Summary
The length is the biggest weakness, with there not being enough action/story development to warrant the 1-hour length. On a positive note, the acting and visuals are a clear strength of Tokyo Vice; and, therefore, help keep audiences engaged enough in the episode.
This recap of Tokyo Vice season 1, episode 4, contains spoilers. You can check out our recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
Tokyo Vice season 1, episode 4 recap
As Sam searches for potential properties for her own club, Jake asks the men that have grabbed him where they are taking him. He receives no response. But soon afterward, he gets taken to Hitoshi Ishida, Koichi Tanaka’s right hand and de facto head of the Chihara-kai crime family. After an intense conversation, Jake gets driven back home by Sato. Who, as it turns out, is a massive fan of Backstreet Boys!
Jake voices his theory of the loan sharks being linked with the recent deaths to Eimi. She reveals there was a past story, where a woman (Hyon-suk) died in a similar situation. When Jake and Emi visit the deceased woman’s loved ones, they learn that after men began to harass her, it made her feel afraid and ashamed. After they see a collection letter, it may lead them to the source.
And so, Eimi pretends to be in debt in order to gain a contract. When she and Jake inspect the contract, they learn that the loan sharks force people to take out life insurance, and name the loan sharks as beneficial, after which, the loan sharks harass the individuals into suicide. Jake and Eimi track down the CEO, Kiyoshi Sonada, only to learn that he’s disabled and unable to speak to guests. Meanwhile, Sam receives a threat. A male claims that he knows that she stole from a client. And he urges her to consider how much she has to lose and advises her not to run again, as he will find her.
The Ending
Jake and Eimi toast to dead ends, with Eimi adding that this story is too important to get wrong, so Jake must be patient with it. After Detective Toma calls Eimi, she meets him for drinks and attempts to discuss one of the victims. And here, it becomes clear that the person who “killed” her confessed to smashing her head in, when actually she got strangled, as Eimi’s autopsy pictures prove. Furthermore, in an attempt to make Sam play by the rules, Sato threatens Sam whilst adding that he is not the enemy.
Sam angrily confronts the individual responsible for informing Duke that she intends to start her own club, whilst Jake parties the night away. After Sato takes Jake out for a meal, the episode ends as Jake receives the warning that “reporters here are not always well-liked”, and Sam goes through her jewelry, fixating on one ring in particular. Does the ring mean something? Will it link back to her past? Hopefully, we’ll find out in the next episode.
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