‘Vincenzo’ Episode 5: Review, Recap & Reactions

Vincenzo episode 5 has a lot of expectations to live up to after a crazy plot twist last week shocked everyone to their core. Team Vincenzo may think that they have Babel’s number, but they don’t even know half of what they’re going up against.

In this episode, the show gives us a break from all the heart-racing moments from last week as our favorite morally-gray lawyers continue their quest to destroy the Babel Group of Companies. Only this time, they’re taking the battle to court instead of good old-fashioned kidnapping, arson, and death threats.

Let’s find out what happens with Vincenzo and the gang in this episode’s review, recap, and real-time reactions. Feel free to leave your thoughts about this episode in the comments below!

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

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Vincenzo Episode 5 Review & Recap

This episode may have underwhelmed some of the viewers who were looking for a little more excitement after the previous one. But for me, I thought that the show made the right choice to keep things more low-key this time around. I understand that they had to backtrack a bit from all the illegal activities that Vincenzo and Cha-young had done from the previous episode because that’s not really how you take a large company like Babel down.

It only made sense that they’d take the more “legal” route to get some justice for everyone that Babel has trampled on. After all, both of them are lawyers and all their years of education would’ve gone to waste.

In Vincenzo episode 5, we see our titular character and Hong Cha-young take over a lawsuit involving BLSD: a chemical made by Babel that has taken some victims with its production. They steal the case from a dirty lawyer named So Hyeon-u by showing the victims’ families his true nature as a Babel mole.

I honestly didn’t care much about this storyline that took up much of the episode, because it didn’t really add up to the main story yet. But I guess it showed how deep Babel’s influence truly is. If they also control the people who are supposed to help out their victims, then they’re basically untouchable. Until Vincenzo and Cha-young appear, at least…

They seem to have done quite the 180 from the previous episode. They only had one “illegal” trick up their sleeve this time when Vincenzo sneaks in Hyeon-u’s office to steal his cash behind the painting. It didn’t even seem all that bad because (a) the lawyer got that money in a dirty way, and (b) they donated all of it to the victims’ families.

As much as Vincenzo thinks he’s a villain, he’s not. He’s an anti-hero at worst.

Oh and there was a scene where the lawyer got shipped in a body bag and onto a deserted island with nothing but taunting messages? What the hell was that about? That seemed pretty random, and if it was done by Vincenzo, then yeah, I say that’s pretty dark of him.

The biggest highlight of this episode was Joon-woo. I’m pretty sure everyone’s eyes were on him as we tried to decipher who this man — revealed to be the Big Bad — truly is. Honestly, I wasn’t able to feel out his real personality in Vincenzo episode 5, but that’s fine. It would be silly for the k-drama to show all his cards right after we were just informed that he was the Big Bad.

What we did learn though was he can be just as ruthless and violent as Vincenzo. He has the fake Chairman Jang wrapped around his finger; when Joon-woo says jump, Chairman Jang does a somersault. Joon-woo was able to put him in his place by beating him up with his bath towel, but after that, he’s basically a blank canvas.

I was captivated in every scene of his because as you’ll see in my real-time reactions below, I couldn’t figure out which actions of his were the “real Joon-woo” and which ones were just him “in character”. Like there’s a chance he may genuinely be in love with Cha-young (still ship it!), but he could also be playing her.

I’m going to enjoy figuring him out in the next few episodes. But I was happy for the little scraps of Joon-woo that the writers gave us in this episode.

He better watch out for Vincenzo though, because he’s already pieced together that Chairman Jang Han-Seo is not the real chairman of Babel. Their spicy food eating contest was a blast to watch as both of them tried to outlast one another in front of Cha-young. I really wish that they’d be a cute little clique of friends when the show ends… if that’s possible.

We also got some progress with the tenants of Geumga Plaza. The Funny Monk (aka Monk Chaeshin) is related to a Babel researcher who collapsed in front of Han-Seo after working on BLSD. Later on, we learn that the Babel researcher is actually well-loved by the building tenants.

With their impending building demolition and the researcher being hospitalized, they are even more furious with Babel. They actually come together in support of Vincenzo and Cha-young whom they didn’t fully trust before. Mr. Tak prepared their (extremely fashionable) court outfits, Chef Toto and his protégé prepared a hearty feast (which they didn’t really eat), and they started a creative protest in front of the courthouse.

These moments were touching knowing how much Hong Yu-chan and this case against Babel mean to the building tenants. They show that the tenants are more than just decorative characters who are just there to lighten up the mood. I felt so exited for Chef Toto when Vincenzo finally gave him a thumbs up for the food… even if his mom prepared it.

Finally, we got some cute moments between Vincenzo and Cha-young in Vincenzo episode 5. It seems like they’re starting to get closer as friends. You know it’s getting serious when they’re having finger-flicking bets and showcasing major fashion sense in court.

A particularly sweet moment came when they discussed what Vincenzo’s plan would be after they settle the Geumga Plaza debacle. Cha-young didn’t say it in so many words, but she wants Vincenzo to stay in Korea. She said it with her eyes!

I admit, I like how Cha-young brings out Vincenzo’s lighter side so they kind of complement each other in that way. I’m looking forward to a time they get some more intimate scenes when Vincenzo’s big-ass wall starts to crumble.

In the next episode, we’re getting our much-anticipated showdown between Cha-young and Ms. Choi. Will driving to the court in a sports car and sunglasses help Team Vincenzo win the case? We’ll find out soon.

 Vincenzo Episode 5 Rating: 7/10 

READ: ‘Vincenzo’ Episode 4: Reactions, Review & Recap

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Favorite Moments of Vincenzo Episode 5

1. Jang Joon-Woo and Vincenzo’s spicy food battle

2. Joon-woo chokes Han-seo with his towel

3. Vincenzo finally gives a thumbs up to Chef Toto

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Vincenzo Episode 5 Reactions

1. Aaand we’re back. Still not over the fact that Joon-woo is the freakin’ Big Bad of this show! I still don’t know how to feel about him being evil. I mean look at that goofy shit-eating grin of his— oh nevermind, he just choked the guy with his towel!

2. I’m sorry. The (romantic) chemistry between Song Joong-ki and Jeon Yeo-been just isn’t hitting for me.

3. Wow, Vincenzo looks so different when he’s wearing normal clothes. I haven’t seen Song Joong-ki in a k-drama outside this one, but he looks much younger in gym garb.

4. Cha-young doing silk aerobics while on the phone with Joon-woo is some BF/GF material. But why does the show have to remind us that Joon-woo is evil?

5. I’m shocked with how quickly they’re catching on to the fact that Chairman Jang may actually be a puppet.

The plan to take down Babel

6. How long do they think people are going to believe that this guy is Vincenzo… well, just under a minute apparently.

7. LMAO. Cha-young really went with “tonsil problem” so that Vincenzo will be forced not to say anything.

8. Vincenzo is way more charming when he’s quiet and smiling. But how stupid is it that he didn’t distort his voice when threatening Ms. Choi?

9. This presentation reminds me of that classmate we have who uses all the animations they could find in Powerpoint.

10. Is this Board of Directors(?) lunch where Chairman Jang tortures them with spicy food even legal?

11. Cha-young fake crying to getting real desperate when they bring up her dad being a shady lawyer. She cares.

Vincenzo kicks some butt again

12. What the hell happened to that researcher?!

13. I will never get tired of Vincenzo kicking the asses of these Babel E&C losers.

14. Vincenzo giving Chef Toto money… this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

15. I still don’t know the name of this guy who’s been helping Vincenzo and Cha-young, but he is entertaining.

Vincenzo vs. Joon-woo

16. This finger flick scene is the most sexual chemistry these two have ever had.

17. God, Joon-woo is so good at his role as Cha-young’s perky intern that I just can’t see him as a villain. Towel-choking and all! I wish these three wee rust friends.

18. I love this stand-off about spicy food even if it reeks of toxic masculinity. Uh-oh, who new spicy food would be Vincenzo’s weakness?

19. Interesting. The Funny Monk (not to be confused with The Serious Monk) is related to the researcher who collapsed earlier.

20. I wonder if Joon-woo actually likes Cha-young romantically and her relationship with Vincenzo is making him jealous?

The battle lines are drawn

21. I find this U-yeong flashbacks pretty weird. I didn’t even notice the guy until he collapsed.

22. Serious Monk is ALIVE from his four-episode-long training!

23. Hiding money behind a painting is sooo cliche.

24. Uh oh. Ms. Choi knows that Vincenzo was the one behind her close encounter with death! And Vincenzo knows she knows.

25. Vincenzo just said he’d give Cha-young advice on how to be a villain. Clearly, he doesn’t know he’s one of the good guys.

26. Why do k-dramas enjoy shooting scenes on top of a building when there is clearly no need for the characters to discuss things on top of said building?

27. Why is So Hyeon-u (the dirty lawyer) getting shipped to an island so funny?

28. Aww. Cha-young is going to miss Vincenzo when he leaves Korea.

The morning of the court battle

29. The building tenants coming together to help our leads is cute.

30. OH MY GOD, Vincenzo Chef Toto a thumbs up! I did not expect that. I’m so happy. But did they really just set up that feast just for Vincenzo to take a bite and leave?

31. These two look good and suave in purple.

32. This woman throwing a fit in front of the media personnel who was blocking their way is such a mood.

33. Driving to court in this sports car is like the vehicular version of being overdressed. It’d be so embarrassing if they lost this case.

34. Joon-woo laughing when Cha-young blows a kiss to the reporter… he so has a crush on her.

35. I am confused by this showcase of talent/prayer ritual-protest that the building tenants are doing. But okay, I guess?

36. It only took a few episodes, but we’re finally getting the (first) showdown between Cha-young and Ms. Choi.

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What were you thoughts watching the fifth 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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