'Tokyo Vice' Episode 5 Review: Samantha's past is revealed, Sato grows closer to her
DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS AHEAD
'Tokyo Vice', right from the beginning, introduced us to a bunch of characters whose backstories were teased but never entirely revealed. Coming as an answer to the questions surrounding one such character is Episode 5, titled 'Everybody Pays.' Samantha, the hostess at the Kabukicho club, has managed to keep her past under wraps for quite some time now but that's no longer the case as we get to delve into it in this episode.
Beginning with Samantha making her way to Japan for the first time, Episode 5 of 'Tokyo Vice' reveals that she came to the country from Utah and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was sent to Japan on Church-related business but she ended up robbing them of their money and fleeing to Tokyo. The episode snaps back to the present, where we see Samantha continue to deal with the challenges that she faces as she tries to deal with an investigator sent by the Church and overcome the challenges she's facing as she attempts to set up her own club.
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Sato is sent to collect money from her, and following a brief moment of rage, the two sleep together, and she also seems to talk him into leaving the life of crime. We also get updates on the events from Episode 4, as Jake ends up helping Ishida, which also results in a rather gruesome death and an attack. The sequences that follow show Katagiri attempt to maintain stability in the region but in vain.
Two things about 'Everybody Pays' stand out the most. One is the flashback sequences that add more to Samantha's character. The other is a brilliantly staged action sequence towards the end, the consequences of which will spill over onto the remaining episodes of 'Tokyo Vice.' Rachel Keller and Show Kasamatsu steal the spotlight, while Shun Sugata is just menacing as Ishida. Sadly, we're going to have to wait to find out what comes next but for now, there are no signs of 'Tokyo Vice' losing steam.
New episodes of 'Tokyo Vice' drop Thursdays on HBO Max