Running Man: Episode 128

by gummimochi

This week, the Running Man cast work extra hard for the chance to earn double or even triple their New Year bonuses. It’s time to break a sweat but will their efforts reap them a ripe reward?

EPISODE 128. Broadcast on January 13, 2013.

A new year means a new start for our cast members as they review each other’s resolutions for 2013. Most of Kwang-soo’s have to do with Jong-kook (“Hear Jong-kook say ‘Save me’ at least twice.”) and Gary hopes to win the Daesang award at the SBS Entertainment Awards. Dream big, Gary.

Suk-jin’s resolution about bringing back gold as a Running Man prize (they previously lost that privilege recently) gets everyone riled up.

But let’s introduce today’s guests: actors Park Shin-yang (Sign, Lovers in Paris) and Eom Ji-won (Childless Good Fortune, Sign). Man, has it really been NINE years since Lovers in Paris?

The guests, here to promote their movie The Gangster Shaman, share their own resolutions and Shin-yang seems like a pretty good-natured guy because he humors the cast by reading them like he did in the movie Promise. Or at least for now, if the clips are any indication.

What the? The actual SBS director drops in, surprising everyone, to give the show his well-wishes. Not only that – he’ll be announcing the teams today. Everyone is understandably nervous – this is your boss’ boss’ boss.

He’s actually kind of hilarious as he reads out the first team (Ji-hyo, Suk-jin, and Jae-suk [Blue]) as his favorites and immediately the others are like, “Wait, you don’t like [the rest of] us?”

The other teams are: Ji-won, Jong-kook, and Kwang-soo (Red) in one, and Shin-yang, Haha, and Gary (Green). Jae-suk sighs that it’s too bad he wasn’t teamed up with ‘good buddy’ Shin-yang to which the cast calls him out on. Jae-suk: “I see him once every 10 years!”

The kicker is that the teams receive a special bonus of a whopping million Won (~$1,000 USD).

Ji-won shares that she heard some tips about the show: stay on Jong-kook’s good side and don’t team up with Kwang-soo. And then Shin-yang honestly confesses that neither of his teammates were mentioned as recommendations. HA.

Everyone heads out as the War of Money Race begins, and Shin-yang asks Gary the origin of his name. Gary: “My nickname in middle school was kae (dog) in middle school.”

He wonders why no one recommended his teammates because he like their dynamic so far and then he berates the GPS system for talking while he’s talking. So he turns down the volume… and it starts talking again, like it’s mocking him.

And then Gary busts out his best impression of the famous confession from Lovers in Paris. In another car, Ji-hyo confesses that she decided to become an actress because of the movie Promise.

In the Red Team’s car, Kwang-soo mentions Jong-kook’s uncanny ability to predict what the mission will be and Ji-won pipes that she’s playing a shaman in the film. So she tunes into her powers and gives a vague description of “car wash” and “water”…

…then Kwang-soo pats her shoulder, “Maybe you’re tired and should take a break.” Ha.

Turns out that she’s right and at the carwash, they see Maknae FD dressed up as Neo from the Matrix. Their mission here is to collect water in a bowl affixed to them via Matrix style. Water + Possibility of slipping = Insta-hilarity.

Ji-won has this huge smile on her face (“This is so funny!’) and she’s particularly earnest about conjuring different ideas to collect water, like getting on her knees. I love it when actresses chuck their high-profile personas to the sidelines for the sake of variety.

It’s too bad then that their brilliant idea is only somewhat successful because most of the water ends up on her face.

I’m not all that confident in the Blue Team’s strategy as the Suk Brothers lift up Ji-hyo. I mean, it’s a good idea in theory but why do I get the sense that they’ll drop her before they get any water?

So Maknae FD sprays a delicate shower of water before crankin’ up the intensity as Suk-jin gets sprayed in the face. Afterwards, Jae-suk complains, “Why would you do that! Don’t you know how heavy Ji-hyo is?!”

Looks like those ski goggles came in pretty handy as Shin-yang gets hit with the water hose without any difficulty. However, he starts getting annoyed that Maknae FD is skimping on the water and bursts, “Spray the hose properly!”

The Blue Team are first to succeed with flying colors thanks to the Ace, nearly filling the pitcher to the brim.

Kwang-soo resolves to collect water by getting on all fours and he takes in more water to the face than what ends up in the bowl. Surprisingly, it’s Ji-won, not Spartakooks who scolds him, “We shouldn’t have been on the same team.”

As for the Green Team, Shin-yang is able to collect water like a champ… it’s just getting up that’s the issue. But no worries because they succeed as well and the losing team (Red) ends up having to foot everyone else’s gas bill.

That leads to a bickering match between Jae-suk and Jong-kook about how much gas to put into the empty tank. Jae-suk: “Fill ‘er up!” Jong-kook: “You only need $50 worth! Why are you trying to waste gas!”

The Green Team grows impatient and honk their car horn, to which Jong-kook yells to wait their turn. Then Haha points to Shin-yang all, It was hyung! and Jong-kook immediately apologizes. HA.

Once they reach an agreement, the Red Team has to negotiate all over again with the Green Team. At Jong-kook’s argument (“With $50 [of gas], you can drive to Busan!”), Shin-yang jokes, “Put in diesel gas!”

All of their cars now fed, Jong-kook practically beams when he hears that their next mission location is a gym. Kwang-soo: “It’s as if we’re going to Jong-kook’s house!”

It really is Kwang-soo’s unlucky day as he gets double the scolding from both Jong-kook and Ji-won whose competitive spirits are on par with each other.

Meanwhile, Haha and Shin-yang create their own loveline, complete with a “love shot” with chocolate. Gary pipes in the backseat, “Then is this a love triangle?” HAHAHA.

The Blue Team arrives at the gym first and Jae-suk complains that his supposedly impressive pull up is nothing compared to Kookie: “Jong-kook can do that ALL DAY!”

It’s an exercise karaoke game and the losing team will end up paying for everyone’s lunch bill. And Mr. PD means everyone, including the staff. Gulp.

How cute is it that Haha and Gary start dancing to the music and then Shin-yang joins in? Too bad that the Blue Team can’t smile with them because they’re too busy struggling to try to sing into the mics. Well, mostly Suk-jin anyway.

Mr. PD shares the total amount and the losing team will have the great honor of shelling out $930. That means one team’s bonus can go flying out the window in one fell swoop. Everyone gapes.

So everyone starts to up their game and Shin-yang is surprisingly pretty good, heartily singing along. Then there’s Haha, who seems to struggle at first but then finds his niche in resistance bands.

The cast are impressed with how flexible Shin-yang is and try to rope him into showing them a split. Jong-kook defends Shin-yang’s insistence that he can’t do one.

So Shin-yang suggests that all of them do a split and Jae-suk yells at Suk-jin, “See? Thanks to you, now we ALL have to do it!”

A small monetary bet is enough to get everyone to agree but poor Ji-hyo sccreeeammms in pain when she attempts to do a split. Then to everyone’s surprise, Ji-won’s able to do one with ease.

The boys convince Shin-yang to pull his pants down to avoid a possible wardrobe malfunction (not without getting a sneak peek of Haha’s pink undies). Shin-yang dutifully follows. Heh.

One impressive split later, the Green Team immediately demand payment and everyone’s all, We’ll give it to you later! Then, Haha jokingly tears off Ji-won’s name tag so that she’ll pay up and she yells at him. HA.

What’s better is that when she goes to get the money (“Do I really have to pay them?”) and Haha tells her to hurry up, she yells angrily, “I’m coming! Here!”

The Red Team try to score some extra points by dancing and belatedly realize that they have to sing. Then Jong-kook and Kwang-soo team up by singing into the resistance bands mic together… and then Kwang-soo steps on Jong-kook’s foot. Hard.

Then to top it all off, the resistance bands slip and the mic accidentally hits Jong-kook in the eye. Oh man, I know it must be painful, but I’m dying.

Don’t worry though; Jong-kook gets his revenge by bouncing on Kwang-soo’s foot. And then Kwang-soo finishes the song by doing the same.

The Green Team choose to sing “Can I Love You?” featured in Lovers in Paris (and Shin-yang asks that they adjust the key, heh) and he sings it just as wonderfully as he did nearly 9 years ago.

Gary’s inner rapper inadvertently comes out when he’s about to sing the chorus, singing it a bit too early, “Care-care-carefully~” HAHAHA. But it does turn out to be Shin-yang’s solo and he earns a score of 50. Aww.

Watching Kwang-soo make his rounds around the gym equipment is pretty hilarious. I mean the guy even adds a few adlib vocalizations while hanging upside down! The Red Team end up with an impressive 99, which means they can eat lunch scot-free.

Aw man – even though the Green Team give it their all to sing, they still end up last. Nearly all of their bonus goes to pay for lunch and now they’re left with just 20 bucks to their name.

Everyone ends back at the SBS building for today’s final mission: a Survival Chair game. Those members who don’t end up sitting in one of the six designated chairs within the time limit will be unable to move on to the next round.

Jae-suk mentions that Shin-yang offered him some chocolate but got a few rocks instead. Shin-yang defends, “You try being left with just $20…”

The elevator is too small to accommodate all of the cast members and their VJs. Jae-suk figures that whoever’s VJs get left behind, “They just won’t appear on TV! There you are Kwon-ryul!”

Kwang-soo mentions that n one of the Red Team’s VJs are on the elevator with them and Jae-suk replies, “You’ve got the surveillance cameras!” HA – not quite the same.

With an innumerable number of chairs in the building, the cast spread out in search. Some of the members mistake the stickered chairs for the designated ones, like one that says, “Myuk PD.”

Then Kwang-soo surveys the Running Man room and gripes, “Why are there no pictures of us here?” There is, however, a picture of Lee Min-ho.

Both Ji-hyo and Jae-suk find the correct chairs and hide them from view.

Some time later, Jong-kook and Kwang-soo find Ji-hyo sitting in her chair and when Kwang-soo tries to persuade her to get up for a moment, she’s like, “D’you think I’m some sort of idiot?” HA.

Jong-kook knows that arguing won’t get them anywhere and says that it’s faster finding another one. Keke.

Shin-yang, did you just try to make a decoy by plastering your own name on a chair? Ha – why so cute?

Just finding a chair doesn’t mean Suk-jin is safely out of the woods, so he decides to hide somewhere. Though I’m guessing that loud rolling noise is bound to attract some attention.

Like Haha, who promptly searches for the chair once Suk-jin leaves. One man’s loss is another man’s gain and Haha sits his butt down, refusing to move.

Gary sits down and it looks like the Green Team’s in the clear… but then he opens the door when someone knocks. It’s Ji-won who instantly realizes that Gary’s found one of the chairs.

With Kwang-soo’s help, they roll Gary onto his back, who screams, “I’ve only got $20! I’ve got nothing!” They eventually get Gary out of the chair and unsurprisingly, Kwang-soo takes off with it.

Ji-won catches up to the Giraffe, “You were going to take it for yourself, weren’t you?” but then Gary bursts into the room to get his chair back.

Gary puts up a decent fight for a good while but when Kwang-soo threatens to take that last twenty too, he surrenders.

It’s both Suk-jin luckiest and unluckliest day today. He finds another chair with just four minutes remaining but then Jong-kook shows up mere seconds later. Suk-jin soon finds himself 2:1 against the Red Team and they peel him out of the chair.

Jong-kook claims the chair for his own… but I can’t include his awkward position here.

Suk-jin turns desperate when there’s less than two minutes left and Jae-suk runs to protect his hidden chair. Pulling the mat-hyung card doesn’t work either, so he resorts to kicking.

While this battle within the same team rages on, Kwang-soo and Haha fight over the chair in the elevator. The timer ticks down the last few seconds and both Haha and Suk-jin are left out.

Haha acknowledges defeat right away, adding that he understands because he stole the chair from someone too. Jong-kook: “Who?” Haha: “Suk-jin hyung.”

But what’s better is that Jong-kook stole his from Suk-jin too and they all have a good laugh.

There are just three chairs left in the second round and Jong-kook whispers to Kwang-soo where they should look first. Then Shin-yang starts to whisper in Ji-won’s ear too and Kwang-soo has to remind him that they’re on different teams. Whoops.

To Ji-won’s luck, she find Jae-suk’s old chair in the same place it was before. She hides in a room backstage and then Shin-yang pops his head in and leaves without a word.

Full of gratitude, she comments, “I would have lost if he used his strength. He’s gentle, as expected.”

Jae-suk checks the auditorium and discovers Ji-won in her hiding place. They both radio their teammates for backup (Ji-won: “I found Jae-suk!” Jae-suk: “I was the one who found YOU!”) but with less than three minutes remaining, everyone starts to panic.

It’s bare-footed and jacketless Kwang-soo who comes to Ji-won’s rescue and he tells her to run, er I mean, roll away.

She doesn’t get very far when the others catch up to her and she yelps, “I’m a guest!” And when that doesn’t work, she threatens to kick Jae-suk where the sun don’t shine.

The last ten seconds are pure chaos and when the end of the round is called, it’s Ji-hyo who ends up in the seat. Thus, the final contenders for the final round are Shin-yang, Jong-kook, and Ji-hyo.

Ji-won is genuinely surprised at Ji-hyo’s strength and gets in the final word: “Don’t pretend to act all nice!” Pfft, look who’s talking.

At least we spend a hilarious moment in jail as the boys imitate Ji-won’s threats, much to her embarrassment.

There’s one chair left in the final around and it’s Jong-kook who finds it right away, lying in the same spot where Ji-hyo claimed her win just minutes earlier.

Ji-hyo arrives moments later and when Jong-kook assumes his spreadeagle position again, she repeats Ji-won’s threat to kick him straight at his family jewels. So Jong-kook changes positions. HAHAHA.

Shin-yang soon joins them and he tells Jong-kook very manner-of-factly than he can take Spartakooks in five seconds flat. Woah, that’s a tall statement. Does he honestly think he can beat Jong-kook?

Then he clarifies, “I mean, I can sit in that seat with you.” Thattt sounds more like it.

Funnily enough, Jong-kook is pretty powerless sitting in that chair so the others roll him out into the hall. With just over a minute left, Shin-yang gives Jong-kook ten seconds or else, he’ll use his strength to wrench him out of that seat.

Shin-yang keeps to his word and with Ji-hyo’s help, they topple over the chair. Ji-hyo’s attempt to tickle Jong-kook’s feet proves useless and Shin-yang yells out and apology before sitting on top of Kookie.

Five… four… three… two… one… and they’re still stuck in that awkward position once the whistle blows. Let’s get a close-up of Spartakooks.

The three join the others (Jong-kook limps towards them) and Mr. PD finally announces the winner after reviewing the tapes. For the first time in Running Man, both the Red and Green Teams are declared victors.

Both teams have the opportunity to double or triple their bonuses but d’aww, the Green Team leave with just $20.

The Red Team nervously wait… and end up with TRIPLE the amount: $2,520. (Just in case you’re wondering, they donated their winnings.)

Shin-yang isn’t about to leave nearly penniless, so he suggests, “How about [we try for splits for] $5,000?”

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