1 Night 2 Days: Episode 373

by javabeans

EPISODE 373. Broadcast on February 12, 2012.

javabeans: So last week we ended the Gyeongbukgung Palace tour with a dinner menu based on quiz winnings. Su-geun won the mother lode, and ordered accordingly. Seung-gi jokes that he’ll have to eat every last bite before he’s excused, and Na PD says to finish it up without leaving any remainders, but he says it casually like a server telling you to eat up, so I’m not sure if it’s really a rule.

girlfriday: He waits a while, and then asks why Su-geun hasn’t finished his food. (He bizarrely ordered three salads, I dunno why.) Su-geun: “Oh I’m taking this to-go, because there’s a goat waiting outside…” But Na PD just says calmly that they should clearly separate whose dishes are whose, because “You never know whether they’ll be medicine or poison.” Ruh-roh.

javabeans: He follows that up by saying, “I have some sad news to tell you.” Everyone looks alarmed, and Na PD says that Professor Yoo has once again disappeared and left them a letter. Another cryptic clue-driven mission.

girlfriday: Haha, Seung-gi says they can just go on without him then, ‘cause he walks really fast and it’s hard to keep up anyway. Ji-won chimes in, “Why do you assume we’ll want to find him?”

javabeans: Su-geun accepts the letter and asks, “Can I write a letter in response? To tell him to come over here?”

girlfriday: Sure enough, they all get ready to go, but Na PD stops them: “But you didn’t finish all your food.” Jong-min and Su-geun are screwed. Su-geun just asks them to fix a camera here, ‘cause it looks like this is gonna be his basecamp today.

javabeans: Ji-won has cleaned his plate and is given the first green light. Tae-woong and Seung-gi had pooled their meager allowance and hurry to finish. Ji-won helps by eating up, and sealing a three-way alliance.

girlfriday: They’re told that first, second and third place have prizes, while fourth and fifth have punishments. Looks like a foregone conclusion.

javabeans: Lol at Jong-min, who’s trying to convince Su-geun to help him finish his food, so he can win for the both of them. Clearly they can’t both finish everything, so he’s thinking one is better than none. But Su-geun sits back lazily, not even bothering to try, because he’s decided, “Not even cows or pigs can eat this much.”

girlfriday: Meanwhile Seung-gi and Ji-won run out arm-in-arm, and Seung-gi has already solved the puzzle before they’re out of the building.

javabeans: It’s a much less coded clue than the last time (with all the “golden lights” and such), and they call the professor to ask their yes-no question. They guess right on the first try and cheer. On the professor’s end, the producers are totally taken aback at how quickly this ended, and you see they’re still in the moving bus. Haha. But the sad thing is, I can’t even enjoy this victory, because now I’m predicting Na PD will be madly racking his brains for extra punishments tonight.

girlfriday: But as soon as the threesome get out of the palace gates, the PD starts messing with their alliance. She alerts them to the fact that there’s a massive difference in prizes between 1, 2, and 3. You can see the glint of betrayal in their eyes… Seung-gi: “Do you really think our loyalty is that fragile?” — he says as he takes off his jacket to start running.

javabeans: Ji-won, so quick to catch on, immediately asks what he’s doing, and Seung-gi tries to say it’s for no reason. Ji-won grabs his hand, and Tae-woong secures his other arm. Haha.

girlfriday: Omg, how cute do they look, walking down the street arm-in-arm? I know one of them is a hostage, but it’s still the very picture of bromance.

javabeans: All the while, Seung-gi protests, maintaining the innocent act. The PDs give them their first hint after a certain amount of time, and Ji-won points out the ridiculousness of being given a hint after they’ve already confirmed the destination. Hee. I love when the game flouts expectations.

girlfriday: Seung-gi uses the chance to slip out of his hyungs’ grasp, and Tae-woong hilariously grabs onto Seung-gi’s jacket like a little kid.

javabeans: Ji-won warns that if Seung-gi runs off, he’ll team with Tae-woong. Seung-gi slyly tries to whisper something to Ji-won, but Tae-woong sees it and runs up right quick, then jogs alongside Seung-gi like a dogged… well, dog.

girlfriday: The problem is that the destination is too far to walk to, which means they have to hitchhike at some point. That means splitting up. Ji-won trails behind them, yelling at them not to leave him behind… except he’s the first to try and stop a car. Ha. I love that these guys are actually about to hitchhike in the middle of Seoul.

javabeans: Jong-min finally finishes his meal — he had the misfortune of ordering a particularly hearty dish of kalbi and ddeokbokki, and he walks out looking queasy, leaving Su-geun picking at his salads. He tries to figure out the clue, and heads east accordingly although he hasn’t figured out the final destination. He’s taking the approach the producers probably expected everyone would.

girlfriday: I love that Jong-min uses the position of the sun to figure out which way is east (because he doesn’t know which way the palace faces), getting oohs and aahs from the PD… only to turn and walk in the opposite direction. Pfft. Classic.

javabeans: Man, Seung-gi running loose in the streets of Seoul? Talk about mayhem. Tae-woong has stopped to ask traffic directors (is that whachoo call ‘em?) for directions, so now he tries to slyly ditch Ji-won at every opportunity. Ji-won always catches him and asks what he’s doing, and Tae-woong laughs, “We’re going together!” Ji-won: “No we’re not! This is not going together!” They’re not having much luck hitchhiking…. but as it turns out, just when Tae-woong leaves him behind, Ji-won gets a car of happy fans eager to take him wherever he needs. Kekekeke.

girlfriday: It cracks me up that Ji-won was the one scared of being left behind, and he’s still the first to get in a car.

javabeans: It’s so cute, they’re like, “Where are you going? We can go wherever you’re going!” But he can’t say, so he can only go as far as their paths coincide. Seung-gi’s still on foot, jogging along the street. Tae-woong finally gets a car to pull over for him, who recognizes that he’s shooting 1N2D, and that’ll take him at least the first leg of the trip. The driver is all flustered, and Tae-woong replies, “Ah, well, that’s life.” Heh.

girlfriday: Su-geun finally finishes his mountain of lettuce, and decides to just call the professor straightaway. He can only ask yes or no questions, so he names all the palaces he can think of, and gets a series of no’s. This is such a different game for Jong-min and Su-geun, who wander the streets with no idea where they’re going.

javabeans: I know, I’m afraid we’re going to have our three boys finishing super quick, then waiting around for HOURS for the other two. Jong-min is given his second clue, but he has no idea what it means and just keeps going without trying to solve it. Ji-won misses the intersection where he should’ve gotten off (to turn left), which means when he gets out of his car he’s overshot the distance. It’s because he doesn’t know the way, while Tae-woong has a better idea and gets off when he should.

girlfriday: It’s really anyone’s game among these three, because Seung-gi knows exactly where he’s going, but he’s on foot, while the hyungs have rides, but are overshooting their destination or having to get there piecemeal. Tae-woong’s certainly gotten comfortable hitchhiking over the course of the show. He’s a ride-freeloading pro now.

javabeans: He’s really so much better. Maybe all that shaming by Seon-kyun helped. Su-geun reads his hint over and over, and finally finds something in it to make him take off in a certain direction. But when the PD asks where he’s going, it’s clearly the wrong place. Meanwhile Jong-min has traveled to what he thought was his destination, but the security guard tells him there’s no 1N2D shoot scheduled. Another guard comes up and takes his hint, and in three seconds the ajusshis guess the right place. Aw, that’s awesome. And very, very lucky. He runs off elated, and tells his producers that he didn’t even say a word: “They felt sorry for me and told me the way!”

girlfriday: Tae-woong approaches in a car, while Ji-won and Seung-gi are on foot. Ji-won stops to ask directions again, and gets told that it’s right in front of him… but that Seung-gi just passed by. He takes off running.

javabeans: Tae-woong is also running at this point, and due to editing hiding the real timeline, it’s hard to say who has the best shot. I’m betting on Seung-gi, but when Ji-won arrives at the front gates he asks who’s been by and the people answer that they haven’t seen anyone yet.

girlfriday: We cut to the professor’s point of view as he waits for the first place winner… and it’s Seung-gi who races up and grabs him in a hug.

javabeans: Oh, haha! We flashback to when Seung-gi passed the entrance, and asked the people there to lie that he hadn’t been by yet. Hee.

girlfriday: So Ji-won runs in thinking he’s first, and Seung-gi leaps out and scares him. Ha. Immediately Ji-won crouches in his hiding spot, ready to play the same prank on Tae-woong. Hee.

javabeans: It cracks me up how Seung-gi describes being betrayed by his hyungs, and when he sees Ji-won coming alone, he asks, “You guys betrayed each other again?” Every alliance can be broken.

girlfriday: It’s the 1N2D way. Eventually Jong-min arrives, and they get a history lesson from the professor before Su-geun shows his face. He leads them on a tour of Jong-myo, and the boys are wowed by the austere but impressive building. They try to describe why it feels so impressive, and Ji-won says it’s because it’s elevated, giving a sense of awe like when you look up at a singer on a stage. The professor claps, loving his star pupil’s answer.

javabeans: I enjoy how he praises Ji-won for making a huge connection, and Ji-won stands there puzzled, having no idea what he figured out until it’s explained. They walk along the building as the professor tells them of the ceremonies the shrine would have been used for, and take in the scale and import of the location.

girlfriday: Even after the tour, the professor re-praises Ji-won for his incisive reactions to everything. I dunno why, but I love the professor’s overwhelming bias for Ji-won. It’s so cute.

javabeans: He even comments on Ji-won’s new jacket, asking, “You look so cool.” Su-geun pleads with the prof not to turn his back to the others for the sake of his Ji-won-love.

girlfriday: He takes them inside to a furniture museum that overlooks the city. That’s maybe the prettiest modern hanok I’ve ever seen. I think it’s the glass. And the million-dollar view. That doesn’t hurt either.

javabeans: They go inside for a tour of the museum, and their guide points out a cabinet made from the wood of a persimmon tree. Ji-won points out that the patterns weren’t painted on, but made using the natural grain of the wood, and the professor stops them all to marvel, telling the other four boys that they ought to learn from Ji-won. “Eun Ji-won’s a genius!” Ji-won smiles, looking like the proudest sixth-grader ever. Okay, I know this is a furniture museum but this stuff’s pretty damn cool. Especially considering they were designed a hundred to two hundred years ago.

girlfriday: I want one of those herbal medicine chests. Dunno what I’d put in it, but I want one.

javabeans: Socks?

girlfriday: Earrings? Individually-wrapped choco pies?

javabeans: That build-your-own bookcase is cool too. It’s like IKEA, hanok style. Except this stuff won’t fall apart in four years.

girlfriday: They get to the pantry cabinets that sit on legs, and Seung-gi asks half-jokingly if they have feet because of mice, and the professor’s jaw drops, “How did you know?” Seung-gi looks more surprised than he does that it’s true.

javabeans: After the tour, they head to a room that has been set with tea and table settings. There are three comfortable seats with chairs, and two dinky little trays. Of the winners, third place Tae-woong gets his first. It’s a pretty dish of rice and meat, and a couple small side dishes. He gets the least lavish dish, but it’s still plenty appealing. Second-place Ji-won has more smaller dishes, with kalbi and soup and salad.

girlfriday: I like the tiny stack of perfectly-sized kimchi that comes with each plate.

javabeans: Except it’s teeny. It’s like one mouthful.

girlfriday: Highly impractical but aesthetically pleasing.

javabeans: Dude, Korean people are not dainty eaters. We shovel. This is what happens when you get that fancy French fusion dude to reinvent Korean stuff. Seung-gi practically drools waiting for his, if second and third places get such delicious dinners, and is told his will come in courses, served by the chef. Chef Simon comes out to serve, and Seung-gi first confirms that his dinner will be on an altogether different level than the other two, and tells him in English, “I love you.”

girlfriday: It’s funny ‘cause he was chomping at the bit to get his dinner, except now that the chef is in front of him, he can’t tamp down his MC instincts to interview the guy, so he keeps getting up to ask him more questions.

javabeans: I know, right? It’s your reward, not an interview!

girlfriday: He finally stops long enough to taste his first course, and then Jong-min and Su-geun get their dinners before Seung-gi’s courses continue. Jong-min gets a giant bowl of rice… topped with a massive scoop of chili paste. Ha.

javabeans: It’s quantity over quality for our losers. Su-geun is presented with a large covered dish and a lengthy explanation in French, building up the moment… to reveal a large green salad.

girlfriday: HAHAHAHA. That can’t be a coincidence!

javabeans: But it would be funnier if it were! Everybody bursts into laughter and Su-geun eyes it like he’s dying to bust out a swear.

girlfriday: Ji-won: “It’s Fate!”

javabeans: Seung-gi goes through course after course of refined fusion French-Korean food, practically crying, it’s so good.

girlfriday: I love that Jong-min decides he’s going to live vicariously through Seung-gi’s dinner, and times his bites of chili-paste-rice to match Seung-gi’s bites of lobster and mimics his reactions. Then after dinner it’s time for the closing, which I guess means Na PD really kept his promise that if they got through three destinations in a day, they wouldn’t have to stay overnight.

javabeans: Sadness.

girlfriday: I know, right? I want my bokbulbok, damnit!

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