Variety Review: Running Man Episode 592

May 2

May 2 Variety Review: Running Man Episode 592

Guests: Joo Woojae (model)

My Entertainment Score: 6 out of 10 laughs

There were a couple pacing issues in this episode that made me want to get up and do other things in the middle. That said, overall, it was funny and it had some absolutely classic moments.

What Happened:

Theme: Return of the Card Shark Association

**Jihyo and Somin continued to be absent this week for quarantine and healing respectively.**

Opening/Guest Introductions (start of episode- 10:22)

The members arrive in costume and, as they do, mercilessly tease each other about it.

Race Explanation (10:22- 14:15)

Each member begins the day with 20 caramels. These are essentially their chips or money for the day. The member with the most at the end of the day wins and can choose the member that loses and gets a penalty.

Carrying over from the last Card Shark Association episode, Haha is the current chairman of the association. The chairman has a special privilege this time. In each game, he can, at his discretion, reset one round of the game.

Also carried over from the last episode is the impeachment process. The members, when unhappy with the current chairman or simply greedy, can impeach the chairman by collecting and turning in 20 total caramel. The people that turn in caramel will be the candidates for the next chairman, who is chosen randomly from that pool.

First Mission: Asura Balbata (14:15- 31:00)

This game is a bit tough to explain, but it's easy to understand if you watch it. Each member is given 6 cards: -20, -10, +1, +10, +20, +30. They chose to hand out those cards to the other members as they wish. They then play a game

Second Mission: Lunch Mission (31:00- 42:44)

The members, one at a time, go downstairs to choose one of three doors labeled 20, 30, or 40. The number indicates how many caramel will be given to the people that choose it. The members will split the amount, so if 4 people choose 40, each one will get 10 caramel.

Third Mission: All-In for Victory Set (42:44- 57:23)

Four rounds, preset by the crew, are played. Two members play in each round and the other 4 place bets on the winner. Those that win will get double their bet. The others will lose their bet.

(43:27) Round 1: Jaesuk vs Haha - arm wrestling best 2 out of 3.

(47:19) Round 2: Seokjin vs Sechan- elephant spin race.

(52:08) Round 3: Sechan vs Woojae- one-legged fight.

(55:54) Round 4: Jaesuk vs. Jongkook- bottle cap flicking.

Third Mission: Card Game of Wits (57:23- 1:25:00)

This is the same as the final of the last card shark association episode. 4 members play at a time, while the others wait. When one member loses all their caramel betting, one of the other players replaces him at the table. The member that eventually wins all the caramel in bets against the others wins.

The members are betting on who has the highest total number between two cards. They have two sets of cards in front of them labeled 1 to 10 each. They choose one card from each set for each “hand”. One card, they look at. The other, they affix to their hat so that the other members can see it. Based on what they know one of their cards is and what they see of the other member’s numbers, they go around making bets in a poker-style round.

Final Results (1:25:00- end of episode)

The penalty was to have all the members slap whipped cream on the face of the loser.

Preview: As Jee Wishes. With guests M.O.M. (three singers and Seokjin who formed a singing group through another show), the members will take on a race around Seokjin.

!!!Spoilers!!!

The caramel counts got too difficult to track, so I’ll give mostly vague win/loss accounts.

Asura Balbata

Haha- +20

Sechan- +23

Woojae- -11

Jaesuk- -41

Seokjin- +32

Jongkook- +18

Jaesuk becomes the new chairman in the middle, but Woojae takes it….and thus begins the rotating door of chairmen.

Lunch Mission

Two people chose 20, and 4 chose 40, so everyone would get 10 caramel…but, the chairman chose to reset the round.