Episode 4 of Tokyo Vice starts with Samantha’s visionary club that she dreams of opening. She purchases a plot for the same. Jake, as it turns out, was indeed taken in by Ishida’s men. The oyabun explains to him his predicament. Someone in the police department has started rumors about him bribing cops and becoming an informant for them. Jake agrees to find out who started it. ..
Jake talks to Hiroto about the story and he says that he will look into it; but no stories about it until then. Jake takes Hiroto’s folder to Emi. She instantly makes a connection to a woman’s suicide in Machiya. The pattern is the same and they take off to meet the widower. Meanwhile, Samantha’s plans are outed to Duke by Malee. Duke threatens her with dire consequences, but Samantha dismisses his claims. ..
Emi and Jake visit the house in Machiya. They discover the address of the company that kept harassing Hyeon-suk, the deceased. The former feigns being a desperate housewife in need of a loan and procures the contractual agreement to understand how the company makes money off of suicides. A clause mandates the insurances payouts to the loan company in case of a suicide.
Kyoshi Sonodo, the CEO of the company, is actually a vegetable. This means he can’t function like a normal human being. Samantha learns a shocking truth about Matso’s identity. He is actually chasing her for something she did in the past – stealing someone’s money. And now he wants something in return. She walks away from the dinner, horrified and afraid of what’s coming next.
Sato and Jake’s night begins with a nightclub adventure. They spend time with women and have dinner. Samantha is upset with Malee, but Polina suspects a more serious issue, which Samantha does not disclose to her. Emi continues her probe into another matter involving the murder of a young girl. The details of the confession to the murder are such that she smells some misdoing on part of the police and the Yakuza. Her boss asks her to trust her instincts when he finds her late in the office.
Sato and Jake go out to dinner at a restaurant where Tozawa is also a regular. While they are having dinner, Jake comments on his watch and gives Tozawa his card. The two exchange a brief conversation, and Tozawa walks out. The episode ends with Samantha, who ponders over Matsu’s words to her – “choose the right”.
The Episode Review
The highlight of the episode was Samantha’s treacherous past. Until now, she was sculpted carefully by the writers as a taciturn, dedicated, independent foreigner who made her own way in Japan. Against all odds, she survived and has big dreams. But the revelation about her “stealings” muddle her character arc. Audiences will not see her the same way now.
Episode 4 of the show starts with Emi revealing her journalistic drive and how she is always looking for new ways to get the story. She also brings out her human side in this episode, where she starts to care about Jake and Sato. This shows that there is more to Emi than just a reporter.
Hiroto has now become a fan favorite. Regardless of who you’re rooting for, Hiroto will be a common favorite amongst fans after this episode. It emphasized how tough and professional he is as a cop but also how kind-hearted and loving he is as a father. This episode was more about putting more pieces of the puzzle together than painting exposition about its themes. ..
Tokyo Vice is gradually becoming my favorite show. The soft tones that were slightly unsuitable in the first three episodes have phased out to become a more tradition-oriented grey area, as is the norm for classic television shows. ‘Tokyo Vice’ is gradually turning into my favorite show, and I am sure most of you are the same. ..
