RUNNING MAN CLASSICS Episodes 81-90 Review
The classic episodes’ cast was Jaesuk, Seokjin, Jongkook, Haha, Jihyo, Gary, Kwangsoo--7 members.
Episode 81
Guests: None
Location: Various around Seoul
Games: Lost Memories Treasure Hunt
Highlights or notes:
Gary’s European Tour Lost Memories Treasure Hunt
Gary went to Europe for a whirlwind tour (Germany, France, England…) because of his chosen prize at the end of the Strongest Running Man episode. Upon his return, his backpack is pilfered and the members are given a card with blanks about things that Gary did. They must fill in their card to win.
My rating: 7 - This one is very memorable and very funny, but I’m taking points off because I feel bad for just how tired poor Gary was during the shoot.
Penalty: None - Winner got a European memento.
Episode 82
Guests: Lee Dahae (actress)
Location: Gimpo airport, a spa, a shopping mall
Games: Jjegi in the water, Pop falling balloons, Song Shout in the Silence, CATCH THE SPY
Highlights or notes:
I did not remember this episode at all and I’m not sure why, because I liked all the games and the concept for the name tag ripping.
In pop the falling balloons, the members had boxing gloves with abrasive strips on the end and they had to pop 30 balloons dropped from a balcony in 30 seconds.
For the shout in the silence, the ones giving the clue had to sing the song. They were also allowed to do the choreography.
Catch the spy was fun because EVERY member, separately, was told that they were the spy and given a mission to complete….except Dahae who had come in early and learned what would happen. There was a lot of suspicion flying around.
My rating: 6 - I’m rating this so low because I had genuinely forgotten the episode, which means as enjoyable as the episode is while you’re watching it, it doesn’t stand out.
Penalty: None
Episode 83
Guests: Lee Dahae (actress), Oh Jiho (actor)
Location: Various
Games: Protect the Bundle, Blind Go Fish Marketing, Beach Name Search, Name Tag Ripping
Highlights or notes:
Oh Jiho picked his teammates (Haha and Lee Dahae). The other teams were formed by order of arrival to the lobby. Jongkook, Kwangsoo and Seokjin formed the second team. Which left Jaesuk, Jihyo, and Gary on the final team.
The goal of the whole race was to be the team at the end that had the “real” prize bundle. Inside each bundle was a pillow. One pillow had a Velcro tag that said “real”. The team that had the bundle at the end would get ALL the prizes that the members had named before the race.
For Blind Go Fish Marketing, one member had to reach in a covered box to feel a (live!) fish. Then the team had to go into the fish market and find the correct fish to buy.
The members had to dig through the sand (in a specific spot) on the beach to find ping pong balls with the names of everyone on their team in the Beach Name Search.
For one hour, the member could rip name tags. Ripping a name tag would make that member out and steal their bundle. There were enough bundles that everyone had one.
This was ALMOST the funniest ending ever.
My rating: 7
Penalty: None. The winners took home the requested prizes.
Episode 84
Guests: Big Bang (GDragon, TOP, Daesung, Taeyang, and Seungri)
Location: Han River opening, Seodaemun Museum of Natural History
Games: Bell Hide and Seek
Highlights or notes:
The game was played as the 7 Running Man members versus the 5 Big Bang members. Two Running Man members had to play while connected by a paper bracelet to keep things fair. Big Bang picked Jongkook and Kwangsoo.
There were 2 rounds, so each team could take a turn attacking.
Before starting the rolled dice to decide who would get an advantage. The advantage was a hidden bomb-when a member with that under their name tag was ousted, the person that took their name tag was also out. (So it wasn’t a mirror…both are out.)
This episode was Running Man on attack. The next episode continues the game with Big Bang on attack.
While not attacking, the defending (mission) team could win a round by finding the 5 tickets (scratch off) that say Running Man.
My rating: 4- This was at the height of Big Bang’s popularity, so they were really trying to capitalize on their visit. Years later, it felt very dragged out.
Penalty: None- race continues in episode 85
Episode 85
Guests: Big Bang (GDragon, TOP, Daesung, Taeyang, and Seungri)
Location: C Industries Building
Games: Bell Hide and Seek, continued
Highlights or notes:
Both teams had walkie talkies this round.
Big Bang had a ‘spell’ to chant, as a group, that would summon one member to them.
The Running Man members had to find 5 employees that had a marked clipboard and get their signatures on the document.
My rating: 4
Penalty: None- Prize of specially designed name tags for the winners.
Episode 86
Guests: Choi Gihwan (announcer - opening only), Kim Minji (announcer- opening only), Gaeko (hiphop artist - of Dynamic Duo), Ha Jiwon (actress)
Location: Various
Games: Street Bowling, Grocery Store Badminton, Alley Highjump, Relay of Death
Highlights or notes:
This episode was mentioned in a recent episode (625- A Walk Around the Famous Neighborhood) when they visited the same place that they played the highjump.
The first Running Man Championship!! The opening was reflective of an Olympic opening, complete with the lighting of a pick torch.
They did a play on the Secret Garden sit-up scene in order to form teams. Ha Jiwon starred in that drama and I do recommend it.
For bowling, 2 members had to get a strike in order for them to pass and go to the next location. They transferred a competition length bowling lane out to the street for it and a huge crowd gathered to watch.
Badminton was played in a grocery store with crates stacked to make the ‘net’. The first team to arrive automatically passed to the final round and the winning team got to leave first for the next location.
For the high jump event, each team had to collectively jump higher than 4 meters. They were allowed the use of a springboard and could determine how they wanted to split up that height themselves.
One team was given a slight handicap at the high jump event because they were all on the short side compared to the rest of the group.
If you look at the window behind the high jump, you will see the reflection of an ad campaign featuring Jihyo.
The Relay of Death began with an actual relay. In order to pass the baton, the members had to find the following member’s name tag as well as giving them the baton. After everyone had their name tags, one person would carry the baton while a round of name tag ripping was played. As soon as the member holding the baton was out, the entire team was out.
My rating: 8 - I remembered this in bits and pieces.
Penalty: None- everyone got medals (gold for first, etc.)
Episode 87
Guests: Han Gain (actress)
Location: a school (opening only), Han River (one game), Korea Job World Museum
Games: Ring-Toss, Find the Long-lost First-loves
Highlights or notes:
This was one of my all-time favorite episodes. The members all played along so well and I was 1000% satisfied with the ending.
The ring-toss game had one member of a team tossing 3 hula hoops for the other members to “catch” or go through. The catching members have to have their whole body go through the hoop after doing a forward roll. The winning team gets a hint about what clues they are looking for and the use of the bus to get to the final location.
This was one of the first mostly mystery episodes, where the members had no games. Instead they simply had to find clues to solve some kind of a mystery.
My rating: 10 - partly nostalgia…I know.
Penalty: None - Gold prize for the winners.
Episode 88 - continued to episode 89
Guests: BoA (singer), Jung Jaehyung (singer)
Location: Jeju Island, various (green tea field, DaVinci museum, Nandeureu village, camping ground)
Games: Piano Music Code in a Field, Museum Puzzle, Name Tag Ripping with Villagers
Highlights or notes:
The concept was Running Code, referencing DaVinci code and the guests were “music fairies” which was a bit of a hint at times.
In a green tea field, the members had to find a folder with a sheet of music and then discover the code hidden on that sheet to help them play correctly on a piano to unlock a box with a safe inside.
At the museum, they had to find a clue and figure out the ‘mirror writing’ in order to unlock their safe. Inside is a codex.
To get the clue for the codex, the members play name tag ripping with the citizen of Nandeureu Village.
The final name tag ripping is to get the code for the last box in the camping site.
The winners in this episode got a special dinner and a clue for the next day’s episode.
My rating: 7
Penalty: none- continued to episode 89.
Episode 89 - continued from episode 88
Guests: BoA (singer), Jung Jaehyung (singer), various others-see notes
Location: Jeju Island-Soesokkak Estuary, a garden location that isn’t named as anything other than Wonderland.
Games: Running in Wonderland
Highlights or notes:
This was one of the more memorable concepts for an episode in the early years, but I didn’t remember any specifics
The clue the winners of the last episode received was a wake up time and a phone number to call for a clue. Essentially, this gave them a head start.
The first clue of the episode cracked me up. They hid a BUNCH of them in Kwangsoo’s tent while he slept, so he got the strangest, most confusing wake up call.
The members must find a key to escape the “magical world of Wonderland”. They wander around the area finding various chests that trigger events such as enlarged name tags and a genie to grant a wish.
The Wonderland characters were often guests. This included the entire team from Gag Tonight (a comedy show) and Fabien.
My rating: 9
Penalty: None- Golden Key for the winner.
Episode 90
Guests: Lee Deokhwa (actor), Park Jungyu (actor), Park Sangmyun (actor)
Location: Various - amusement park, fishing site.
Games: Amusement Park Challenges, River Missions, Name Tag Fish Ripping, Fishing
Highlights or notes:
This was a fishing race. The first several games were to get the best equipment for fishing and then in the final location, the first team to catch a fish won.
This was played as a couples race with each team having two members.
The amusement park featured two challenges. One was to beat a staff team and a sky cycling course. The other was to sit at opposite ends of the Viking ride and give clues for their partner to guess. They needed 5 correct answers during one ride to pass.
At the river, the teams either had to canoe a short distance to a platform or piggyback across a wet and slightly longer path to the platform. Once there, they would play rock, paper, scissors with a staff member. If they won, they would get bait and could leave. If they lost, they would need to return to the starting point and try again.
The Name Tag Fish Ripping was played at an elementary school. The members randomly received a ‘fish’. These were borders for their name tags. Some had long tails, so they were easier to rip or similar issues. The teams had to go around wearing a couple-bracelet and protecting their fish.
My rating: 7 - This was a solid episode with a somewhat disappointing end.
Penalty: None - Golden Lures for the winning team.
