Running Man Episode 659 pt.2 Review
Guests: None
My Entertainment Score: 7 out of 10 laughs
Although this was a short one, I liked it better than a lot of others. My biggest complaint is actually that it wasn’t longer. The members had to choose cards twice without playing games.
I also decided, after watching this episode back-to-back with a Classics episode that Running Man should perhaps consider doing some of the sillier editing things that they used to do, such as sound effects, theme music for each member, or big cartoon-y exclamation points during a brief pause on someone’s face. It really adds to the experience and I miss it.
What Happened:
Theme: Lucky 29th Race
Opening (34:00 of episode 659- 38:56)
Race Explanation (38:56- 44:50)
The members needed to get to either the number 2 or 9 by the end of the day. They were able to choose any number between 1 and 9 on the way in. After each mission, they will draw another card randomly. The winning members of the missions can choose to keep the number they have rather than draw. The two numbers are added and the number in the one's place becomes the new number. So, for example, if 8 was chosen on the way in and 5 was drawn after the first mission, the new number for that member would be 3 (8 + 5 = 13).
At the end of the day, two ‘teams’ will be formed with 3 people on each. The seventh member is automatically out of the running for the final prize. The teams will be the 2 team and the 9 team and will be composed of anyone who got exactly those numbers and those who are closest after that. A final draw will be made by the exempt member to decide which team wins. The winners get gold R coins.
As an added thing to consider, the members are able to choose either a 2 or a 9 after each mission to add to the final draw.
*Note: I’m not going to track all the numbers in the spoilers. I started to and it was starting to look like some kind of alien code.*
40:58 - The members reveal the numbers they begin with and are allowed to draw randomly for free.
First Mission: Duck Rescue (44:50- 59:43)
I’ll start by saying that I LOVED this idea and I found the increasingly elaborate means to cheat a win hilarious. The first four members to rescue a duck won. The duck was a LARGE rubber duck placed on one of the big blue mats…and the mat was covered with flour. A narrow wooden bridge went over the mat. One at a time, members would get onto the bridge, put their hands behind their backs and attempt to pick up the duck with their knees. That means they had to squat down while balancing, squeeze their knees together hard enough to hold the duck, and get back up. It should surprise no one that the entire cast looked like ghosts by the end.
Second Mission: Match the Staff Rankings (59:43- 1:27:40)
The staff was asked to rank the members in various categories, such as “Who is the most evolved human?” Based on the number of votes for first place that a name got, the rankings were set. After hearing a category, the members had to rank themselves. Each member that correctly chooses his or her ranking gets one point. There were only 4 questions. The four members with the most points win.
The staff were allowed to add ‘reasons’ for their choices and some of those were hilarious.
Final Results (1:27:40- end of episode)
Preview: Summer noodle dish bingo! The members play another race where they must eat what the public suggests. Completing bingo will release them from the endless noodle dishes.
!!!Spoilers!!!
Duck Rescue
Jaesuk
Sechan
Jihyo
Jongkook
Match the Staff Rankings
Seokjin and Jongkook
Jaesuk and Sechan —Somin was tied as well, but she lost rock, paper, scissors.
Final Results
**I’m going to list the members in order by the number they ended up with.**
0 - Haha
1 - Somin
2 - Sechan
5 - Jongkook
8 - Seokjin
9 - Jihyo, Jaesuk
So…
Team 2:
Sechan, Somin, Haha
Team 9:
Jaesuk, Jihyo, Seokjin
Jongkook is not eligible for the prize, so he does the final pick. The members had chosen 2 six times and 9 ten times over the day, so the odds were heavily in favor of the 9s.
The final winner was…*drumroll*...2!!
