Episode 4

I Want It That Way is the fourth episode of the first season of Tokyo Vice.
==Synopsis==
As Samantha makes strides toward the future, her past catches up. With help from Emi, Tin-Tin, and Trendy, Jake has a breakthrough in connecting the cases - and comes face-to-face with the head of Chihari-Kai, who requires a favor.Official Tokyo Vice Synopsis from Max website
==Summary==
Samantha daydreams about her own hostess club, and when she snaps out of it, the realtor showing her the place notes that the price it's being sold for won't last long, and she decides to buy it.
Meanwhile, Jake is driven to the home of Ishida, where he's granted an audience with the de-facto leader of the Chihara-Kai. In Ishida's private quarters, Ishida asks Jake if he knows who he is, and Jake recites his title and status. They're then served some tea by the once foul-mouthed member, and Ishida allows Jake to enjoy his tea. Jake notes he speaks Japanese, but Ishida speaks in English in respect for his guest. Ishida then goes on to ask if Jake is friendly with the police, and Jake asks how he knows of that, which Ishida claims he, too, has his sources he can't talk about. Ishida claims that the police believe he's bribing a cop, and they refuse to take anything he has to offer them for fear they'll be accused of being bribed as well. This act has also been interpreted as Ishida being an informant for the police.
Curiously, Jake asks why Ishida thinks that's the case, and Ishida lists two reasons. The first is to break his relationship with the police and cause a moral rift with his men. Neither he claims is true, but the perception is undeniable, and he would die because of it. Hence, Ishida asks Jake to dig into police connections and figure out who the source of the nasty rumor against him is, and in doing so, he'd have his undying gratitude. 
Driven home by Sato, Jake asks him what he told Ishida about him, and Sato admits he saw Jake on the news and recommended him. Jake was upset by this turn of events, but Sato reasons Jake would have a different information source from this if he were successful. The song, "I want it that way" starts to play on the radio, and Sato sings along to the lyrics. This helps ease the tension between Jake and Sato. Jake suggests that Sato try listening to NSYNC, but he brushes them off as imitators. Their conversation continues, with Jake trying to tell Sato he's misunderstanding the song's context.
Visiting the police station, Jake purchases a can of coffee from the vending machine and is confronted by Jin, who accosts him and says "thanks" for the steak dinner that he treated him to. Jin then offers to teach Jake some old-school aikido in the dojo sometime, and Jake, with a smirk, agrees. He then spots Katagiri exiting the station and, while walking with him through a park, explains the situation he's going through with the Chihara-Kai Yakuza's de-facto leader. Katagiri claims that if Ishida dies in the worst-case scenario, then the Tozawa would steamroll over the Chihara-Kai's properties. He then asks Jake what his progress is concerning the folder. However, Jake reports that he hasn't started yet and will look into it that day, but don't write about it, which Jake knows.
He'd later return to the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper building, where Tin-Tin and Trendy were shocked to see Jake was still alive. Jake thanks them for their concern but quickly asks them what they think of the context of the Backstreet Boys' song, "I Want It That Way", which they, too, misinterpret its context. Jake then heads over to Emi, who was, at first, talking on the phone, but when she hangs up, Jake discusses his new findings about the Loan Shark killings with her. After reviewing the findings, Emi recalls a story run in the paper a few weeks ago about a suicide reported in Machiya. Emi reads the article aloud and realizes the uncanny similarity to the case that Jake was working on. She then asked Tin-Tin and Trendy, both of whom she addressed by their real surnames, to research the CEO and company name of the loan company mentioned in the article. Emi then leaves and has Jake tag along, which he follows with a big grin on his face.
In the locker room of the Onyx bar, Samantha talks to Polina and mentions that she wants to see her over the weekend to discuss an opportunity with her. Polina agrees, and before Samantha can leave, she's cut off by Duke, who speaks disparagingly toward her, claiming he's privy to her plans to start her own hostess club. However, Samantha denies the accusation, claiming whoever he heard it from was lying and leaves. With her back turned, the Duke claims Malee was the one who told him and again disparages her.
Both Emi and Jake visit the widowed husband, at his apartment, of the suicide victim Hyon-Syuk, who took her life after threats were made for not paying her debts off. There, they learn from the husband that his wife was full of life and energy before she died. Unintentionally, Jake remarks, leaving the husband to believe, that Hyon-Syuk died without reason, so Emi speaks on his behalf to apologize. She then speaks in Korean and reveals that she's of Korean descent, citing her grandparents were from Jinhae and that the cherry blossoms there were amazing. The husband then admits his wife was also from Jinhae and, after being asked by Emi, reveals that the men from the loan company visited their home and followed her to her job at a beauty salon. He then fetches a letter with the logo of the same company that Jake has been tracking, and its date was sent six days after Hyon-Syuk had committed suicide. Thankful for the information they received, Emi and Jake respectfully bow.
In the police station interrogation room, Katagiri offers a smoke to the Tozawa member who was recently arrested with Nakamura. Katagiri inquires about the nasty rumor surrounding Ishida and his thoughts and speculations about how a double agent could be the cause of this. Playing dumb, the Tozawa member denies knowing anything, so Katagiri unties the restraint on the member and says that he's free to go. This causes the man to panic, making him look like he has cut a deal with the police, so Katagiri slams the man's head onto the table and asks who the mole is.
Within a bathhouse, members of the Chihara-Kai bath and clean themselves. It's also there that Sato sits in a bathtub, and Kume joins him and informs him that Duke, the owner of the Onyx bar, has informed him that Samantha has plans to start her own club. Kume orders Sato to deal with her and not let his feelings get the better of him. Sato agrees, but a glazed look of hesitance is painted over his face.
Switching over to Jake and Emi, Jake waits outside the building, where Emi is inside, talking to a loan agent. She claimed that her gambling-addicted husband had run up a huge debt that they couldn't afford to pay off. The sympathetic agent consoles Emi and hands her some documents to sign to start the loan process.
Back at the Meicho building, Emi continues to read over the paperwork she received from the loan company, and a frustrated Jake tries to figure out how the loan company makes a profit from suicides. Emi learned that most of the contract is of a life insurance policy, which perplexes Jake, and Emi mentions how Jake's not in Kansas any longer. Jake corrects he's from Missouri. Emi follows up on a line within the contract stating that "In the event of death, decedent's estate will relinquish any and all claims to all insurance payouts, which shall be paid forthwith to said loan company."
Then, Tin-Tin and Trendy arrive and deliver their findings about the loan company's main HQ and the name of the CEO, Kiyoshi Sonoda. Emi and Jake then decide to visit the company and CEO. However, when they visit the man, they learn he's a wheelchair-bound and disabled old man.
Samantha dines with Matsuo and tells him about one of her clients, the entomologist Fukasaka-san, who ate a hornet, a delicacy in Ishikawa. However, their conversation takes a dark turn when Samantha learns that Matsuo was hired by someone with a lot of deep connections that she stole from. Matsuo warns her that he'll find her again even if she tries to run. Unnerved, Samantha tries to leave, but Matsuo warns her that she has to consider what she has to lose. Samantha then leaves with a pensive look on her face.
Late at night at the Meicho building, Jake and Emi have a somber toast to the dead end they reached in trying to find more information about the loan company. Jake asks Emi how they can proceed with their investigation, but Emi claims they can't. She claims that with no more leads to go on, they need to realize it's time to end and move on to other stories. The phone rings, and before Emi answers it, she tells Jake to return to the arson story he was working on.
At the Onyx bar locker room, Samantha sits by one of the mirrors and is then approached by Duke, accompanied by Sato. Duke warns Samantha about messing with him. Sato then interjects, demanding that Duke leave, and Samantha coldly asks if he's there to rough her up. Sato then asks if Samantha knows how many girls come to Japan in hopes of making money in the mizu-shobai. She answers yes, and Sato warns her that if she doesn't follow the rules, Samantha will meet an unfortunate end, causing her to snap at Sato. Trying to level with Samantha, Sato claims that he's merely trying to protect her, but Samantha claims she's not a damsel in distress and believes any help he has to offer isn't enough.
After his interaction with Samantha, Sato heads to the bar and informs Jake that Samantha isn't there. He then asks if Jake has gotten the information for his boss, but Jake says he's still working on it. Jake then asks about the plausibility of whether the intel his source gets is valid. Sato claims if it's not, they'll come after Jake, who says that's good motivation. Once that was settled, Sato suggested they leave, and the two left the club.
Emi sits at a table at a packed restaurant, enjoying some beer with Detective Toma and his associates. There Emi shows them a picture of a murdered lady's corpse and asks for more information on it. She says that the victim's murderer confessed that he smashed her head to death, but the picture shows that she was strangled to death. However, Toma brushes it off, claiming the confession is final and that the case is closed.
Meanwhile, Jake and Sato bond a little at a dance club where, amid it, they play an NSYNC song, and the two soon each have the pleasure of a lovely lady companion.
Elsewhere, Polina visits her boyfriend Akira at his host club and complains about her work and her desire to restart her modeling career with a different agency. It's when she mentions London or New York as plausible places that Akira becomes defensive, claiming she's trying to leave Japan and abandon him in the process. Their conversation is cut off when Samantha arrives and demands to know where Malee is, but Akira tries to take advantage of the situation, offering her a special time if she wants. However, Samantha rejects it, and finds and confronts Malee over snitching to Duke about her club plans. In Malee's defense, she claimed she was trying to protect her, but Samantha claims that she now has the Yakuza breathing down her neck. Completely frustrated, Samantha leaves and goes outside. Polina tries to console Samantha, but she rejects any of it and leaves her.
Back to Jake and Sato, they make love to the ladies who approached them at the dance club, and Jake receives the card of the lady he made love to.
Making copies of the murder victim that she showed Toma, Emi is approached by the co-worker who hired her, and the two have a heart-to-heart about Emi's determination to do her job.
Going to an expensive restaurant, Jake comments how the place is out of his price range, but Sato claims it's his treat. Sitting at their table enjoying the food, Jake talks to Sato about his home state, Missouri, along with other questions asked by Sato. A little later, Jake notices the leader of the Tozawa clan, and despite Sato's warning not to look at him, Jake compliments Tozawa's watch, asking him if it's a Vacheron Constantin. Tozawa confirms it, and Jake continues the conversation by handing his card to Tozawa and offers to talk shop with him whenever he needs to. Tozawa brushes off the comment with a smart remark and, before leaving, gives his regards to Sato's boss.
Returning to Samantha's apartment, she goes through her jewelry box and finds a ring in there with the letters CTR engraved on it as Matsuo's voice runs through her head to make the right choice.
==Characters==
* Jake Adelstein
* Hiroto Katagiri
* Samantha
* Jin Miyamoto
* Sato
* Polina
* Emi Maruyama
* Hitoshi Ishida
* Koichi Tanaka (Picture; mentioned)
* Tin-Tin
* Trendy
* Mrs. Satomura (mentioned)
* Hyon-Syuk (Picture; mentioned)
* Kiyoshi Sonoda
* Matsuo
* Fukasaka-san (mentioned)
* Detective Toma
* Akira
* Yuka
==Episode Images==
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==Trivia==
* The Backstreet Boys' song I Want It That Way is featured on the radio.
==References==
Category:Episodes