Kang Dong-pil, wasn’t so nice to Seok-kyung when they first met, so she wanted to put him in his place. She sneakily recorded a conversation between him and Dan-tae about how he actually got arrested for murder. So right before her test, Seok-kyung played this recording to traumatize Jenny from singing well in the performance test. She even held a sign during Jenny’s turn saying that Dong-pil was a murderer, so out of panic, she ran off-stage.

And next, Ha Eun-byeol was disqualified for having her a phone ring in her pocket when the rules clearly stated that it was not allowed. It was later revealed that it was Ms. Jin who was behind it all! She placed Ro-na’s phone in Eun-byeol’s pocket and gave it a call during her turn. And why did she do it?

Because she’s actually working for Joo Dan-tae! Dun dun dun~

But that’s not all! Literally everyone from Hera Club is back from prison in The Penthouse 3 episode 2. As we learned in this episode, Su-ryeon actually helped Yoon-hee get out of prison earlier by changing her witness statement. Lee Kyu-jin was released early thanks to Dan-tae pulling some strings and getting out on bail. Kang Ma-ri and Go Sang-ah actually served their full term and have gone back to their old gossipy ways.

Perhaps the most shocking return from prison was Ha Yoon-chul. It wasn’t so much his presence that was shocking, but it was how he returned. He seemed like he was done playing the “ethical and just” role within Hera Club and was all aboard the evil train. We learned that he lost everything, including his license to practice, when he got back from prison. To show his loyalty, he knelt in front of Dan-tae and smashed a wine bottle on his hand. Obviously, the egotistical Joo Dan-tae loved it!

Kang Dong-pil was actually the one who brought him back into the fold, so it seems like they’re actually secretly forming an alliance against Dan-tae. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned out to be bad guys either! Yoon-chul was so convincing that he had actually turned bad.

And we ended this week’s episode by learning more about where Baek Jun-ki’s allegiance truly lies. While he was able to go incognito for some time, Su-ryeon was finally able to track him down and stop him from doing something stupid. He attempted to shoot Dan-tae while he was having dinner with Seok-kyung, but thankfully, Su-ryeon stopped Jun-ki from completely killing him.

As they had a heated exchange, Dan-tae walked up to see where the gunshot had come from and was able to see them together. But I’m willing to bet that it was just a clever editing trick and he didn’t actually see them. I’ve watched too much episodes of The Penthouse to believe those damn editing tricks!

The Penthouse 3 Episode 2 Review & Reactions

That was a lot of storylines to get through. Let’s start once again with Cheon Seo-jin because she has been killing it since she got back from prison. I love the fact that she’s firmly #TeamSeoJin even when the other girls offered an alliance with her. I mean if I were in Seo-jin’s shoes, I would never be able to trust people whose lives I ruined.

But I do believe that she needs to tell Shim Su-ryeon the truth about Logan because y’all just know that it’s going to break their trust even further. And what these girls need to do is join forces if they want to take down Joo Dan-tae for good. Last season, we all saw how far working together can get them.

It was fulfilling to see Seo-jin get some form of revenge on her family when they have never been supportive of her in anyway. I don’t blame them though; after all, Seo-jin killed the dad.

I am a bit torn on the introduction of the Alex character. This was obviously a way to get Park Eun-seok in the show without having to revive Logan, but his whole presentation is just very off-putting. I mean those dreads, tattoos, and grills are a bit too much, don’t you think?

Alex was never properly foreshadowed which makes his presence feel like just another way to shock viewers. What I’m saying is we should’ve probably heard his name brought up more if they were going to have him appear on-screen. I mean sure, I was surprised when I saw what he looked like, but it was the bad kind of surprise.

The spotlight on Kang Dong-pil continued in The Penthouse 3 episode 2. His interaction with Lee Min-hyeok was funny because that’s absolutely how a dad should react to a person who bullied his daughter. And you know I was all for the little feud he’s having with Joo Seok-kyung as well. I think we’re all expecting Seok-kyung to be put in her place when it’s revealed that Dong-pil probably didn’t kill anyone.

I did find it odd that he placed a fish to clog up the Hera Palace fountain though. We still don’t know what exactly happened there (though a death seems to be involved) and what he’s really up to, but it doesn’t smell good (pun intended) for Dan-tae.

Now what I’m lowkey excited for is how he’s going to react when he finds out that Kang Ma-ri had some sexy time with Lee Kyu-jin a little while back. Remember that weird storyline that they seemingly dropped in Season 2 where they were all up on each other? Well, I didn’t. And it feels like it is going to have a payoff soon especially learning how happy Go Song-ah truly was when she thought that Kyu-jin was still in prison.

While that crack among the Hera Club guys will probably explored in the near future, let’s talk about the reunion between Dan-tae and Ha Yoon-chul. My gut’s telling me that Yoon-chul is probably just faking the whole “I’m a bad guy now” thing, but that is something I’m looking forward to seeing more of. Is it all an act? Or is he truly evil? Is Oh Yoon-hee the only one who can redeem him?

Whichever way the writers go with his character, I think I’ll be all up for it. Yoon-chul has never truly had a win in his life, and he is getting a little bit pathetic now. So if he is actually planning to betray Dan-tae and it ends up successful? That’s gonna be muy bien. But Yoon-chul was right when he mentioned that his “just and principled” act was getting tired… so I’m also very curious to see how Evil Yoon-chul pans out.

And lastly, can we just appreciate Joo Seok-kyung? That girl has overtaken Ha Eun-byeol as the Quintessential Child Villain just by being a pest to everyone except Dan-tae. I love how she continues to be fearless against the adults in the show like Seo-jin and now, Dong-pil.

But as crazy as it sounds, I kinda get why she’s pissed at Shim Su-ryeon. The favoritism she has for Bae Ro-na has been getting quite out of hand. And she reminded me in this episode why it’s fucked up that Su-ryeon fell in love with Logan. After all, he did torture the kids back then.

Next week, it seems like we’re going to get more exposition on Baek Jun-ki which promises to be exciting! We’ve only gotten a few glimpses of him, but now we know that he’s also out for Joo Dan-tae’s blood. It seems like there will be troublein Oh Yoon-hee and Shim Su-ryeon’s friendship once again because the former got Logan’s $10 billion and didn’t say a word.

And Ms. Jin… giiiirl, what is your endgame here? Why are you working with Joo Dan-tae?! Anybody but him!

 Get updated with our weekly episode recaps of The Penthouse Season 3. Just place your e-mail address below, it’s that easy! 

 The Penthouse 3 Episode 2 Rating: 8.0/10 

What were your thoughts watching the second episode of The Penthouse 3? Sound off in the comments below!

If you feel like reminiscing about the early days of The Penthouse, check out our listicle series where we pick the best moments here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘The Penthouse 3’: Episode 2 Review, Recap & Reactions appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

From being the quintessential mean girl of Las Encinas to being the glue that held the gang together, Lucrecia “Lu” Hendrich had the most fascinating character journey in Elite. I know I wasn’t the only one who hated her guts in the first two seasons because of how determined she was to destroy Nadia’s life. But when she had her redemption arc in Season 3, I was able to appreciate her snark and spunk much more.

Lu is known for her Spanglish quips and her questionable taste in men (hello, half-brother!) but she had so many moments that made her the bad bitch of the show. In this list, we’re taking a look back at all those good and bad instances that defined her character.

And if you just learned today that Lu’s last name was Hendrich, then feel free to take a look at our our guide to watching Elite and get to know everyone’s full names!

7. Lu and Nadia’s speech

This was the ultimate friendship moment between these two former archrivals. They had just won a scholarship together that would allow them to study in New York, but they knew that it felt wrong to accept it for an unacceptable reason. Some of their friends were barred from graduation while Polo, Marina’s murderer, was allowed to walk scathe-free. And who were the people funding the scholarship? Polo’s parents!

After debating whether or not they should stand their ground in their joint speech, Lu and Nadia inevitably spoke up for their classmates, and the bias shown in favor of Polo. Lu ended up going on a long-winded tirade in front of the whole school, attacking Polo’s mothers. As expected, both of them ended up losing their scholarship.

What a satisfying moment this was! Not only was the two women’s camaraderie fascinating to watch, but Lu also showed how loyal she was to the people she loved.

6. Lu seduces Guzman

Much of the first season revolved around Lu’s jealousy towards Nadia when it came to Guzman. When he legitimately started to fall for Nadia during the scheme to take away her virginity, Lu knew that she had to something to stop those two from getting together.

In one of her baddest moments, Lu seduced Guzman in his family’s swimming pool in a similar way to how he tried to seduce Nadia beforehand. The seduction plan looked like it was going to fail, but leave it up to Lu to get what she wants. Guzman ended up falling for her tricks and slept with her after a cinematic kissing scene underwater. And of course, Lu did not keep her mouth shut about the incident, making sure that Nadia heard all the deets about it.

While it wasn’t particularly a display of good character, this was just one of those instances that made us Lu hate so much in the early seasons of Elite. And it just made her redemption arc in the third season that much sweeter!

5. Lu saves Guzman’s life

After Marina’s death, Guzman was understandably feeling depressed and angry at the world. There was a scary moment when he stood on a ledge while intoxicated and was contemplating his own death. In what was perhaps Lu’s first vulnerable moment in the show, she talked Guzman out of taking his own life.

Lu was so frightened for whom she considered to be her best friend that she cried when he finally decided not to do it. Unfortunately, both of them were at a vulnerable state and decided to kiss each other when it was clear that they were better off as just friends. But regardless, this moment really showed us why Lu Hendrich is the best friend you could have in Elite, and would foreshadow the series of events that led to Polo’s death in Season 3.

4. Lu befriends Omar

One of the pleasantly surprising friendships that Lu Hendrich made was with Omar. Considering that his sister was her nemesis, she could’ve just easily been mean to him. But in the second season, they were able to form an unlikely bond while having dinner with Ander and Guzman. Those two men were angry at them for some reason and they found some common ground with being shut out by their respective partners. It also helped that Lu spoke some Arabic!

Then their friendship was solidified in the Halloween party at Rebeka’s when Lu gave some advice to Omar about his relationship. “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary,” she said to him.

They would actually turn out to be really good friends as Lu continued to be a guardian angel to him later on when he was having his affair with Malick.

3. Lu’s interview with the Inspector

After Polo’s murder, the Inspector questioned everyone yet again about what happened that night. We knew that Lu was the one who stabbed him with the wine bottle neck which led to Polo falling off from the barricade. So she was obviously feeling a lot of anxiety when she was being questioned!

When she claimed that she wouldn’t kill Polo because he was her friend, the Inspector tried to paint her into a corner by claiming that they weren’t friends. To this, Lu disagreed and gave one of the most memorable quotes in Elite: “Polo was my friend. Despite everything, we’re all friends. More like a family. We might not say we love each other every day, but you have no fucking clue what I’ve been through with these people.”

And with that line alone, we saw how much Lu Hendrich has transformed since the first time we saw her. No longer was she the person causing so many cracks in everyone else’s relationship, but she was someone who actually wanted and craved for their friendship.

2. Lu walks away from Guzman

Well the Reverse Valentine’s Day party that Lu threw was iconic already in of itself, but something much more magical happened for her. Throughout the entire series, we saw Lu fight tooth and nail to win Guzman’s love and affection. The fact that his eyes were always on Nadia was why she hated her with a burning passion.

Lu Hendrich knew that she was always going to be the “second choice” for Guzman, and she just simply went along with it because she loved him. But she was finally able to say no to him in this party when Nadia had rejected him for the nth time. Guzman tried to worm her way back to Lu to feel some sort of emotional validation, but she wasn’t going to fall back to that routine.

It wasn’t all bitter though; she still loved Guzman as a friend; it’s just that she wasn’t going to allow herself to be his back-up plan any longer.

1. Lu exposes everyone

In perhaps her baddest moment yet, Lu took the mic in a fundraiser party she planned with Cayetana. And boy, did she make that a night to remember for everyone!

Lu quickly took Cayetana under her wing when she first rolled into the Las Encinas scene. In fact, you can say they became best friends. But their bond quickly turned sour when Lu discovered her huge secret: she was actually the daughter of the school janitress. And the worst part of the whole thing was when she realized that the money they were raising in fundraiser party was for Cayetana.

Feeling betrayed, she told everyone in the party about the lie. But she didn’t stop there. Lu also exposed the fact that Guzman cheated on her with Nadia, and that Carla was sleeping with Samuel. She basically had enough of the people whom she considered her closest friends hiding things from her and treating her badly.

This was the first time I really felt bad for Lu because she was always projecting a mean girl facade before this. But as she said, she was sick of pretending and putting on a fake smile because nothing was going okay for her.

Which Lu Hendrich moment did you like the most? Are you gonna miss her as much as I am going to? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below! And if you’re also a Carla fan, make sure to read our list of her 8 most iconic moments.

Get more content about Elite and Elite Season 4 sent straight to your inbox. Just place your e-mail address, it’s that easy!

If you’re looking for more info about the characters in Elite Season 4, check out our guide here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Elite’: Lu Hendrich’s Top 7 Baddest Moments appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Elite just wouldn’t be the same without the sexy and stone-cold marchioness, Carla Caleruega. While her beauty and assertiveness made us fans of her in the first season, we were able to truly fall for her when she got those bangs and showed us why she’s the boss. By the time that she departed from the show, we were practically on our knees kissing the floor that she had walked on.

Carla had so many iconic moments which is what made us rank her as the best Elite character in the first three seasons. It wasn’t even close! So let’s recount some of the moments that made us stan the woman who defined the early years of this Spanish teen drama.

And if this is the first time you’re learning about Carla’s last name, then head over to our guide to watching Elite to learn everyone else’s full name!

8. Carla and Samuel’s first sexually-fueled encounter

When I started watching Season 2, I admittedly didn’t expect the writers to go and have Carla & Samuel as a mainstay couple. After all, Carla could’ve taken the easy route of staying with Polo or Christian. But as we saw, those romances quickly got thrown in the trash the moment a murder got in the way.

So here comes Samuel to insert himself rather violently into Carla Caleruega’s life! When he suspected her of being involved with Marina’s death and Christian’s departure, he confronted her in the bathroom of the club. But having all this hatred and anger in a confined space was too much for their horny teen bodies, resulting to a hot and heavy makeout session that also involved some choking.

I mean we didn’t expect that rough behavior from Samuel, but it looked like Carla was into it!

7. Carla has a threesome with Christian and Polo

Look, the three of them probably had multiple ménage à trois sessions in the short time they spent together. But is anything going to be as iconic as their first actual encounter as a throuple?

Things were actually good for a short while before all the drama and jealousy that would ensue among them. Carla Caleruega and Polo were going through a rough patch as a couple, and Christian would be their temporary fix when he agreed to an indecent proposal. And by that we mean he allowed Polo to watch him have sex with Carla.

But it didn’t take long for that arrangement to escalate when they got to the couple’s apartment. Carla started to make out with Christian and seduced him into having a threesome with Polo. Thankfully for her, the guys seemed way into the idea. Lucky girl!

6. Carla handles the Marina situation

Do you know why we call Carla Caleruega stone-cold? It’s because she doesn’t let fear cloud her ability to think.

As we all know, Polo killed Marina in the Season 1 finale by bashing her head in with a trophy. The shock after what he had done turned him into such an emotional wreck especially when he saw Carla in the bathroom afterwards. He did it for her after all.

But the crazy thing was Carla didn’t even blink when she learned about the murder! She immediately barked orders at Polo and Christian so that the three of them would get out of the situation unscathed. While the boys were visibly jittery and anxious, Carla kept her cool through it all even when she attended Marina’s funeral.

5. Carla tells the Inspector she loves Polo

Carla had a complicated relationship with Polo that only she could understand. They were basically inseparable since they were children, so when they decided that the love was gone (mostly from her side), the two of them had to navigate their lives for the first time as individuals.

They did have a temporary reunion after Marina’s murder, but it quickly ended when Christian ended up in the hospital. The fairytale romance did a full 180, and Carla ended up resenting Polo as she had during the last stages of their relationship. Even when the latter tried to win her affection back, they mostly kept out of each other’s way for the rest of the series.

It was only after Polo died that we learned her true feelings about him. In one of the most iconic Carla moments, she told the Inspector that she would never kill Polo because she loved him. If you still doubt their love for one another, then just look at the pain behind her eyes as she said those words.

And if you want to dissect the two of them even more, you can read more about my thoughts on the Polo and Carla relationship HERE.

4. Carla almost dies from an overdose

We saw a completely different side from Carla Caleruega in the third season when she decided to take drugs. In one of Elite‘s weirdest storylines, Carla had to basically sell herself to Yeray so that he could save her family’s winery from going bankrupt.

Obviously, the strong and independent Carla was not happy being anyone’s arm candy. But she had to follow her daddy’s wishes to keep the romance alive for the sake of business. This pushed her to take drugs for the first time in her life just to feel some sort of happiness when she’s with Yeray.

But it wouldn’t take long for that “technique” to backfire when she took more drugs that her body could handle during a pool party. She not only told Yeray what she truly felt about him in her intoxicated state, but she would lose consciousness and fall into the swimming pool. Thankfully, Polo would come to her aid and she never took another party drug ever again!

3. Carla finally breaks

Despite his feelings getting in the way, Samuel had a mission to fulfill in Season 2: get Carla Caleruega to confess! The cat-and-mouse game between them would inevitably end in tears when Carla broke down and told the Inspector everything she knew about Marina’s death. All that Samuel had to do was pretend to be dead… no big deal.

This was the first time we really ever saw the marchioness in a totally vulnerable state in the show, and when those tears came out, they were glorious. We wouldn’t see her this devastated ever again, which showed how much she truly cared about Samuel and the people that she had hurt along the way.

2. Carla says goodbye

In one of the saddest moments in Elite, Carla made her exit from the show after stealing our hearts. Her farewell sequence started when she told Samuel that she was leaving to study abroad. The two of them had major feelings for each other, and it sucked because they never really got to chance to explore the romance between them. And the most we got from this goodbye was a small peck to the cheek.

At Polo’s funeral, she was finally able to call the shots over her father after Yeray made her owner of the winery. And just to make sure he doesn’t try to do anything funny, she made Valerio in charge while she was gone.

After living her entire life under the command of her parents, it’s nice to see her break free and be her own person for the first time. As for the romance with Samuel, we’re positive that it’s not the end of the line for them yet! We do have that Carmuel Elite Short Story to look forward to before Season 4 drops.

1. Carla puts up the middle finger

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this is the first time we really saw Carla for the bad bitch that she was. Is there even a more iconic photo in the entire series?

In a benefit party for the Caleruegas’ winery, Carla’s mother mocked Christian and his ambition of becoming famous. Understandably, he felt like a fish out of water the entire time, so he decided to run off with a bottle of wine he had stolen.

Polo and Carla followed his lead all the way to their sex apartment. But before they left the party, Carla made sure to send a message to her mother by making out with both guys in front of her. And just to add icing on top of the cake, Carla gave her the middle finger, too.

Which Carla Caleruega moment was your favorite? Did we miss anything out? Leave your thoughts or leave your appreciation for the marchioness in the comments down below!

Get hyped and ready for season 4 with Elite content sent straight to your inbox. Just place your e-mail address, it’s that easy!

If you’re looking for more info about the characters in Elite Season 4, check out our guide here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Elite’: 8 Most Iconic Carla Caleruega Moments appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Well folks, we’re back with yet another season of the craziest k-drama of the decade so far: The Penthouse. Despite having to wait a few months for them to wrap filming, the show continued to keep us enthralled after the amazing second season. We left things on a bittersweet note when all the Hera Club members (minus Shim Su-ryeon) got thrown into prison for their crimes.

But just when we thought Su-ryeon would finally get her happy ending, she witnessed her lover-slash-almost-fiancé die(?) in a fiery explosion. That’s right, Logan Lee is dead… for now. While there is no indication that he is in fact alive, you never know with this show!

The Penthouse 3 episode 1 threw us back into the harsh world of reality that we had been all too familiar with — a world where disgustingly rich people can get away with anything. What trick does Joo Dan-tae have up his sleeve to get him out of trouble this time? And what events led to Logan Lee’s death in the previous season?

Let’s find out what happens in this week’s review, recap, and reactions. Feel free to sound off about this episode in the comments below!

The Penthouse 3 Episode 1 Recap

I think the biggest impression that I was left with in this episode is: who are these people?! We were introduced to quite a number of new characters who seemed like they were going to be major players in this season. Let’s start with the people we met behind bars, shall we?

Joo Dan-tae was having a tough time in prison; with his lifetime sentence, it seemed inevitable that he was going to be a lifer. And things only got worse for him when bribing a prison guard backfired and landed him straight into the same room as Lee Kyu-jin and Ha Yoon-cheol. Needless, they were not thrilled with him. The doctor had some unfinished business with Dan-tae and wanted his blood on his hands.

He attempted to murder Dan-tae in his sleep with the end of a toothbrush he had sharpened. Fortunately or unfortunately, he was able to wake up and fight Yoon-cheol off. Despite this, the prison guards believed the doctor when he said that Dan-tae was the one who tried to stab him after Bang Chi-soon, the Big Boss of the boys’ cell (New Character #1), vouched for him.

But we learned later on that they weren’t just going against Joo Dan-tae for no reason; Logan Lee was paying them to keep an eye on him… and probably to make his prison life a living hell.

So it wasn’t all daisies and roses for the disgraced Hera Palace owner. On the other hand, Kang Ma-ri was able to put herself in a comfy position in prison by being a great aide and the Unofficial Masseur of the Big Boss in the girls’ cell (New Character #2). Go Sang-ah was also trying to get into the good graces of the Big Boss, but she wasn’t as successful as Ma-ri.

Cheon Seo-jin would not swallow her pride at first, but when the Big Boss taught her a painful lesson on obeying prison hierarchy, she would end up keeping in line. What’s worse was hearing news that Shim Su-ryeon bought the Cheong-a Foundation from her mother!

But perhaps what was most uncomfortable for her was Oh Yoon-hee being assigned on lunch duty. That meant that she had to beg for extra side dishes from her arch-rival. The shame!

However, our two main villains would once again slither their way out of their tough predicament in The Penthouse 3 episode 1. Joo Dan-tae had a more complex plan in mind because it wasn’t enough to just escape prison for him. Dr. Ha’s sharpened toothbrush would ironically be the key to his freedom.

He provoked Yoon-cheol in the field so that they’d get into a brawl. In the middle of it all, he would stab himself in the gut to make it look like Yoon-cheol was the one who did it to him. And it worked thanks to Kyu-jin was bribed to be a “witness” to the incident.

Joo Dan-tae would be brought to the hospital where he would escape with the help of a doctor he paid off. But he wouldn’t just run off to become a fugitive as he quickly set the next steps to his plan in motion. He told Secretary Cho that he only had one hour to pull off his scheme before he had to go back to the hospital.

And what an eventful hour it was.

It was revealed that he was actually behind Logan Lee’s death all along! You know what, every time something heinous happens in this show, let’s just always assume that it was Dan-tae behind it. He put on the disguise of an old man, and wheeled along a trash bin with an explosive next to Logan’s car. And just when Logan realized the man behind the disguise, the bomb went off. Goodbye, Logan Lee!

But Joo Dan-tae couldn’t take in his victory that quickly because he had to make his way to the Chief Justice’s house so that he could threaten him and his daughter.

And then it was back to the hospital for Dan-tae. He would legitimately have a heart attack in the bathroom floor as he waited for the doctors and policemen to find him. It’s just a very wonderfully convenient alibi, don’t you think so?

Anyway, Joo Dan-tae was revived not long after. Not only that, but he was able to have Na Ae-gyo’s murder case be reopened. The guy from the crematorium eventually confessed about Logan Lee’s bribe. And it didn’t help that the silhouette and height of Ae-gyo’s killer matched his own… because it was him!

Shim Su-ryeon knew deep inside that it was all a ploy by Dan-tae, but things were not looking good for her in The Penthouse 3 episode 1, because she didn’t have proof to back up her claims. And he had a heart attack as an alibi!

She would try to murder him dressed up as a nurse, but the two would just get into a notherscuffle. There was no love lost among these two! As retaliation, Joo Dan-tae visited the penthouse to taunt her and to “visit the kids”.

Meanwhile, Cheon Seo-jin hatched a plan for her sentence to be reduced. She pretended to have a mental illness by acting like a violent horror movie mental patient and singing at the top of her lungs in the middle of the night. Not gonna lie, I saw some of those Ha Eun-byeol genes during those moments. But to her credit, the plan worked because she was out of there in no time.

However, the moment she got out of the courthouse, she was kidnapped by Oh Yoon-hee and Shim Su-ryeon. The two women drove her to the edge of a cliff (literally) and interrogated her. Su-ryeon just had it in her head that Seo-jin was involved in Logan’s death, and wouldn’t let up until she confessed.

Of course, the songstress had to deny it because she legitimately didn’t kill him this time.

Shim Su-ryeon had enough of her and pushed her off the cliff and into the river! That is where we left off The Penthouse 3 episode 1, but you know what, there were so many more things happening that we have to continue.

Kang Ma-ri’s husband, Yoo Dong-pil (New Character #3), was finally out of prison. We had some teases about his history in season 2 when Ma-ri mentioned how he went to prison for Joo Dan-tae. And then we learned that Secretary Cho was also working for him.

While we don’t know with whom Secretary Cho’s true allegiance truly lied, this episode showed that it seemed to be with Joo Dan-tae. But this guy is so mysterious, I’m telling ya; I still can’t tell whose side he’s going to be on. Why was he going up Shim Su-ryeon’s building to make a copy of her keycard at the exact moment that Logan died?

And then there was New Character #4: Baek Joon-ki. We saw him fly together with Logan Lee to Korea in the final episode of season 2. Hell, we even thought that Joon-ki was behind Logan’s death because he went for a cigarette break when the bomb went off. I mean… what a coincidence, right?

But we dug some more into the relationship of Joon-ki and Logan where we learned that Joo Dan-tae actually took his identity. That plot twist!

So now we get to the next question: who is this Joo Dan-tae that’s been making everyone’s lives miserable, really?

After the previous season placed the Hera Palace kids front and center, it seemed like the spotlight is now back on the adults. We only got a few glimpses into what’s to come for the children. But I mean, how much more of the same bullying scenes can we stomach before we end the show?

In The Penthouse 3 episode 1, Joo Seok-kyung and Shim Su-ryeon’s relationship continued to crack like we’d seen in the first season. This time, it was Seok-kyung’s jealousy of her mother’s treatment of Bae Ro-na that had been bothering her. More than that, Ro-na had been spending more time with Seok-hoon.

While she’s getting into Seoul National University thanks to “winning” the Cheong-a Arts Festival, Ro-na and Seok-hoon were planning to study abroad in Julliard. Yes, that Julliard. Obviously, Seok-kyung was not happy with that so we should expect her to go back to her Bad Barbie roots soon. She even defended Dan-tae after he was released from prison!

The Penthouse 3 Episode 1 Review & Reactions

While it wasn’t super explosive as per The Penthouse standards, I’m pretty pleased with this episode. We needed to ease back into the show because the second half of the previous season was just hella stressful to watch.

One thing I’ve always loved about this show is how every scene seems to drive the narrative forward. And The Penthouse 3 episode 1 was filled to the brim with new storylines and characters which will eventually affect how the endgame will play out. While I admittedly was taken aback by the number of characters introduced, I won’t knock it until I see what they bring to the table.

While the Mr. Baek/Real Joo Dan-tae character seemed to come out of nowhere, I am excited to explore his history with the Fake Joo Dan-tae. He may be the key to the latter’s demise, which I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I’m always up for a villain backstory, but on the other, I want the story to focus on the Hera Palace women taking down the Dan-tae empire.

I mean, it’s the freaking last season so I want the spotlight to be on the core characters as much as possible! Plus, it’s been clear since season 2 that the three women just need to get over their differences if they want to end Joo Dan-tae for good.

Meanwhile, Yoo Dong-pil AKA Kang Ma-ri’s husband intrigues me, and I like how the show was able to tease his character back in the early episodes of the previous season. If I was going to bet on it, then I’d say the show is making him out to be Dan-tae’s enemy, but he would end up being his ally.

Without Na Ae-gyo and Cheon Seo-jin, he now needs an ally in his corner and I think Dong-pil is taking that spot.

And since we’re making bets, would it make sense if I say that Mr. Baek is actually the Fake Joo Dan-tae’s real brother? IDK. I just have this feeling… let me know in the comments below if my conspiracy theory has holes.

I noticed how the first few minutes of The Penthouse 3 episode 1 was much more heavy on the comedy which went perfectly because we had the opportunity to laugh at these terrible people before they wound up getting their way again. It was glorious watching Ma-ri and Sang-ah slap Seo-jin to the tune of Queen of the Night, for example.

But things turned back to serious mode when Dr. Ha attempted to murder Joo Dan-tae. And just like that, The Penthouse worked its magic by showing us how a character schemed their way to the top. It was difficult watching Dan-tae getting his way yet again… but honestly, I love the fact that he has nine lives. He had always been built up to be this mastermind, and he continues to uphold that reputation of his.

Now, it’s going to be extremely interesting, because Joo Dan-tae’s strength has always been his ability to turn shitty situations into opportunities, while Shim Su-ryeon has always relied on her long-term planning. Su-ryeon didn’t expect Dan-tae to escape prison, so now, I feel like she has no idea what to do next. I mean… she did push off Cheon Seo-jin off a cliff.

But you never know what’s in the mind of the elegant woman. Obviously, Seo-jin isn’t dead so she has to have a plan, right?

If there’s something I didn’t like about this episode, it’s how the timeline is sooo confusing. I think I need someone to explain it to me because I don’t get how Oh Yoon-hee and Cheon Seo-jin were suddenly out of prison, and how the kids were still in high school at the same time? The math probably adds up, but I was so confused with it.

Plus, there was no Ha Eun-byeol in this episode! She is someone I just love to hate, and her absence was definitely felt here. We heard she was in juvie, but whatever happened to the creepy woman who wanted to keep her as her own daughter? I’m just gonna sit here and wait patiently for the Cheong-a Queen’s return, I guess.

 Get updated with our weekly episode recaps of The Penthouse Season 3. Just place your e-mail address below, it’s that easy! 

 The Penthouse 3 Episode 1 Rating: 8.0/10 

What were your thoughts watching the first episode of The Penthouse 3? Were you as impressed as I was? Sound off in the comments below!

If you feel like reminiscing about the early days of The Penthouse, check out our listicle series where we pick the best moments here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘The Penthouse 3’: Episode 1 Review, Recap & Reactions appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

And we’re back to recap all the insane and best moments from The Penthouse: War in Life! I finished the first season three weeks ago, and let me tell you, this has been one of the most anxiety-inducing shows I’ve ever watched in my entire life. I’d say it was even more stressful than Sky Castle because I could literally feel my heart race in every minute of the last few episodes.

With that said, let’s get to the list of the top moments from The Penthouse. In this part, we are going through the last 13 episodes of season one.

And in case you missed it, you can view Part 1 of this listicle series HERE. And make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you’ll know when the last part of this series comes out!

Episode 9: Lee Kyu-jin kidnaps Oh Young-hee

This moment was probably the first time we saw Oh Young-hee stand her ground against the evil rich people from Hera Palace. She was kidnapped by Attorney Lee when she won the auction for the Myeongdong land that Joo Dan-tae had been eyeing, and they were going to take her land by force if they needed to!

Thankfully, Ha Yoon-chul came just in time to rescue her. And when Dan-tae tried to give the doctor a beating, it was Yoon-hee who ended up saving his ass when she revealed that she had been recording the audio of her entire kidnapping as it was happening.

Episode 10: Oh Yoon-hee’s mother-in-law comes to visit

Cheon Seo-jin and her squad were not going to allow Oh Yoon-hee to reside in Hera Palace no matter what it took. In one of many plots to take her down, they got in touch her mother-in-law who had a lot of scandalous things to say against her. To the residents’ surprise, the mother-in-law would hold some sort of protest inside the palace with big signs telling everyone why Yoon-hee was such a bad daughter.

But all it needed for Yoon-hee to stop the whole thing was to be honest and explain her actions. By the end, she had all the watching residents — the ladies behind the plot included — sympathizing with her.

Episode 11: Ha Yoon-cheol doesn’t shoot anyone

The previous episode ended with a huge cliffhanger when Yoon-chul discovered that his wife and Joo Dan-tae were having an affair. And then, we heard a gunshot!

In one of the more disappointing (but predictable) fakeouts in the show’s history, we learned that shooting one or both of them was just what he wanted to do in his head. But true to his cowardly self, he just picked up the shotgun he saw in Dan-tae’s villa and didn’t do anything. We’re putting it in our list of The Penthouse‘s best moments because even if it was a bit of a letdown, it’s one moment that no one will ever forget.

Episode 12: Cheon Seo-jin’s ruby ring returns to her

Seo-jin was in for a terrifying surprise when she received a bouquet of flowers from “a mysterious man” whom she had assumed to be Joo Dan-tae. But when she opened the gift that was sent with it, Seo-jin realized that it wasn’t a gesture of love… it was a threat! Inside the box was the ruby ring that she was wearing the night Min Seol-A died.

Little did she know that it was actually Shim Su-ryeon who was behind the scary gift.

Episode 13: The lighting ceremony for Logan Lee

I’m cheating by lumping the entire party for Logan Lee in the list of The Penthouse‘s best moments. But I mean there were a lot of things that happened and I couldn’t just pick one: Su-ryeon making sure to wear the scarf that Dan-tae had picked out for Seo-jin, Yoon-chul crashing the party to beat up Dan-tae, and Seo-jin revealing to the entire Hera Club that Su-ryeon was not the biological mother of her children.

The crazy night culminated in a surprise from Logan himself when he set up an attention-grabbing sign in the Hera Palace fountain which (rightfully) claimed that Min Seol-a actually died there.

Episode 14: Ha Eun-byeol makes Bae Ro-na quit Cheong-a

For a while there, our favorite love-to-hate mean girl looked like she was going to end Ro-na’s dream of winning the Cheong-a Arts Festival trophy for good. While all the adults were getting traumatized in Logan’s party, the kids of Hera Palace decided to play a prank on Ro-na downstairs because Eun-byeol thought that her dad, Yoon-chul, cheated on her mother with Oh Yoon-hee.

The prank would end in a nightmare for Ro-na when Eun-byeol made her sign a contract where she had to do everything the latter told her to. If she didn’t, then the whole world would know about Yoon-hee being a supposed mistress. This threat was enough for Ro-na to send her quitting letter to Seo-jin, and for her relationship with her mother to be temporarily ruined.

Episode 15: Seo-jin leaves her father to die

One of The Penthouse‘s best moments was the time we realized how ruthless Cheon Seo-jin truly was. Oh Yoon-hee tried to take a shot at her when she pulled off a stunt that allowed Seo-jin’s father to discover that she was having an affair with Joo Dan-tae.

While we thought that the father would get angry at Seo-jin, he turned Yoon-hee’s plan against her by merely dismissing the whole thing.

It was all for show though because, Seo-jin’s father wasn’t going to let the next Cheong-a director be someone who was in an unfaithful marriage. Seo-jin decided to confront him in the pouring rain, and in the middle of her tirade, her father would get a heart attack and fall down the stairs.

Instead of helping him out, she would just run away from the scene knowing that his death would mean her ascension into the role as Cheong-a Director.

Episode 16: Min Seol-a’s killer is Oh Yoon-hee

The season’s central mystery wrapped up in surprising fashion when it was revealed that Oh Yoon-hee was the person who killed Min Seol-a by pushing her off the 47th floor. When she was about to meet Su-ryeon in the balcony where the drunken murder happened, her memories of the night came flooding back to her. It didn’t help that Su-ryeon would also confide in her that she was actually Seol-a’s mother.

I didn’t realize how big a thing this was until I finished the first season because I honestly thought that Yoon-hee was just misremembering that night, and that the show was just throwing us a curveball. But nope, there has been no indication so far that somebody else had killed Seol-a.

Episode 17: Seok-hoon tells Eun-byeol that Seo-jin is having an affair

When Bae Ro-na had grown a backbone and decided to come back to Cheong-a, Eun-byeol was obviously not pleased. She came to snatch the hair off Ro-na’s head until Seok-hoon broke things up to protect his girl.

And then he dropped the bombshell that he had been keeping for some time: his father was sleeping with Eun-byeol’s mother… and the last time we checked, both of them were married! This set off Eun-byeol (again) who felt majorly betrayed by her own blood.

Episode 18: Oh Yoon-hee kisses Joo Dan-tae

This was a scene that made me want to vomit… but I couldn’t look away. Yoon-hee was desperate to stop Su-ryeon from finding Seol-a’s real killer, and that meant making a deal with the devil: Joo Dan-tae. But just to make sure that their partnership was made official, they sealed it with a kiss.

The cringe factor for me came from the fact that Yoon-hee was betraying Su-ryeon, as well as the fact that every woman in the show seemed to want to get inside Dan-tae’s pants. For a moment there, it seemed like they were legitimately going to be an item since Seo-jin and Dan-tae had been fighting. But the devil himself had some plans of his own that did not involve Yoon-hee as a romantic partner.

Episode 19: Everyone is kidnapped

Su-ryeon would finally unmask herself as the mastermind behind all the bad things happening to the Hera Club members in an explosive manner… literally. With the help of Logan Lee, they would lure the adults to a “dinner” while the kids were sent to the community hall for a “special performance” from Grace Jo. Obviously, it was just a ploy to make them suffer and confess all the terrible things they did to Seol-a.

All the adults were locked in a bus like how Seol-a was tortured in Episode 2, but this one was surrounded by flames and had a ticking time bomb inside as their kids watched them desperately screaming for their lives. In the end, all the parents had to crawl through mud to get out, while the children had to write what they did to Min Seol-a on paper.

Episode 20: Su-ryeon dies

They actually did it! This jam-packed episode that also featured one of The Penthouse‘s best moments when Ha Eun-byeol tried to take her own life, but this one took the cake. The only logical conclusion to this season was having the elegant and intelligent Shim Su-ryeon be murdered in her own home.

After unmasking herself in the previous episode, she stayed with Logan Lee in his hotel room. But her maternal love would eventually be her own downfall when the maid called to tell her that Joo Dan-tae was hitting her children. This lured her out of hiding and into the wolves’ den.

As she stood in Dan-tae’s study, she was stabbed multiple times with a knife where Yoon-hee was left to discover the body.

Episode 21: Oh Yoon-hee (almost) gets arrested

After all the back-and-forth, it was Joo Dan-tae and Cheon Seo-jin who actually ended up winning the battle inside Hera Palace. Dan-tae was revealed to be the real person who killed his wife… shocker. And by doing this, it actually allowed him to get rid of another problem: Oh Yoon-hee.

He wasn’t actually falling for her all this time, but he simply used her as a scapegoat who could take the fall for Su-ryeon’s murder. Dan-tae set it up so that Yoon-hee would look like a stalker who was trying to take over his wife’s life. Unfortunately, all things pointed against her and she was going to be sent to prison… until Logan Lee stepped in to take her away.

All the while, Dan-tae and Seo-jin were sitting pretty in their penthouse as if nothing had happened.

And that concludes the second part of this listicle series on The Penthouse‘s best moments! Part 3 comes out when I finish the second season. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on our list and the first season of this crazy k-drama in the comments.

Be updated when the next part of this listicle series on The Penthouse come out. Just place your e-mail address below, it’s that easy!

We all know how much The Penthouse: War in Life is similar to Sky Castle, so you might want to check out our list of k-dramas that have similar elements to these shows here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘The Penthouse’: Best Moments in Every Episode (Part 2) appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Countless deaths, multiple schemes, and many mindgames later, we are finally here in the Vincenzo finale! We ended the previous week with a low-stakes cliffhanger as the show took its time to get to the very intense final couple of episodes. The consistently top-charting k-drama on Netflix has had its highs and lows, but we expect it to end with one big bang — literally and figuratively.

Will Vincenzo be able to take down Babel for good? And what does Jang Han-seok have in mind for the mafia lawyer? Find out all the things that happened in the Vincenzo finale with our review, recap, and real-time reactions! As always, feel free to leave your thoughts about these episodes in the comments below.

Remember: if you missed our discussion of previous Vincenzo episodes, you can always go back to them HERE.

Vincenzo Episodes 19 and 20 Review & Recap

“Crazy” is probably the best word to describe whatever I just witnessed. For some reason, the k-drama has been struggling to keep things fresh and entertaining for the past episodes, just like what we saw in the lackluster Episode 18. But they definitely brought out the big guns in the Vincenzo finale (in particular, Episode 20) where we had a good sixty minutes of nonstop action before settling into a soft swan song.

Let’s start with where we ended things last week: with Vincenzo returning to Geumga Plaza to defend Seo Mi-ri and Hong Cha-young from Mr. Kim. In a scene that reminded me so much of Tekken, the tenants were able to physically fend off Mr. Kim and his men. Bye bye, lame-os!

And just to make sure he learns his lesson, Vincenzo leaked some info about Park Seung-jun — the presidential candidate whom Mr. Kim has been working for.

Then in a weird moment, Mr. Kim suddenly joined forces with Team Babel-Wusang, and it looked like we were going to see him be a major player. Thankfully, that didn’t happen because I didn’t personally care for the scenes featuring him. He felt like such an unimportant character who was introduced late to the show so that it would be able to reach its 70-minute running time per episode.

Thankfully, we quickly diverted our attention to something more important: the Babel trial! There was a moment when it was postponed by Han Seung-hyuk, but Vincenzo, ever the quick-minded one, was able to make the court trial happen.

And sure enough, the Babel conglomerate went tumbling down without any shenanigans thanks to some threats sent the prosecutor’s way. Classic Vincenzo!

The people whom Vincenzo exposed in court were arrested, but they were quickly released afterwards thanks to some intervention from Prosecutor Jung. Vincenzo quickly put him in his place by pushing him off a building and onto his death. He had warned the prosecutor not to get in his way after all!

While watching Prosecutor Jung fall to his death was amazing, I didn’t know that there’d be a lot more gratifying deaths waiting for us in the Vincenzo finale. As for the outcome of the trial, I was elated when the Geumga Plaza tenants finally took the victory that they’ve been hoping for since the start of the show. What I am disappointed at is how they didn’t get a lot of screen time in the last two episodes. We didn’t even get to bask in the glory of their winning!

READ: ‘Vincenzo’ Episode 18: Review, Recap & Reactions

With all hope lost, Ms. Choi had one last Hail Mary in her pocket that she claimed would “end Vincenzo”. Her plan was to fabricate some evidence that would pin her as the mastermind behind all the crimes Babel have committed. This meant that she would trade places with the increasingly bloodthirsty Jang Han-seok in jail.

The plan went successfully, and sure enough, the insane Han-seok was free without anyone knowing. Babel wasn’t even in his mind anymore; it was just revenge against the mafia lawyer.

The first in his hit list was Cha-young, and the next, his own brother that betrayed him: Han-seo. He abducted the both of them to lure Vincenzo into his place. Unsurprisingly, it worked. To add insult to injury, Han-seok gave his brother the choice of beating Vincenzo with a hockey stick, or getting shot. What a fun choice that was!

Han-seo would finally make his decision in his most character-defining moment, when he chose to protect his adopted hyung over his own blood. He tried to hit Han-seok with the stick, but in classic Han-seo fashion, he failed.

The two brothers got into a huge scuffle while Vincenzo tried to free Cha-young. But not so fast: Han-seok was able to shoot a bullet headed Vincenzo’s way. Unfortunately for him, Cha-young would end up taking the shot.

Han-seok wouldn’t stop there because in perhaps the saddest moment of the Vincenzo finale, he would shoot his brother in the stomach. When he realized that he had no more bullets in his gun — which was pretty stupid given how he only used two bullets, but his revolver could’ve definitely fit in more than that — Han-seok made his escape to who-knows-where.

Our favorite underdog, Jang Han-seo, would die in Vincenzo’s arms with the latter reassuring him that he was deserving of being called his brother. I freakin’ cried! If you’ve been following my Vincenzo episode reviews, then you know just how much I adore the Han-seo character. I think many of us got the feeling that he would wind up dead in the finale, but it was just cruel to watch it unfold.

I guess Babel didn’t really need a new leader like Han-seo; it just needed to die. I’m just happy that he was able to hear that Vincenzo saw him as some sort of brother too, because you just knew that boy had a huge gaping hole in his heart left by Han-seok.

The action didn’t stop there because Vincenzo was on a witch hunt of his own with Han-seo dead and Cha-young injured. He would make his first move by forcing Seung-hyuk to free Ms. Choi in three hours so he could kill her. Being a coward and all that, Seung-hyuk only agreed to do it in exchange for Vincenzo’s promise to spare his life.

But it didn’t matter in the end because Jang Han-seok would end up being the one to kill him. He ordered some men to stab the Chief Prosecutor to death at the steps of the courthouse — in a crowd of camerapeople and interviewers, nonetheless!

Ms. Choi would still continue to be Han-seok’s little lap dog throughout the whole thing, until Vincenzo stopped her at her tracks. He was finally able to catch the fishy little woman!

In what I would rank as the second most gruesome death in the Vincenzo finale, Ms. Choi’s toenails were cut off and then was burned alive. I couldn’t even type anything in my real-time reactions (which you can view below) at this point of the episode because I was just stunned with how brutal that was.

And of course, Vincenzo would save the biggest fish for last. With some help from Han-seo, who had proven himself to be actually smart, the mafia lawyer was able to track down where Han-seok was. The psycho wanted to escape to Mexico, but Vincenzo’s aides were able to locate him in no time. As they fought off Han-seok, Beanie Guy aka Mr. Lee wound up getting stabbed. We learned later on that he was okay though! Whew.

Han-seok was unconscious from the massive beating that he got which only meant DISASTER for him. At this point, all the viewers were probably thinking how Vincenzo could ever top Ms. Choi’s death. Well the answer to that question was the Spear of Atonement: a torture device used by the Russian mafia that involved slowly drilling a person to his death.

And that’s how Han-seok died: tied up to a chair, drill in his lung, while a raven pecked his body.

I was just in amazement watching the series of deaths (and Beanie Guy’s false death) unfold in the Vincenzo finale. Up until Episode 19, I really thought that the Jipuragi Law Firm was already satisfied merely putting the Babel people behind bars. But what we got instead were brutal deaths following one another.

I absolutely love how gory the show brought things despite not showing a lotta blood. And at the back of my mind, I just kept thinking how this was the most violent k-drama I’ve ever seen.

Watching Ms. Choi and Han-seok beg for their lives was nothing short of satisfying after all the heinous things that they’ve done. I loved how Ms. Choi’s death integrated her love of Zumba, but I kinda wish that Cha-young was the one to pull the trigger on her just because she was more of her arch-rival. And the Spear of Atonement? One word: bravo! I would’ve loved to see a little more torture on Han-seok, but I guess the emotional torture was enough.

Killing all these people didn’t come without a price. Vincenzo had to flee the country in under an hour because the police were after him. That was enough time for the Jipuragi Law Firm, Mr. Cho, and Gi-seok to say their goodbyes to him.

And just like that, he was gone.

One year later, we got an interesting glimpse into what Team Vincenzo has been up to: the Cassano family is still a thing as they make sure to destroy (now-presidential candidate) Mr. Kim’s plan of redeveloping Geumga Plaza… again, Mr. Lee and wife Yeon-jin have their baby, Babel Balloon Guy is helping them out with the pawn shop, Mr. Cho is now working under An Gi-seok in the Intelligence Service, and Seo Mi-ri has her gold stored inside one of the pianos in her shop.

Which brings us to where the gold been all the time: as it was revealed in the Vincenzo finale, the Jipuragi Law Firm, Mi-ri, and the monks were able to open the basement door some time ago. They then slowly transferred all the gold in Cha-young’s place, day-by-day so that no one would notice.

As for the feisty lawyer, it was revealed that she had been receiving many postcards from Vincenzo. She received an invitation to an event that celebrated the diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy. And to no one’s surprise, Vincenzo showed up to see her there.

It was during this event that we finally got to see a real kiss between the two lawyers — not one that they had to do because they had to pretend to be a couple in an art gallery. Vincenzo told Cha-young that he bought an island in Malta where they would hopefully stay in with the other tenants.

We ended the k-drama with Vincenzo roaming the streets of Korea. Through a monologue, we learned that he was still the same ol’ Vincenzo: fighting evil, justice be damned.

The latter half of the Vincenzo finale finally gave us some room to breathe. While nothing was going to top the violent deaths earlier, it did its job in wrapping up the show. I still don’t know how I felt about Vincenzo not growing from his experience battling Babel. Everything regarding his character development felt like the opposite of what should’ve happened: instead of other people changing him, he ended up changing the people around him.

Maybe I’m undecided about that because most stories in television follow a protagonist changing their ways, and Vincenzo subverts that completely.

There was a lot to like in the last two episodes of the show because it was so action-packed. But, the number of heart-stopping scenes was also the result of the awkward pacing which the show has been suffering from. The lack of major game-changing events happening in Episodes 17 & 18 made a lot more sense now, because it definitely seemed like the writers had all these awesome moments in the finale planned out after the hiatus, but they didn’t know how to get there.

What we ended up with in Episodes 19 & 20 was an unnecessarily fast-paced chain of events that didn’t give us time to soak in what had happened. The one that comes to mind is how we never really got to enjoy Geumga Plaza tenants getting their building back since we weren’t able to see why the victory mattered so much to them. They didn’t get some sort of closure with Vincenzo after he left Korea.

And Chef Toto didn’t even get an epilogue! If the guy who had a major hard-on for Vincenzo got his closure, why couldn’t he?

Then there was Han-seo’s death which no one seemed to care for besides Vincenzo… who didn’t even feel like he cared a lot about it himself. Even Seung-hyeuk’s death felt like such an afterthought being squeezed in the middle of two major deaths. What I’m saying is, couldn’t they have spaced out their deaths more in the span of twenty episodes?

I also had a lot of trouble with the Mr. Kim character since he was such a waste of space, and his scenes screamed FILLER.

There were also some missed opportunities for captivating storytelling in the last two episodes. I was quite bitter about how they barely said a word about the “Cha-young being uncomfortable about Vincenzo’s violent behavior” storyline that they had been building up to for some time. And why was Ms. Choi so far up Jang Han-seok’s ass? Did she like him romantically?

Then Han-seok told Cha-young that he loved her when he had abducted her; he even had this weird look on his face when he shot her. Was Han-seok in love with her?

But perhaps the biggest opportunity the show missed was the Guillotine File. Throughout the whole show, Team Babel-Wusang never really got the upper hand against Vincenzo, and I thought the Guillotine File was gonna be theirs to swing things in their favor. Unfortunately, the Guillotine File was just used as a crutch every time the Jipuragi Law Firm needed some leverage on their opponent. It was too powerful to be in the hands of the good guys because watching them dominate their enemies with it just became lame.

But before I look like I actually didn’t enjoy the Vincenzo finale, I just wanted to say how well the show was able to rebound from Episode 18. The last two episodes gave us the closure that most of us wanted as we watched the thrilling human chess game being played by Vincenzo and Babel-Wusang come to an end. Ms. Choi in particular, gave quite the fight, but she was no match to the consigliere.

Despite having a lot less comedy than what we’re used to, the finale was a fitting and deliciously satisfying, if not sadistic, conclusion to a show that revolved around ruthlessness and the bloody war you could get into dealing with the mafia.

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 Vincenzo Episode 19 Rating: 7.5/10 

 Vincenzo Episode 20 Rating: 8.0/10 

Favorite Moments in Vincenzo Episode 19

1. Han-seo makes his choice

2. Geumga Plaza wins over Babel

3. Vincenzo threatens Prosecutor Jung in the bathroom

Favorite Moments in Vincenzo Episode 20

1. Ms. Choi gets burned to death

2. Jang Han-seok is scared for his life

3. Vincenzo says Han-seo deserves to be his brother

Vincenzo Episode 19 Reactions

1. Vincenzo seems “relatable cool” now as opposed to “too cool for school”.

2. One pet peeve about fight scenes where it’s one man against multiple people: the way they all just come after the guy one-by-one.

3. Everyone in Geumga Plaza really be a Tekken fighter.

4. LOL’ing at An Gi-seok, the Vincenzo Fan Club President.

5. What a great way to highlight all the Geumga Plaza tenants. We’re officially reaching our endgame!

6. Cha-young with a stick to the head in this no-disqualification match!

7. Vincenzo doing these head bops with Seo Mi-ri is sooo weird.

What really happened to the gold

8. I knew the monks were being sketchy in the previous episode. They knew about the gold!

9. So we’re still not discussing the hints about Cha-young being uncomfortable about Vincenzo’s antics?

10. Everyone simping over Vincenzo will never not be hilarious.

11. Park Seung-jun and Mr. Kim are joining Team Babel-Wusang late in the game.

12. Jang Han-seok biting that guy’s ear is the psychopathic insanity we’ve been missing for the past episodes.

13. One thing I will not miss are these Kopiko product placements.

14. “It’s okay to be corrupt when you’re competent” definitely doesn’t apply in the Philippines when everyone is both corrupt and incompetent.

15. Has Jang Han-seo officially outed himself as an ally of Vincenzo’s? Why is he sitting with them?

The Babel Tower trial

16. How long did it take them to rehearse that cross-legged thing, I wonder.

17. So why are their faces blurred?

18. Prosecutor Jung is suddenly being the most annoying person in Team Babel-Wusang.

19. Ms. Choi and Seung-hyuk’s alliance is officially over. It was a good run!

The trial aftermath

20. The Geumga Plaza is finally getting their building back! They deserve this.

21. I love how Han-seo just casually dropped Seung-hyuk that he’s siding with Vincenzo.

22. Jang Han-seok’s tower model was shot down. It really feels like the end of the show, doesn’t it?

23. He’s going to be out for Vincenzo’s blood after this, and I can’t wait.

24. I love how Vincenzo genuinely cares about Han-seo’s well-being.

Ms. Choi’s sacrifice

25. Again, why does Ms. Choi feel such a deep loyalty to Han-seok?

26. Finally, we’re getting to explore Cha-young’s feelings about Vincenzo’s evil pranks… oh it’s over?

27. Wow, Ms. Choi is sacrificing herself for Han-seok. She’s the freakin’ MVP of the evil people!

28. Good riddance, Prosecutor Jung!

29. This sounds like some major foreshadowing that Han-seo will die soon.

Han-seok is back with a vengeance

30. I totally missed Ms. Choi’s dancing.

31. Prayer circle for Han-seo’s life!

32. …And another one for Cha-young. Jesus, what does Han-seok have in mind?

33. Pleeeeaaaase don’t hurt Han-seo.

34. I am loving the direction this episode is going. It’s starting to feel like a horror movie of sorts.

35. I know Han-seok says he likes Cha-young, but now I wish the show built up to it more.

36. Wow, he really made Vincenzo kneel.

37. So either Han-seo is gonna end up killing Vincenzo, or he’s gonna end up killing himself if he doesn’t, huh? What a sad predicament for us Han-seo fans.

38. Cha-young got shot! Good news though: she didn’t get hit in the heart. She’s definitely not yet dead!

Vincenzo Episode 20 Reactions

1. Hard to tell what Han-seok’s thinking after shooting Cha-young.

2. Well folks, we called it. And it breaks my Han-seo stanning heart that he’s the one taking the fall in the Vincenzo finale!

3. LOL. Sucker only got two bullets in his gun! Not so LOL = him getting away.

4. Oh wow, I’m actually crying. This is so freaking sad. I really wanted Han-seo to have a happy ending.

The second death

5. I think this is the first time we’ve actually seen Vincenzo be physically intimate with Cha-young.

6. I really wanted to see Seung-hyuk’s reaction to Han-seo’s death. Why is literally no one mourning his death?

7. I love how Ms. Choi is just annoyed at Vincenzo’s death threat.

8. That Samsung Galaxy placement was the most random product placement ever.

9. Well at least my guess of Han Seung-hyuk dying turned out to be correct! The body count in the past two episodes is now at three.

10. Mr. Cho is finally redeeming himself from his poor decisions throughout the entire k-drama.

Ms. Choi’s time is up

11. You know you done fucked up when you hear Vincenzo’s lighter.

12. Ms. Choi, giiirl, you deserve whatever it is you’re going to get. I do wish it was Cha-young finishing you off though.

13. WTF @ the police suddenly getting involved with this. But now it does make me think that Vincenzo going to jail should be inevitable.

14. Holy foot torture! Vincenzo going dark.

15. Is it bad that I’m enjoying this torture?

16. Body count: 4. What a GLORIOUS death that was from Ms. Choi. I don’t know how Han-seok’s will top that.

Jang Han-seok’s torture

17. No way, he just killed Beanie Guy!!! Everyone is just dying and I’m amazed.

18. Mr. Tak with the punt kick! I adore how Vincenzo just went straight to Beanie Guy instead of going after Han-seok.

19. I’m tearing up again. I wasn’t expecting this amount of deaths. Babel Balloon Guy might just save him though.

20. Nooooo, seeing Vincenzo and Han-seo eat together is just gonna make me cry.

21. That drill is fucking scary, and watching Han-seok beg for his life is muy bien.

22. Imagine how more amazing this torture scene would be if this was an HBO show and we wouldn’t have to censor anything.

23. Wow, Vincenzo is really leaving Korea right now. Things are moving too quickly!

24. Do I feel sorry for Han-seok? Maybe a bit.

One year later

25. Aaaawww, they’re still wearing their Cassano family team uniform.

26. Totally forgot that Oh Gyeong-ja still had that sexual harassment case hanging over her head. I’m glad that Cha-young tied that loose end up quick.

27. Mr. Cho working for Gi-seok seems right since they’re like two of biggest Vincenzo’s fanboys.

28. Are these two.. together? And OF COURSE NOT, because Beanie Guy is alive!

29. Shouldn’t you be storing your gold elsewhere, Seo Mi-ri?

30. Monk just kinda justified Vincenzo’s violent means. Weird.

Vincenzo, the ending

31. So Cha-young is totally going to meet up with Vincenzo in this Korean-Italian diplomatic relations event thing.

32. Finally… THE KISS! And I’m loving this choice of music.

33. I see we only have a minutes left, and I kinda wish we had some scenes with Vincenzo and the tenants.

34. Didn’t expect Vincenzo to still go after evil people in a “justiceless” way. Hmmm… I don’t know how to feel about that yet.

And that’s a wrap for our weekly Vincenzo episode recaps, review, and reactions. It was such a blast doing this with you guys. I’m gonna miss the mafia lawyer and all the crazy tenants so much! What were your thoughts watching the Vincenzo finale, and what are your final thoughts about the show? Leave them in the comments below! And if you missed it, you can view our reactions and review for other episodes here.

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The post ‘Vincenzo’ Finale: Episode 19 & 20 Review, Recap and Reactions appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

You’ve probably seen Reply 1988 pop up on your Facebook feed up ’til today, almost six years after it first aired, because it’s just that good. It had everything for every kind of viewer: a captivating love triangle, rewarding coming-of-age stories, and way too many tearjerking scenes. In this list of the best scenes from Reply 1988, we’re going to take a look at some of the most heartbreaking moments in this iconic k-drama.

Obviously, spoilers are ahead! If you still haven’t watched any show from the Reply trilogy, make sure to visit our guide so you’d know how you should be watching it.

1. Deok-sun’s Olympic dream gets cut

In the first moment of the show that truly made us tear up, our bubbly protaganist Sung Deok-sun learned that she would not be able to be part of the Olympic opening ceremony. She was representing the country of Madagascar which would eventually withdraw from the competition. We knew how big this was for Deok-sun; she was practicing day and night for that occasion.

She was also never as bright as her sister, so you knew this was a huge deal for her. It just sucked to see her try to hold back tears when she was being interviewed about how she felt about being removed from the ceremony.

It’s a two-for-one special for the first episode! Deok-sun had a memorably terrible birthday celebration right after the whole opening ceremony debacle. She was sick of sharing a birthday cake with her sister, Sung Bo-ra, just because they were born three days apart. But because their family wasn’t really that rich to begin with, her parents really didn’t have a choice.

When it was time to sing a birthday song for Deok-sun, she stopped the whole thing and went on a tirade. It wasn’t really about the fact that she was sharing a birthday cake, but it’s about all the times she felt like she wasn’t being treated equally as her siblings. Later on, her father brought her to a store, apologized, and secretly gave her a birthday cake of her own. Deok-sun’s dad is definitely father goals!

3. Sun-woo eats his mother’s lunch

It’s a small moment, but something that really stayed with me. In the second episode, the boys lightheartedly made fun of the food that Sun-woo’s mom had prepared for him because she was not exactly the best cook in the world. Even if Sun-woo knew this, he made sure to eat the entire lunch made by his mom before he went home so that she wouldn’t feel bad. Aww~

4. Jung-hwan does the greeting that his dad does

One of the best scenes in Reply 1988 could be found in Episode 4, where we really got to explore the dynamic in Jung-hwan’s family. It was the birthday of his mother, Ra Mi-ran, so his dad, Kim Sung-kyun, did everything he could to make it a fun one for everyone. He took them to a fancy American diner, but the whole family seemed like they weren’t into it. Kim Jung-bong was too busy playing with his Rubik’s Cube while Jung-hwan was… being his unbothered self.

But Sung-kyun didn’t seem to mind their lack of appreciation until he bought some ice cream for the family. The next day, he saw the melted ice cream on the same spot where he had left it which sent him to a miserable state!

Jung-hwan was able to deduce why he was feeling that way, so when Sung-kyun did his signature wacky greeting thinking that Deok-sun had entered the house, he reluctantly did the whole bit with his father even if it was probably killing him inside. Even Sung-kyun was shocked when he played along!

5. Taek’s father tells him he loves him

From one father-son duo to another, Choi Taek and Moo-sung had some memorable storylines that made us reach for the tissue a couple of times. One of the most heartwrenching moments between them happened in the seventh episode, when Moo-sung was interviewed by a reporter about his son, but got frustrated when he couldn’t answer any question about him.

His guilt was intensified when Taek returned with a birthday present for him — pink mittens — from his trip overseas. When giving it to him, Taek said that he loved his father. While the latter obviously wanted to say it back, he couldn’t muster up the words to do so. They just didn’t have that kind of relationship especially since the both of them were so reserved!

But later on, the reporter showed Taek a video of Moo-sung telling him he loved him. And of course, Taek broke down in tears.

6. Jung-hwan helps his mother read her name

In Episode 11, Jung-hwan’s parents were planning to go to Japan for a quick getaway. Jung-hwan was in the travel agency helping out with the documents and had to call Mi-ran because they were asking for her English name. However, Mi-ran kept delaying giving the name so she told her son to call her back later instead. Jung-hwan was able to put two and two together and realized: his mother can’t read!

He asked Sung-kyun about it, who confirmed that both he and Mi-ran only finished grade school. Either way, he thought that his wife was the smartest person that he knew. On their way to the airport, Mi-ran found a welcome surprise in her passport as she saw her English name written in Hanggul.

It was from her son who did not once judge her for not knowing how to read English.

7. Sun-woo finds out about his mom’s part-time job

Another great moment from the most perfect son in the world. There was a time when his mom, Kim Sun-young, was sort of keeping her budding friendship with Moo-sung a secret from Sun-woo.

But when he eventually realized that Moo-sung and Sun-young may be hitting it off, he cut night classes to spy on them. But what he didn’t expect to find out was that his mother was actually working a part-time job as a bathhouse cleaner and was keeping it a secret from him! This simultaneously broke Sun-woo’s heart and made him angry.

Why would she keep all these secrets from him, but more importantly, why was she feeling the need to get a job for him?

Thankfully, Sung Bo-ra was able to explain why it’s important he didn’t get mad at his mom: she was doing all this extra work for him!

8. Moo-sung thinks Taek is dead

We’ve never seen Taek’s dad show so much emotion until this moment. The Ssangmundong neighborhood got turned upside-down when news broke out about a plane crash which Taek was probably on. While everyone was amazed at Moo-sung’s calm behavior throughout the whole thing, we learned what really happened.

Since the number to Taek’s hotel room was locked inside his drawer, Moo-sung desperately broke the padlock and was trembling in fear. Sun-woo had to call Taek in his place, and when he wasn’t answering, his dad threw the biggest tantrum because he thought he had just lost him. After the call, Taek just sat in tears because he was oblivious about how much he worried Moo-sung.

9. Deok-sun’s mom stops calling her Soo-yeon

What started out as a funny joke where everyone started to call Deok-sun by the name “Soo-yeon” ended up giving us one of the saddest moments in Reply 1988. When her mom, Il-hwa, went to the fortune teller, she was told that Deok-sun would only get into college if everyone called her Soo-yeon. So she got the whole neighborhood to do so!

But when Il-hwa gets the news from her daughter’s teacher that college was not in the cards, she would immediately call her by Deok-sun again. This broke Deok-sun’s heart because the fact that she didn’t call her Soo-yeon anymore meant that she had just disappointed her mother. The spunky teenager would desperately apologize to her mother thinking that she had given up on her the moment she called her by her birth name.

10. Dong-ryong’s mom cooks food for him

One of the most underrated characters, Dong-ryong, finally took the spotlight in Episode 15. He had always been known as the joker of the group at this point, but we were able to see a glimpse of his not-so-happy life at home for the first time.

When he got into a motorcycle accident, he was taken to the police and needed a guardian to get him out, so the gang called his always-absentee of a mother which stirred quite the frightened reaction out of Dong-ryong. But to his surprise, she showed nothing but concern for her son. She would then watch him eat the food she cooked as Dong-ryong told her the latest tea about him and Ssangmundong — the first time she had seen him talk that much to her.

11. Bo-ra’s dad gives her medicine

Actually, can we just include all the scenes between Sung Bo-ra and the dad? I mean the little things like Bo-ra buying him a shirt for work was enough to make me tear up. But if I had to pick the best moment in Reply 1988 between them, I’m going with the scene in Episode 16 where Bo-ra leaves home.

When Bo-ra was moving out so that she could study for the bar exams, we thought that Sung Dong-il was absent because he had to work. But as it turned out, he was actually doing something nice for his daughter. He stopped her car to give her some medicine he had bought for her. Even the stone cold Bo-ra couldn’t hold back her tears from this touching gesture, and she would let her tears fall as she drove away. Her dad loved her after all!

12. Jung-hwan and Jung-bong’s moment under the stars

Now we weren’t gonna forget about Jung-bong, were we? The brothers shared one last moment together under the shooting stars before they moved past their teen years. When Jung-hwan asked what he wished for during the cosmic event, he told him that it was for Jung-hwan to follow his own dream.

We learned that Jung-hwan would always dream to be what Jung-bong dreamed of being, but had to set aside because of his heart condition. First, he wanted to be a soccer player, and then he wanted to be an Air Force pilot — two things Jung-bong wanted to be, but couldn’t. Jung-hwan always wanted to live his brother’s dream so that he could do it for the both of them. When he realized that Jung-bong caught up to what he had been doing, he couldn’t help but tear up.

13. Jung-hwan’s false confession

I mean… I just couldn’t leave this out. When I laid out my theory about why Taek was not supposed to be Deok-sun’s husband, I told you all that I was Team Taek. But even I couldn’t help but feel so heartbroken for Jung-hwan when he made “jokingly” professed his love for her.

All viewers were waiting for a moment where one of the two boys in our loveline would finally confess his love, so we were all glued to our television watching Jung-hwan finally do it. The whole speech was so passionate and really came from the bottom of the heart! He was recounting all the things he did for Deok-sun in high school, and everyone in the dinner table was freaking SHOOKT to the core.

But by then, Jung-hwan knew that Deok-sun had no (more?) feelings for him. So he ended that whole spiel by saying it was just a joke.

This was honestly more a sad moment for us than for him, although you could kinda see his pain through it all.

14. Saying goodbye to Ssangmundong

I have… thoughts about the Reply 1988 finale, and to sum it up, my disappointment in it is the only thing keeping me from claiming that this is the best k-drama ever. But when Deok-sun did the whole nostalgic farewell to the Ssangmundong neighborhood and the simpler 1980s era at the very end of the show, I couldn’t help but feel somber. Seeing it empty without our favorite people living there anymore just hurt.

Change is inevitable, but it still sucks.

It’s truly a testament to how well the cast and crew behind the k-drama did their job; saying goodbye to Ssangmundong brought out a lot of tears from someone who was not even born in 1988.

And that’s our list of the top moments in Reply 1988 that made us cry. We know there are some tearjerking moments in Reply 1988 that we left out here, so feel free to leave them down in the comments section below!

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The post ‘Reply 1988’: The 14 Best Scenes that Made Us Cry… A Lot appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Previously on Vincenzo, I almost lost it after Jang Han-seo betrayed Vincenzo when he shot him in the heart. But as we’ve learned since we started watching this show, nothing is ever what it seems.

What really happened in that hockey rink? Has Han-seo officially gone mad? And what’s next in the plan to take down Babel for good? Find out all the answers to those burning questions with our review, recap, and real-time reactions! As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Remember: if you missed our recap and review of previous Vincenzo episodes, you can always go back to them HERE.

Vincenzo Episode 18 Review & Recap

How is it possible that so many things happened, but so little at the same time? It’s kind of hard to recap everything that happened in this episode, but let’s start with Han-seo shooting Vincenzo in the heart. As everyone had expected, he wasn’t actually dead.

In fact, my worries of Jang Han-seo being a baddie all along were put to rest almost immediately when it was revealed that he had planned the whole thing with Vincenzo. It was actually the first step in a plan to get rid of Interpol, who had come after Vincenzo because of Han Seung-hyeuk. The mafia lawyer had been wearing protective gear under his uniform all along so the gunshot did not do any harm.

He told Interpol that the whole thing was a set-up from his Italian rival, Paolo, and he immediately sent them a list of vital information to send them away from him. And to avoid any suspicion from Team Babel-Wusang, Han-seo even asked for Vincenzo to shoot him in the arm.

You all know I’ve been #TeamHanSeo since he teamed up with the Jipuragi Law Firm so you know I was ecstatic that his betrayal was just a mere illusion. There was also a cute little scene where Han-seo revealed that he actually saw Vincenzo as a brother. While it did sorta come out of left field, we shouldn’t be too surprised. When you have a brother who’s as psychotic as Han-seok, you’ll naturally gravitate to someone who shows you the tiniest bit of kindness.

I guess I am feeling some disappointment because the cliffhangers of the show often turn out to be such a bust. But somehow, Vincenzo episode 18 managed to out-disappoint me in that regard.

READ: ‘Vincenzo’ Episode 17: Review, Recap & Reactions

We are officially witnessing the downfall of Babel. The Jipuragi Law Firm has put the company on notice (again) by taking their case to court. It seems like this is the real beginning of the end though, because our favorite team of lawyers have some major stuff to back up their claims.

But Vincenzo wouldn’t dare to call himself a member of the mafia without having some fun at his enemy’s expense. After instructing his lackeys to scare off Jang Han-seok, Vincenzo continued to put him down for good by placing him behind bars. The craziest part about the whole thing was how he made Ms. Choi and Han-seok believe that it was their plan to have that happen.

They didn’t know it, but Vincenzo threatened now-Chief Prosecutor Han Seung-hyeuk to make sure that the arrest would happen. In a Team Babel-Wusang meeting, Seung-hyeuk suggested that Han-seok be arrested so that he would be “protected” from Vincenzo. They thought it was a good idea because there was no way he was going to get killed in jail.

Vincenzo would later reveal the truth to Inmate Han-seok who looked especially good in an orange suit. And to add insult to injury, Han-seo was the one who put his brother in handcuffs.

I honestly don’t know what to make of this. Jang Han-seok, who’s the Big Bad of the show, has been doing such a terrible job of being a genuine villain so far. Ms. Choi has done more things than he has in Vincenzo episode 18 alone!

The show has made him look weak too many times already, and I’m not sure there is enough time to make us feel like he has an actual chance against Vincenzo. He gave Ms. Choi the order to get him out of that cell before Babel completely gets destroyed, so I’m hoping he raises some major hell afterwards.

Then Vincenzo episode 18 starts to get confusing and messy when our favorite Italian friend Luca visited the consigliere. He came to tell Vincenzo that the Luciano family was under attack and that his presence was needed back in Italy. So with that, he immediately packed up his bags to fly out the next day.

Then in the very definition of “filler”, we got to see some characters get melodrama-sad as they said their farewell to Vincenzo. Did I mention that he was planning to come back after two weeks?

The goodbye scenes he had with the tenants and Cha-young would’ve been great and all if it wasn’t for what happened next.

Let’s rewind a bit. Even though the Guillotine File has been in the hands of Jipuragi for some time now, the gold and Guillotine File drama is still not yet over. Mr. Kim, who is the secretary of presidential candidate Park Seung-jun and is now suddenly a threat to our protagonists, has been on a mission to find the Guillotine File hidden in the Geumga Plaza basement.

He sent his men to attack Mr. Cho, who was able to trace the person who could open the basement door: Seo Mi-ri.

He couldn’t have just pretended that it was another person?! Mr. Cho, you’re the literal worst.

Mr. Kim and his men went after Mi-ri who was able to open the door for them. There’s one twist to this story though: the basement was empty! After this revelation, the men chased Mi-r- down the building where Cha-young tried to come to her rescue. The feisty lawyer was no match for the men though.

But before anyone could place a finger on her, someone came to their rescue. It was Vincenzo!

That is where we left things off in Vincenzo episode 18, and my only reaction is: huh? What was the point of all the prolonged mopey scenes about Vincenzo leaving if he was going to come back before the episode even ended? I just don’t see the point of spending that amount of time for filler, especially when we’re this late in the show.

Not only that, but the cliffhanger was weak because there were no stakes! I don’t know why we’re still treating the Guillotine File as a big deal for villains to find because Vincenzo has had it this entire time. Babel is already going down because of it so I don’t see why we should worry about other people looking for it.

Overall, I think I let my expectations get the best of me. I wanted Vincenzo episode 18 to set-up the last two episodes of the show well for the Big Bad showdown, but we ended it with the pointless Italy return affair that didn’t amount to much. I wish they did something to make us feel that Vincenzo’s plan will not go down smoothly. Instead, we got Han-seok behind bars without much hope to grasp on to.

Also, there was no follow-up to Cha-young getting uneasy about Vincenzo’s killing spree from the previous episode.

I sincerely hope this is not the end for Babel and Wusang. Let’s hope they’ll be able to swing things in their favor in episode 19!

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 Vincenzo Episode 18 Rating: 6.5/10 

Favorite Moments in Vincenzo Episode 18

I realize that these are all moments related to Jang Han-seo, but there just weren’t many iconic moments in this episode. He is a pretty iconic character though.

1. Han-seo sees Vincenzo as his hyung

2. Han-seo arrests his brother

3. Han-seo shoots Vincenzo in the arm

Vincenzo Episode 18 Reactions

1. And just like that, Vincenzo rises from being shot to nobody’s surprise!

2. Now I’m confused how Vincenzo was able to tie up all those Interpol people.

3. Han-seo totally deserved that shot to the arm.

4. I’m confused. If Jang Han-seo was the one who leaked the Interpol info to Vincenzo, then why did he shoot him? Then that means…

5. Yes! Han-seo is still part of Team Vincenzo. I manifested this!!!

6. I kind of ship Vincenzo and Han-seo together?

7. I love how all the Geumga Plaza tenants just want to have Vincenzo’s approval.

Threats, threats & more threats

8. This is a great throwback to the first court case these two had against Babel.

9. I bet these monks are up to something. Very sus.

10. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed interactions between Ms. Choi and Cha-young.

11. Is this the first time that Vincenzo and Seung-hyeuk actually interacted?

12. Vincenzo has not been playing around since they killed his mother. He’s just shooting people everywhere.

13. Mr. Cho is finally getting an interesting storyline!

14. Jang Han-seok has just looked lamer and lamer by the episode. And now he’s worse off with his limp and ear bandage.

Han-seok goes to jail

15. Han-seok has to go to jail for this plan against Vincenzo? Now we’re talking!

16. Damn, Han-seo putting the handcuffs on Han-seok would’ve been such an epic moment if it wasn’t all part of a scheme.

17. I don’t get why Seung-hyeuk is still scared of Han-seok even if he’s literally more powerful than him now.

18. Yikes. I take back what I said about shipping Han-seo and Vincenzo together after he said he seems him as a brother.

19. I wanna call Vincenzo hyung, too!

20. Checkmate! You’re going down along with Babel, Jang Han-seok.

21. Why is Seung-hyeuk still looking out for Han-seok’s best interest?

Vincenzo leaves for Italy…

22. Guess Luca’s here to set-up the final conflict of the show: will Vincenzo stay in Korea, or leave to go to Italy?

23. Mr. Cho has betrayed us once again. God, he is seriously the worst supporting character ever.

24. It’s been sooo long since we’ve had a good Vincenzo and Cha-young scene.

25. So Vincenzo is leaving just like that?

26. It’s just two weeks, guys. Let’s not get overdramatic.

27. So we’re not gonna talk about your unresolved feelings regarding Vincenzo’s murder streak, Cha-young? Okaaaay.

28. She really learned an Italian phrase for Vincenzo. Adorable!

… or not

29. For a second there, I thought the monks betrayed Seo Mi-ri.

30. I wish I had proof, but I totally saw it coming that the gold isn’t actually there.

31. Well that Italy trip was quick!

What were your thoughts watching the 18th episode of Vincenzo? Leave them in the comments below! And if you missed it, you can view our reactions and review for other episodes here.

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If you’re looking for more lighthearted K-dramas on Netflix like Vincenzo, you might want to check out our list of recommendations here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Vincenzo’ Episode 18: Review, Recap & Reactions appeared first on Zoomers Corner.