Tokyo Vice (1×08) Yoshino Review

For our review of the last episode of Tokyo Vice, click here.

One thing is for sure after the season one finale of Tokyo Vice is that the series is in for the long haul which may mean that some may be disappointed with the lack of resolution here but rest assured that next season, assuming the series is picked up for another season, is headed in a promising direction. Though the flashforward at the beginning of the season was just a glimpse of that, there are still at least a few steps to go until we get there. 

Katagiri is in a good mood considering the little trap he set for Miyamoto but he is smart enough to know that there is still plenty of work left to do there. To Miyamoto’s credit, he showed some vulnerability in owning up to what he did and offering to work with Katagiri with his pursuit of Tozawa. However, that may just be his self-preservation instinct showing which both sides were very aware of. Instead of following up with a tip, Katagiri was set up to receive a warning from Tozawa who threatened the lives of his family while it was implied that he had Miyamoto taken care of which is just sad after a quick redemption arc.  

Adelstein and Samantha’s search for Polina continued and they were willing to do just about anything for answers. This included drugs with Elgort’s high performance being something to behold. In the end, Polina was allegedly on a boat somewhere near Yoshino where she would work off her debt via sex. Meanwhile, Adelstein was on Tozawa’s radar and he made sure that the former knew about it. An encounter with a pair of his enforcers may have knocked some humanity into him along with not so subtly threatening him, showing some vulnerability by calling home in a touching moment. In the end, it was just something to remember him by as he presumably left the country to tend to his ailing health. 

Sato’s protégé needed to be reigned in but he showed some empathy by cutting him loose. Ishida’s operation also needed a new revenue source and they would find one via a desperate Samantha who found herself at a loss after being conned by Akira out of her club money who was part of a fake ransom plot in exchange for Polina. Sato was of course tasked to oversee the investment but got stabbed repeatedly by one of Ishida’s men upon delivering Samantha a warning. 

Recovering after being beaten up by Tozawa’s men, Adelstein got an answer about Polina in the form of a videotape delivered to his doorstep which featured her seemingly being beaten to death for not accepting the advances of a customer on Tozawa’s boat. Shaken and desperate, he appeared on Katagiri’s doorstep following his dismissal of his family for their safety for help thus setting up the team-up from the flashforward. Tozawa is still out there and Sato’s life hangs in the balance once again. That’s not the best place to leave it as far as the characters are concerned but it still leaves plenty of intrigue to be had.

still courtesy of HBO Max

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.