It’s the final week!
Counting down to the last two episodes of Vincenzo reminds me of that nursery rhyme, “Ten Little Indians,” immortalized in an Agatha Christie mystery. In the book, ten characters were murdered one by one, just like, in the children’s ditty, ten little Indians departed (euphemism for “killed off”) one after another.
Ten little Indians standin’ in a line,
One toddled home and then there were nine;Nine little Indians swingin’ on a gate,
One tumbled off and then there were eight.Eight little Indians gayest under heav’n.
One went to sleep and then there were seven;Seven little Indians cuttin’ up their tricks,
One broke his neck and then there were six.Six little Indians all alive,
One kicked the bucket and then there were five;Five little Indians on a cellar door,
One tumbled in and then there were four.Four little Indians up on a spree,
One got fuddled and then there were three;Three little Indians out on a canoe,
One tumbled overboard and then there were twoTwo little Indians foolin’ with a gun,
One shot t’other and then there was one;One little Indian livin’ all alone,
He got married and then there were none.source: wiki
Judging by his name Vincenzo, which means conqueror, he’ll be the last one standing — unless he gets married and then there’s none. lol. Note however that, in the context of the nursery rhyme, getting married is akin to dying. You see, it’s a children’s version of black comedy. It pokes fun at things that children would normally find distressing: separation, being left out, accidents, bedtime, death, darkness, deep waters, blood, and…cooties from girls.
Whether or not this kdrama ends up like a black comedy, too, but written for adults, is something to be seen.
Gifs from Chanikang’s tumblr
Enjoy the show!
Gosh, I remember seeing that Agatha Christie film with friends at the movie theatre (not first run, mind you). I was young enough and inexperienced enough to be scared to death and no sofa to hide behind. Certainly no pause button! We’ll see how I handle this — it’s not my usual fare. 😟
Thank you for opening this final Open Thread, @packmule 3. 👏💐🍪
Thanks for the new thread on Vincenzo! We’ll see how it ends. Is it the weekend yet?
@birdie007 I saw your message and figured I’d post my response in the 5th thread 🙂
I am still immensely enjoying the rollercoaster ride that is Vincenzo. This show is blowing me away with its eye to detail and many layers. I am definitely up for a rewatch! SJK and JYB’s acting and chemistry really is on another level – and their interactions with the tenants are just such a pleasure to watch. The whole cast is blowing it out of the park.
As for biblical interpretations, yes – episode 17 had another interpretation of the fall of Babel Tower (the party with greedy and corrupt people, the bomb, the exploding cake) and the growing relationship between Han Seo and Vincenzo was another reinterpretation of the story of Jacob and Esau.
The show also made a reference to the 3 sister-wives narratives told in the Book of Genesis. In the original story, Isaac sends Rebecca away to her brother Laban and tells her to pretend she is his sister instead of his wife because he feared men might try and kill him to try and claim her for themselves. Vincenzo subverted this narrative by having CY see off Vincenzo (with Luca) instead and by having her quote Aristotle to him and changing the words love to friendship.
I think she changed the quote purposefully, because the ball is in his court when it comes to changing their relationship from friends and partners to lovers. He’s told her previously he does not consider himself worthy of love and she’s asked him many times if he plans on staying. This has always been subtext for ‘are you leaving me’ – which is why halfway through the show he stopped answering (because he felt conflicted).
The show has made a point of showing us Vincenzo is well-versed when it comes to philosophers (remember the scene in the gym where he swapped quotes to test Han-Seo) and there is an additional scene where Vincenzo and CY test Han-Seo on his knowledge of philosophers – that scene also shows both V and CY know their quotes. This means that he knows that she knows that he knows she misquoted for a reason.
What I suspect will happen then is that Vincenzo will correct CY in episode 19 or 20 by telling her she misquoted and that the correct quote starts with love, not friendship.
The airport / plane scene was significant. He was holding the pen which CY gave him and the book about befriending birds. The book and its title are obviously a metaphor for Vincenzo’s path towards self-acceptance and self-love. Inzaghi represents Vincenzo – he was angry at and at odds with himself at the start, but has slowly started to make peace with himself as he grew closer to CY and the tenants. He has now also made peace with the fact that his mother did not abandon him because he was not loveable. She did it to protect him.
As he was staring at the pen (remember, he didn’t like the font of his name at first, which was subtext of him feeling he wasn’t deserving of her because he didn’t like who he was) and the book, he realised he now is ready to tell her how he feels. So that’s why he got off the plane. He was supposed to go for only 2 weeks, but he’s learned from the mistake of not telling his mother. Same for CY, she ran after him at the airport because she doesn’t want to have the same regret she has with regards to not telling her father she loved him. Also, remember ‘you can’t postpone a kiss’ 🙂
As for predictions – obviously, we are in for one more last wild ride! Given that it is a dark comedy, I am convinced Vincenzo will have a good ending.
I think he will walk away with the gold, a new wife (whom in true comedy style he’ll probably marry to get a green card as surely his visitor’s visa must be close to expiring) and a new mafia family. I also suspect he will refurbish the plaza and build a new one – we’d come full circle that way and it’d take us to the beginning of the original Babel tower story.
He might pretend to burn the gold down, in a scene parallel to the vineyard fire in episode 1. I think we are being trolled in the scene where the tenants are being told the “gold is in your heart”. In Vincenzo, I think the Plaza is a metaphor for his heart (remember how he said he fell in love with the building?) – so yes, the gold at first was what took up most space in his heart – but now it’s been replaced with Cha and his new Mafia family. At the end I think he’ll get his cake and get to eat it too – so my bet is on him tricking his enemies into thinking he burnt the gold down.
As for Cha-Young and Vincenzo’s relationship – in episodes 19-20 I expect to see parallels to episodes 10 and 11. I think it’s been foreshadowed that Cha-Young may knock V out at some stage in order to stop him from getting hurt (and try and handle a situation herself). I suspect she may hand him a drugged water bottle at some point (in a parallel to episode 1 and 13). It’s not escaped me that she handed him a water bottle before she walked off to leave him with his mother in the park. I don’t think this was random – it was definitely foreshadowing of something to come.
Vincenzo’s already made the point that the intimate enemy, ie the enemy who knows your greatest secrets, is the one who is most likely to ‘betray’ you. The fight’s definitely become more complicated now that they are close to changing their relationship status – in a sense, as I see it, while personally they are each other’s greatest strength, when it comes to defeating their enemies they have slowly become each other’s greatest weakness. The show also foreshadowed this when Han-Seo called out Cha-Young’s name on the ice and he became immediately distracted, giving Han-Seo an advantage in beating him.
There’s been foreshadowing of her having to leave him at some stage (when he said she could stay with him as long as she liked and she answered she could only stay 1 night in episode 9)– and unfortunately also of her possibly dying (note the lights at the airport, when they arrive: the light closest to light to her is broken, the light he’s stood in front of is shining brightly), but I think if she did it would be a fake death either planned by her or planned by them both – I wonder if Vincenzo will use the balloon ticket on her. I don’t think they’d be apart for long, this show subverts every single trope known in the history of k-drama. When in doubt, I play the OST that came out on Sunday.
Also does anyone think we’ll still get an answer to what happened to Cha-Young’s mother? I don’t think Mr Kim telling CY he knew Mr Hong was random information. I also think it was odd how in the scene where Mr Hong and CY talk about her mother in episode 2 – Vincenzo keeps on bumping into the furniture and hurting himself. Does it foreshadow that history might repeat itself somehow – and he may have to lose CY at some stage too (I still think Mr Hong lost his wife as a result of a case he was mixed up in)? Just thinking out loud here.
I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us 🙂 sorry for the long post again, I could have written double the amount but I’ll stop right here.
Aahhh!! Thanks @rh! I’ve been wondering what you were thinking. I have zero idea where this is headed in the last two episodes but I really do feel like there’ll be a happy ending. Just not sure how we’ll get there.
Thanks @rh! Following your thread on twitter and your comments here. I also have zero idea as to what will happen but I am sure it will be a happy ending. How they get there will be what I’m looking forward to this weekend.
I love how so many elements in the drama ties with each other so well and tightly, no information dropped is wasted, except that they give you a clue and tell you what happens later.
Also wrt Inzaghi, I see it more of a emotional openness of Vincenzo towards his “family” in Korea, and their response to them. His coldness and suppression of his inner emotions gradually melted into a warmth and connection with the special people around him. Reflected in how he nows starts to communicate with Inzaghi instead of being upset with it all the time. At the same time, the Geumga Plaza people gradually warmed up to him, just as Inzaghi probably isn’t that noisy at his window? Or at least Vincenzo was able to accept it better now.
Did you also notice how his disdain towards non-expresso drinks has changed to liking a 3-in-1 coffee? Granted it is a product placement but Vincenzo has changed so much, assimilated so much into this new ‘family’.
Has anyone watched Ep. 19 yet? Many blanks filled in but I’ll say no more except that the last 10 minutes are killing me.
I finally had a chance to watch it. I’m not sure what I’m thinking. I know it makes sense, but sometimes I caught myself thinking ‘can we just get to the romance portion?!’
@birdie007, but will we get there? 😭
Inzaghi seems to have left, he’s drinking wine out of a Korean instant coffee mug, not to mention the contracted debt. 😬
@Birdie – I’m thinking the same thing!!! V and CY had several one on one conversations and nothing! I’m like a kid asking “are we there yet?” LOL! @Fern – so that episode end is not what I was looking for either. 😔 oh well…
So I’m disappointed with ep19 other than the gold extraction was explained and the special talents of the residents were mentioned. Isn’t it ironic that the safest place for the villains is in prison? I hope things will turn fully victorious tomorrow…
I feel like we’ll get there but at least we could’ve had two full episodes to enjoy it instead of the likely last 10 min of episode 20 😤 it just doesn’t seem realistic to me that two people can be having those types of serious conversations without any ahem…follow through.
I think episode 20 will be exciting but it almost seems like this should’ve been episode 18.5, tomorrow’s episode as 19 and then one more happy episode for 20. Wishful thinking
Hi Everyone, just finished watching eps 19. What are you all hoping for the last episode ?
I predicted a various plots in my head, I know you all too, and the last 10 minutes is in one of them.. but I still feel annoyed by it. 😞
I don’t want CY dead, hopefully. If the creator want to go thru this path, one of the best options would be CY is in a coma state, Vincenzo “take care” of HanSeok and all the people who still loyal to him, and then he disappeared.. Years later gone by and CY wake up, missing Vincenzo, while everybody only has the memories of him without knowing his whereabouts.
And if we get lucky… we will see the unexpected-expected reunion of both of them. Eyes meet eyes, telling thousands of words of longing. Me too want to see the romance portion of them. Hopefully the creator is generous enough to give us this. (Vincenzo promised CY to be back after all, right?!)
Oh and we finally know the past lives of all the Geumga tenants. I didn’t expect that the pawnshop owners are gold medalists..
And I’m laughing to see the International Security Intelligence guy as the President of Vincenzo Club “Oh My Consigliere”.. And I had to google what Ssireum means for Chef Toto past life: it is a Korean style Wrestling..
@Janey: Yes it is very ironic. The villain (Myung hee) is considered to sacrifice herself for HanSeok, but I see it in another way, she just want to save her own ass hiding in the jail. So that Vincenzo couldn’t touch her. Oh I hope he will find a way to teach her something. And as for the victorious ending, hopefully we will get that since the actors promised us the “satisfying” feeling from watching Vincenzo..
I was actually quite satisfied with episode 19. I didn’t need kisses to tell me that Vincenzo is now, finally, well and truly smitten. He has probably spent most of his gold share to protect his Italian family rather than return to deal with it himself. He did this to get back to Cha Young and to stay in Korea.
How funny was that scene when she was getting ready to go out, putting on makeup and the jewellery he gave her. In his inability to read her he fills the computer screen with ?????????????. Then when she does go out without him, she confirms that yes there will be drinking; yes there will be men. He is so peeved when he gets to the door.
I also love the scenes with Han Seo. In the courtroom, imitating how Vincenzo is sitting exactly, right down to adjusting his tie. Getting drunk and telling Vincenzo that he is so cool, then nearly drinking the soy sauce instead of the makgeolli. Saying that he won’t run away for his own safety — Vincenzo thinking now here’s another one I must protect, but instead Han Seo tries to protect Vincenzo from Han Seok. Cancelling the production of the addictive drug. Telling Prosecutor Han that he is on his own because Han Seo is going to stick with Vincenzo. Accepting that Han Seok would kill him as he killed their father.
@Juriel, thank you very much for your explanation of the episode 19 songs. I had wondered about the opera. I think that Koreans may be much more knowledgeable with Opera than we might suspect.
Yes, the humour between the horror is incredibly well done. I wouldn’t have liked this drama nearly as much if it weren’t so.
I just finished watching the finale, and…wow. It was really good and satisfying.
As an initial matter, I want to point out to those who have not watched it yet to watch the closing credits. There are not any Easter eggs, but it is a well-edited, fun recap of the actors (& their characters) and some highlights of memorable scenes. It was much better than most movie closing credits.
Also, I need to warn some of you out there that there are some downright brutal, sadistic scenes in the finale. (Spoiler) I really could have done without seeing the details of the demises our two biggest baddies, particularly Mrs. Choi’s. Once you can see it coming, after the clear end of the dialogue, you may want to skip ahead a few minutes, particularly for her death scene.
I really liked how they made it clear in the end that though V was a charming guy, and accomplished some good when he stood up for the tenants (though he initially had a very selfish motivation), the Babel employees, and others in a vulnerable position, he still specifically decided to not just kill those he felt were “garbage” but do it in a particularly horrifying, vengeful way. In the end does not see himself as, nor should we view him as, a hero.
It was Jang Han Seo, the initial villain if the story, who really got the redemption arc along with the minor gangster /”Nutria.” Also, on a bit of a tangent, I really wish they had translated that in English to “swamp rat” or “river rat.” I actually live much of the year in a place where these animals are common, yet I rarely hear them called “Nutria” and doubt most English speakers who do not live in hot, swampy climates understand that reference.
All in all, though, a very satisfying finale. Song Joong Ki was fantastic throughout the series, and I have a new found appreciation for Ok Taecyeon and Kim Yeo Jin.
I loved all the wrap up of Ep20! Everything came full circle, I know ep19 was frustrating to watch but as long as they tie the ends in ep20, it’s great. They totally kept the suspense to the end. And when you watch the end everything makes sense, where the gold was kept, why Vincenzo had to leave after finishing off the villians, Why he cannot come back (sounds like CLOY romance). Except, I’m not sure how they divided the gold though!! Did Vincenzo take most of it since he bought the whole Malta with it?
Someone referenced the ending of ep19 & beginning of ep20 to playing chess, something about the Queen protecting the King? and the bishop being HanSeo? I don’t play chess so would appreciate if someone can explain it. Pretty pleaseee…
@grace, I thought that Vincenzo probably needed a lot of the gold to honour his part of the bargain to protect his family. I would have liked to see how the gold was divided. By the monks, perhaps? His island wasn’t all of Malta or even Gozo, Malta’s smaller sister island. Malta is small but not THAT small. I think he said a deserted island near Malta, probably Maltese jurisdiction. That sounds more affordable.
So he’s been sending her post cards for a year? The kiss was great, but I wanted him to sweep her off her feet instead of just doing a slow blink at the end. I thought that there was more romance that could have happened in the last few minutes, but perhaps the director and screenwriter left it purposefully vague. In all honesty, I can’t picture urbane characters like Vincenzo or Cha Young enjoying an isolated life on a tiny island.
I didn’t understand where Han Seok’s money was transferred? Could someone help me? Was it the vineyard?
Also, what happened to the opening scene ep. 1 where the plaza was destroyed? Did that never happen or will it happen later, or what?
@Wreckgirl, those animals are called nutria in England, is there another name for them perhaps in other countries? I’ve only ever seen them in zoos or in Louisiana in bayou areas.
@Grace I also have the same questions about how they divided the gold.. hahaha I’m pretty sure Vincenzo would take the biggest portion though. The romance ended like CLOY is make sense too, even though they don’t have a regular schedule to meet up. But V has promised to invite CY into her island. I’m sure mr. Nam would love to join them along.. 😅😅
In the end, it is Jang Han Seo that sacrifice his life for Vincenzo. I got a little bit teary eyed on his last moment with V. It’s happy sad for him because finally he could feel “useful” towards somebody. Contrary to what HSeok often told him that he is useless. He’s happy to help V because he is thankful for him sincerely. And we got to see their private moment eating Ramyun at night when he told V that he has installed tracker on all HSeok’s watches. I assume they had several moments together that makes V finally said HanSeo deserves to be his brother after all.
Oh and I almost thought Mr Lee is dead. I was surprised when he take his daughter from his wife. (Thanks to the nurse of White Angel) lol.
The actors and actresses have done a really great job.. 👏🏻👏🏻
Ohh I forgot to write this..
looking at the final statement that V said in the end of this drama. I don’t think that this drama is suitable for children or teenager (who still not mature enough), if im not mistakenly heard, V said that, “il male è grande e fasto”
At some points i’m afraid if ones only focusing in this statement, it could misled people to glorify “the evil” ..
For me Vincenzo is just a drama to enjoy (with the dark comedy and brilliant actings), but there are some points from the stories itself that I don’t agree or feel uncomfortable at.
@Fern “Nutria” are pretty much always called “river rats” or “swamp rats” in the part of Florida in the US that I am from, but “swamp rats” is also commonly used in Louisiana. They are very prevalent in the wild here, but not native species. I only know that they are formally named “coypu” and in some places “nutria” because so have seen them labeled as that in zoos! But most folks at least I think in the US would have no idea what a “nutria” is if you use that word here. I always thought that the “rodents of unusual size” from Princess Bride was based off river rats – big ole rodents that live in swamps and rivers (but are not beavers,) and apparently there is a documentary about them with that title!
@moonstar512, I found it very funny that Mr. Nam turned down the opportunity to go to the reception/ diplomatic event (unknowingly missing his chance to see V again) to go to his paper airplane competition. So very quirky.
@Wreckgirl.. lol yes.. he sure is the quirky one! Why paper airplane of all things? But thanks to him not following CY, we finally get to see a lil bit of romantic moment of CY and V. 😅😅
@Fern, I loved the kiss scene. The setting was so beautiful, the curves of the building enclosing them reflecting the kind of closeness they have, not necessarily physical closeness but one that they say “One soul in two bodies”. In a way that they have a distant but close r/s. Chayoung has always known what Vincenzo was like and the amount they can be together. The things Vincenzo does is not something CY can always accept, like how he told her that he did not want to taint her virtue. He has such respect for her.
Oh on the Geumga plaza being demolished, it was a dream Vincenzo had before he woke up in episode one. The only non-nightmare he had. 😛 Geumga plaza’s story is similar to the real Sewoon plaza in Korea…it was to be demolished but because it was owned privately and the owners opposed it. It is currently going through a “regeneration without demolition”, the new name of it being MakerCity Sewoon. They followed the real story of Sewoon quite closely. @jimmythehistorian on Instagram did a write up on the background.
@moonstar512, I agree with you that this show is not meant for a younger viewer. It is rated M18 where I am. Reminds me of Death Note but that I think that does not have the finesse of Vincenzo’s writing. I too don’t agree that this is how you should be doing things IRL though many things he said made sense, we know this is a fiction character journey and coming to terms with who he is.
@Wreckgirl,
Vincenzo is a Mafia from the start and until the end he is still a Mafia. 🙁
I enjoyed watching this drama because of the great performances of everyone but if I were CY, I wouldn’t stay with V because he is still evil. 🙁
Bye bye Vincenzo! Ciao!
🙂 Did you get this right, agdr03? You would NOT stay with V because he was evil?
Aha! So you wouldn’t compromise your morals for the guy, eh? Good for you.
Yes! It really got to me because V made fertilizer of two people he said in the end. I’m like ‘still evil’!
I’m very content with how “Vincenzo” has wound up, and offer my congratulations to director Kim Hee-Won screenwriter Park Jaee-Bum and tvN for a cinematic creation which has set benchmarks for characterisation, storyline and theme which will be difficult for future series to match, never mind surpass.
There’s so much to talk about in episode 20, but I’ll pick just one or two points for mention. The first is Vincenzo’s conversation with Monk Jeokha. Even at this stage we know hardly anything about this character, but through some beautiful imaging by director-nim, there is no doubt that in this scene he is operating as an avatar of Guatama Buddha and can offer Vincenzo not only consolation for his sufferings but also a way by which Vincenzo will be able to live his divided and polarised life. After some moments of possibly tortured consideration Vincenzo smiles, accepting his future.
The interesting thing is that as Vincenzo says “I don’t think I can give up doing what I do. I can’t do what’s right either” his Mafia music theme begins to play, increasing in intensity until it culminates in the full orchestral presence we hear in the very first episode. This is the Intermezzo theme from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni which also accompanies the ending of the film “The Godfather Part III”. I’m glad we get to hear it once more in this final episode of “Vincenzo”; it’s appropriate.
Also appropriate for the final episode is the symbolism of the blue staircase (and the kisses) as depicting the future for Vincenzo and Cha-Young. It must be a CG-generated image because it works so well. The yellow light at the top can only mean that V and CY have a hopeful and (in their own way) shared future ahead of them. I feel this is very satisfactory indeed, and I’m definitely of the opinion that a second season would be a mistake, although I’d like to see it happen as well.
Poor love-lorn Hwang Min-Seong. He gets hit on the head by a stray football while sighing over pictures of Vincenzo. What are the chances of that happening?
The comedy doesn’t stop. Well, except for the final few seconds where the main theme of the series is hammered home in Vincenzo’s dark utterance that justice on its own is ineffective, but he could embrace the idea of a merciless justice, if such a thing were possible. Then we get the final stark, unadorned warning, in Italian, that Evil is great and vast, and he looks out at the audience, leaving us to make of that what we individually want.
Hi, @Wreckgirl. Thanks for an up to date perspective on nutria. Weren’t they brought to the US for the fur trade but escaped and became invasive? I seem to remember some comment like that when I visited a bayou long ago.
I’m not sure about a shared future for CY and V. He says he has a room for her. I would think, Gee, thanks. –On a small island. Bristling with all of the in-laws and ex-mafiosi. He says it’s a healing place but it doesn’t seem like a healthy place for either of them to me. My personal opinion, of course. I preferred how he treated her in the bts for ep 20. Yes, I’m sulking. Where’s the sulking emoji? ☹️☹️😉
I don’t think they end up together as romantic partners. While they have a deep connection and know each other well, they also know that they are so different in their goals in life. I don’t think Vincenzo wants to taint Chayoung’s virtue by involving her in his evil ways, he knows she cannot tolerate that, evidenced by how he chose to kill the “hunting dog” guy at the Babel meeting, instead of letting her “have the last blow”. She said it herself in the cafe meeting that the only reason she allowed him to kill and deal it in his way was that she knows, there was no other way fight Babel in the normal lawful way.
I would have loved if he chose to change and stay in Korea but the storyline continues in his original character, that he will use evil to fight evil. I guess he had his struggle and the Monk’s conversation with him, and the earlier conversation with Mr.Tak, sealed the deal on his decision on his direction in life.
Still it doesn’t mean he does not love her. I believe he does. He talked about the story of the bridge of birds and that he will come to find her. Which means they will still meet from time to time, but not as a partner for life. At the ending scene when he leaves and they look at each other from afar, knowingly and longingly. Chayoung’s gaze was telling in her tear-brimmed eyes, that she is saying bye to him.
@grace, you said that all so well. Thanks. I would have preferred Vincenzo to have a redemption arc like Han Seo because I don’t necessarily accept the absolute validity of Mr Tak and the monk’s words past the current situation. It’s my personal take on things in real life rather than in this drama. CY said that corruption is tolerated in Korea if it’s efficient. I could have seen Vincenzo carry on in Korea or elsewhere in that capacity, using his brains rather than complicated retributive assassinations. For example, I wouldn’t call the way he killed Han Seok and Myung Hee efficient. I think that the evil has to end at some point, else it has to ramp up continuously to continue.
I took me a few days to digest the final episodes and allow my initial feelings to settle. There is so much to write on. Did I want something less open ended for V and CY? For sure. However I am not as pessimistic on their future as the two characters were never conventional and notions of playing happy family doesn’t seem like them. They have an other purpose in life. That said, I am a romantic at heart and if V says he is tenacious in love, then I won’t bet against him. He is nothing but talented at making things happen and planning ahead.
Vincenzo only came to SK for the gold and his curiosity over his mother, supposedly. He no doubt reached a turning point in his life and was really looking for answers. The older monk telling V the story of Vaisravana, gives him a way forward. His duty in life, his fate, is one he needs to accept. V already began to see that leaving his violent ways behind was impossible. Everything conspired to keep him doing it. But now he accepts his nature and duty. The notion of duty (too weak a word I feel ) or rather svadharma is that everything has its nature and purpose in this world. If you are true to the duties of your position in this world, then as the monk said, you will get compliments from him (Buddha) from time to time. As a note, this lesson is taught as a story in the sacred Hindu texts. Briefly, a king who didn’t want to go to war against his brother was told by his mentor that “It was his svadharma or ordained duty to fight the evil forces and defend the good.” So, Buddha can carry out his teachings undisturbed because he has these four heavenly kings, of which one is Vaisravana, taking care of the trouble caused by the creatures of the devil. Just that small scene with the monk provided everything I needed to accept why V remained as he started, albeit now with a fresh purpose.
The actor SJK did bemoan our admiration of such a character. However, if we see the drama as V accepting his nature and fate in life, then his role becomes one of maintaining order rather than being evil. After all, in Vincenzo we see justice as weak and often failing where true evil exists.
In the end, a beautiful drama which engaged the mind besides entertaining.