Running Man Episode 637 Review
Guests: Choo Sunghoon (MMA), Kim Donghyun (MMA), Jung Chansung (MMA), and Choi Dooho (MMA)
My Entertainment Score: 4 out of 10 laughs
They’ve done this concept multiple times now, usually when guests are on. I wish they would go back a bit to the old, old days when the episodes let guests do more. This concept loses too much time to the negotiation segments for me.
What Happened:
Theme: Salary Fighter Race
Opening (start of episode- 6:38)
This is the first shoot of the New Year, so the members gather early…this was a consequence of Jaesuk taking steps in the Christmas special, for those who don’t remember. They watch the sunrise together.
Guest Introductions (6:38- 38:40)
Suddenly, a screen in front of the members shows a 5 minute countdown…and the fighters come flying in to rip off name tags. We learn later that each name tag they take acts as a bonus on their salary in the game.
After the race explanation, the members go through the guests’ profiles as part of the initial team formation, which is basically their introduction time.
Race Explanation - 9:35.
The guests chose Jaesuk and Sechan as the ‘trainers’ who would form teams. The trainers would offer a salary to each team member and then a game is played. After each game, salaries could be renegotiated. The trainer with the most money at the end of the day wins a prize. The other trainer gets a penalty. The 2 members with the highest amount of money at the end of the day will get a prize. The member with the lowest amount of money will get a penalty. And one of the members in the middle will also be chosen (randomly) for the penalty.
Sechan starts with $400 to recruit members. Jaesuk starts with $300 to recruit members.
Guest Intro Time - 11:00. This was a time to appeal your good points to the trainers and acted as the guest introduction time. This was admittedly one of the funniest and awkwardest intro times I’ve ever seen. First there was a very thorough discussion of underwear and thongs. Then there was the moment when Jaesuk announced that Dooho was married, but Dooho had divorced.
Skill Display and Initial Contracts - 25:25
Jaesuk Team: Chansung, Dooho, Seokjin, Somin
Sechan Team: Sunghoon, Donghyun, Jongkook, Jihyo, Haha
**Note: I’m not going to keep track of all the salary results.**
First Mission: Pure Brain Fighter (38:40- 52:27)
Everyone gets the same quiz questions. For each correct answer, the team will get a chance to hit a punching machine. The team with the highest punching machine score wins. The winning team’s trainer gets $100 for the negotiation. The losing trainer gets $50.
Punching Machine - 45:44
Negotiation Time (52:27- 1:13:34)
Donghyun's negotiation technique was…unique.
Second Mission: Salary Fighter Name Tag Ripping (1:13:34- 1:23:11)
Each team will choose their line-up order without knowing the other team’s choices. The first pair will enter a boxing ring and play the name tag ripping game. After 60 seconds, the second person on both line-ups will enter, regardless of who is or isn’t currently in the ring. Each minute a new pair enters the ring. This means that it could end up being a 6 v 1 fight if one team is particularly dominant. The winning trainer gets $500. $300 goes to the loser. I’ll give you the line-ups here and let you guess how it goes.
Sechan line-up:
Donghyun
Jongkook
Seokjin
Sechan
Jongkook
Jihyo
Jaesuk line-up:
Dooho
Sunghoon
Chansung
Jaesuk
Haha
Somin
Final Salary Payments (1:23:11- 1:24:40)
The trainers have to pay everyone on their team, but there isn’t a negotiation in so much as everyone discusses.
Final Results (1:24:40- end of episode)
The PD gives the members the choice of doing a diamond dot sticker or getting a low kick from one of the prize fighter guests. One chose the low kick and, after seeing it, the other members chose to do the diamond dot sticker. 😂
Preview: Lucky Inheritance Race. Joined by actress Kim Shinrok, the members will have to earn their ‘father’s’ vast inheritance by proving they have the good luck necessary to keep the business thriving. Luck races are always funny with the Running Man crew…
