Summary
The finale of Vincenzo is breathtaking — episode 20 brings everything the fans wanted with a cinematic event. The last installment of season 1 marks the benchmark for k-drama in 2021.
This recap of Netflix k-drama series Vincenzo episode 20 — the ending/finale explained — contains significant spoilers.
The finale is here, and what a journey Vincenzo has been. It’s truly become K-Drama series that’s going to be hard to beat. It’s got progressively better since episode 1. Let’s recap episode 20!
Vincenzo episode 20 begins with a tragedy to start proceedings — it couldn’t have gone any other way. Cha-young is shot, and she falls to the ground. Vincenzo is mortified, and he looks up at Jang Han-seok with venom in his eyes. Jang Han-seo tries to take the gun off his brother, and it points at his stomach — Jang Han-seok calls him “scum” and shoots his brother straight through his stomach. Jang Han-seok tries to shoot at Vincenzo, but he’s run out of bullets. Before Vincenzo can get to him, the villain runs off. Cha-young looks okay, but Jang Han-seo is not — Vincenzo calls him a brother, which brings a warming, full-circle moment — Jang Han-seo never had a real brother all his life. Jang Han-seo passes Vincenzo his phone and thanks him.
Jang Han-seo is dead. He died with redemption.
Vincenzo pays for Cha-young’s private hospital room
Vincenzo Episode 20 gives the audience more romance in an intimate private hospital room setting — the finale is not cutting corners.
Cha-young is in the hospital with Vincenzo looking over her — he seems relieved; he nearly lost her. Vincenzo paid for a private room so she can recuperate and rest. Cha-young tells him it isn’t his fault and that he should go “finish the job.” There’s a recognition that after he’s finished, he’ll be leaving Korea — it’s their last night together. Vincenzo promises to return, just like he did in the last chapter.
Vincenzo offers Mr. Han a way out — he wants Choi Myung-hee
Mr. Han is about to sign a charge for embezzlement and bribery so he can be safe in prison, but then Vincenzo rings him offering him safety if he gets Choi Myung-hee out of prison within three hours. Vincenzo tells him to hurry if he wants to live. Our leading character is not playing in the Vincenzo season 1 finale.
Choi Myung-hee learns that she is being released, and she’s in shock. The charges have been dropped against her due to being under threat from Jang Han-seok. She receives a phone call, and it’s a recording of Vincenzo asking Mr. Han to get her released. Choi Myung-hee knows that Mr. Han traded her life for his. As the lawyer drives off, Mr. Cho follows her and updates Vincenzo. Choi Myung-hee rings Jang Han-seok and tells him that they shouldn’t meet as it might be a trap. Jang Han-seok tells her to go to his office and wire him money — he plans to go to Mexico. He tells her to run away and hide as well.
And another tragedy
And just like many chapters before it, the Vincenzo finale separates the cowards, the villains, and the heroes — Mr. Han has run out of lives after sitting on the fence for far too long.
While Mr. Han speaks to the press, Jang Han-seok rings him and tells him he should be more respectful. Suddenly, two men stab him, and he lays on the court steps with blood everywhere.
That was a mafia-type kill from Jang Han-seok — Chief Prosecutor Han is dead.
Choi Myung-hee finally faces Vincenzo
Episode 20 is a chapter of vengeful actions, but we were treated to such a cinematic event — Vincenzo calculated every move.
Choi Myung-hee believes she was safe, but Vincenzo waits for her as she enters a hotel room. She panics and tries to leave, but Mr. Cho blocks the door. Vincenzo knows she tried to wire money to Jang Han-seok. He tells her they intercepted and gave it away for a good cause — scenes show Mi-ri hacking away.
Choi Myung-hee is placed in a warehouse, and her toes have been mutilated — she’s in immense pain and cannot stand up. She tells Vincenzo to kill her, but he doesn’t want her to die comfortably. Choi Myung-hee tells the Italian lawyer that no matter how cleverly he kills her, he will be a scumbag like her. Suddenly, the sprinklers go off; Vincenzo plays a record player to give her some music to listen to. Choi Myung-hee tells him to shoot her as he’s taking it too far. The sprinters were filled with fuel. Vincenzo throws his lit lighter behind him and walks out.
Choi Myung-hee is burned alive — another one bites the dust.
And then the Cassano family get involved
The residents of the plaza find Jang Han-seok and fight his men. However, Mr. Lee is stabbed brutally by Jang Han-seok that sobers the chaotic occasion. Jang Han-seok is shot in the leg, and Vincenzo arrives on the scene. Another resident knocks Jang Han-seok unconscious.
Vincenzo holds Mr. Lee’s hand as he looks to die; however, Park Seok-do uses his medical knowledge to help him. Vincenzo leaves the scene with an unconscious Jang Han-seok as the police arrive. The residents distract the officers for him.
Relive the moment Vincenzo returned to save Cha-young:
“The Spear of Atonement”
And the moment arrives where the main villain gets his desserts, and in the most brutal and evil way possible — it’s the only way it could be.
With Jang Han-seok tied up, Vincenzo tells him a story about his brother putting a tracker in his watch — he used it because he was afraid of what his brother was going to do next. Jang Han-seo put trackers in all of Jang Han-seok’s watches — that’s why he handed Vincenzo his phone so that he could track him. Jang Han-seok notices a sharp drill piece in front of him — Vincenzo calls it “The Spear of Atonement.” Vincenzo wants to ensure Jang Han-seok suffers a slow, painful death and tells him the spear will pierce him by 5mm every 5 minutes, and eventually, he will feel lightheaded from all the blood loss and feel excruciating pain. He explains that by the next day, in the afternoon, it’ll pierce his lung, and he’ll die instantly.
Jang Han-seok panics, stating they are businessmen. But Vincenzo does not care, and he drills the spear into him a little more manually. Vincenzo sets up the automated system and walks away as Jang Han-seok begs him to shoot him.
What a way to die — and that’s if he does die — Vincenzo Episode 20 never truly makes it official…
It’s time to leave
Vincenzo meets Mr. Cho and Mr. An, and they give him a new identity — however, there’s an expiration on the new data — he needs to leave immediately. As he’s about to leave, Cha-young arrives in her hospital clothes. The pair hug it out and say goodbye. There’s little time left, and Vincenzo runs to his car.
Meanwhile, Jang Han-seok suffers from a slow death, and a black crow lands on him and starts pecking away. The crow is symbolic, of course — a symbol of death.
And it’s time to breathe as the story moves a month forward
A month goes by, and the media report that they are still looking for Vincenzo for his crimes. Cha-young and the Cassano family are still fighting for justice for the plaza, protesting against politician Mr. Park. There appears to be a grip against corruption.
After a recovery period for all the characters and giving a brief overview of where they are in their lives, Cha-young looks at a board of many postcards from Vincenzo — she misses him. She also sees an upcoming event — “Celebration of Korea and Italy’s Diplomatic Relations.”
Vincenzo has an island and another goodbye
The finale of Vincenzo season 1 does eventually bring a reunion, and one will delight the fans.
When Cha-young attends the event, Vincenzo walks up beside her, and the earth stands still as she looks at the man she’s missed and smiles. Vincenzo explains that he sneaked in with the Italian delegation, but he will have to leave the next day. He tells her he will invite her to his island. Cha-young knows he’s on about the island on the postcard. He bought it near Malta.
Vincenzo thanks Cha-young for hiding the gold at her house. He reveals that the island is for many things, including a “hideout for your loved ones and a place of healing.” They both express how much they’ve missed each other, and then Vincenzo goes in for the kiss to prove it.
Vincenzo has to leave once again, leaving another moment of sadness.
The ending
For the ending of episode 20, Vincenzo narrates:
“Two days ago, I used three Luciano family members as manure for the vineyard and took over the olive plantations in Malta. I’m still a villain and couldn’t care less about justice. Justice is weak and empty. One cannot win against any villains with justice alone. If merciless justice exists, I am willing to yield to it. Even villains long to live in a peaceful world. However, since that’s impossible, I’ve taken up a new hobby. Getting rid of garbage. If I don’t do that, people will die buried underneath the garbage.
There’s one last thing I’d like to say from a villain’s perspective. Evil is prevalent and vehement”.
The finale of Vincenzo is breathtaking — episode 20 brings everything the fans wanted with a cinematic ending. The last installment of season 1 marks the benchmark for k-drama in 2021.
Additional points
- Flashbacks show Vincenzo speaking to a monk before he leaves — he talks about his many sins. He tells him he cannot become a buddha, but he can fight for the people.
