RUNNING MAN CLASSICS Episodes 41-50
The classic episodes’ cast was Jaesuk, Seokjin, Jongkook, Haha, Jihyo, Gary, Kwangsoo, and Joongki--8 members.
***Joongki left the show in this set of episodes. ***
Episode 41
Guests: Lee Sunkyun (actor) and Park Joonghoon (actor)
Location: National Library of Korea
Games: Catch the Running Man, pictionary telephone, Haha’s House Invasion!
Highlights or notes:
The two guests had to take off the member’s name tag to get them to join their individual teams. The teams formed here lasted for the entire race.
Haha’s house invasion was a game where they (with permission from Haha’s roommate) were allowed to come into the house and take things that might be the top 5 best things in a personal library.
This was Joongki’s last episode.
My rating: 8
Penalty: Putting everything back in Haha’s house.
Episode 42
Guests: Heo Youngsang (SS501) briefly appears
Location: SBS Building (several of them)
Games: Find your car key, find Heo Youngsaeng, Hide and Seek
Highlights or notes:
This episode is the Strongest Running Man episode.
Find your key involved the Running Man members picking an unmarked key (no unlock buttons) while on the 16th floor and then seeing if it unlocked the car with their name on it down in the parking lot. They could leave as soon as they got in their car.
Depending on their arrival order, the Running man have extra lives or large name tags for the Hide and Seek name tag ripping game.
My rating: 8
Penalty: None shown
Episode 43
Guests: IU (singer), Shin Bongsun (comedian)
Location: Road Race. Running Man Track Meet where missions were carried out during the day at various famous locations. The members went to a few places to do missions that would lead them to the final location. The World’s Athletic Championship 2011 stadium in Daegu.
Games: Speed Quizzes, Find the hidden guest(s), Top 5 Foods of Daegu (members had to ask citizens and purchase the recommended foods that would be the most popular. The team with the most correct answers won.).
My rating: 8
Penalty: Elevator attendant in red longjohns.
Episode 44
Guests: Jang Hyuk (actor)
Location: Cheil Worldwide Offices (advertising company) and surrounding area
Games: Find the Guest, Company Dinner Challenge
Highlights or notes:
Teams had to find a restaurant and get the most employees to show up for a company dinner in order to win.
My rating: 3 - For some reason, this episode felt SLOW to me.
Penalty: Pay for the company dinner
Episode 45
Guests: Jang Hyuk (continued from episode 44)
Location: Cheil Worldwide Offices, continued
Games: Carpool Mission, jean modeling
My rating: 3 -I had forgotten this episode completely and I probably will again.
Penalty: None- bonus to company employees that picked the winning team.
Episode 46
Guests: Kim Hyunjoong
Location: Kyobo Book Center, multiple locations
Games: Find the Guest, Find the Office Couples
Highlights or notes:
A spy was recruited by the guest in this episode to help get the other members out.
The members were given a description of the people currently married or dating within the company and they had to go around and try to find those people.
My rating: 5
Penalty: None- bonus to company employees that picked the winning team.
Episode 47
Guests: Kim Hyunjoong
Location: Kyobo Book Center to start
Games: Arrive on time, survival time quiz, author signature race
Highlights or notes:
The survival time quiz determined how long each member would have to compete in the signature race. When their time was up, they had to exit the car immediately.
My rating: 6
Penalty: None–bonus to company employees that supported the winning team
Episode 48
Guests: None
Location: National History Museum of Korea (mostly), Oegyujanggak (Joseon era royal library annex–outdoors)
Games: Loyalty Quiz, Jihyo member memory quiz, elephant spin group hug game, find the Uigwe
Highlights or notes:
This episode was highlighting Uigwe, which is a set of books with great historical and cultural significance to Korea. The first time I saw this episode, I misunderstood the Uigwe to be only one book. It had, at the time, been returned after 145 from France after long and careful diplomatic conversations.
Part of what made this episode funny is that the first several games were basically set up simply to mess with the member’s heads. The items they ‘earned’ were irrelevant. The backpacks were what mattered.
Loyalty Quiz (troll game)- members lined up to answer questions. A board with 7 pictures was shown and each member simply had to name one picture. Landmarks, colors, etc.
Jihyo (troll game), blindfolded and with loud music/headphones on, had to touch the members’ faces one by one. After she finished, she had to name the members in the order she examined them. I find this game hilarious years later.
The elephant spin (troll) game had all the members do 10 spins at a starting line, then run to a circle in 15 seconds. They all had to be in the circle to win.
Find the Uigwe was a mission where three items were needed to find, unlock, and celebrate the Uigwe in order to win. Jongkook and Jihyo were hilarious in this mission.
My rating: 8 - I actually appreciate this episode more now than I did at the time. The historical significance is more meaningful to me as I age and the members’ personalities were highlighted so well here.
Penalty: none
Episode 49
Guests: Goo Hara (R.I.P. formerly of Kara), Noh Sa Yeon (singer)
Location: North Seoul Dream Forest, Eunhwa Women’s University
Games: Queen Bee Rescue, Feed the Queen Bee, Compare Hands, Trash Can Basketball, Protect the Queen
Highlights or notes:
Queen Bee Rescue was the team pairing game. The men, in pairs, had to find the three women to create teams.
Feed the Queen Bee was a game where the men had to carry the women and buy them street foods in order to pass. The women’s feet were not allowed to touch the ground at any point.
Comparing Hands (or heights) was a game played with the crowd.
Protect the Queen was a water gun race where the men had water guns and the women’s name tags were the target. The men could also get each other out, but the team with the last queen standing won.
My rating: 6
Penalty: None shown
Episode 50
Guests: Nickhun (singer, 2PM), Kim Minjung (actress)
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Games: Speed Quiz with a foreigner, Street Food Quiz, River Boat Race, Shout Together Quiz, Race to the Finishing Flag
Highlights or notes:
This began Kwangsoo’s journey as the “Prince of Asia” because of his popularity.
Street Food Quiz had each team seeking out 3 foods. If they brought back the wrong food, they had to try again.
The Shout Together Quiz was played with Nickhun’s family. Four family members would shout one syllable of a phrase at the same time. The members had to determine the phrase out of the jumble.
This trip continues into the next episode.
My rating: 7 - I actually enjoy this race from start to finish, but because it is a RACE, the entire thing feels a bit rushed. I prefer the members to linger, especially in new places, so that I can vicariously experience the area.
Penalty: None yet. However, the winning team of this part of the trip got to keep their winnings.
