Running Man: Episode 274

by gummimochi

Being close to your partner is one thing, but getting chained to them all day is another. This week, our teams will find out how the most basic of tasks can prove cumbersome when one is physically attached to one another. Everything from getting into a car to simply going to the bathroom is no longer a sacred personal act—no, they’ll see, hear, and know everything. Either this is going to promote teamwork or annoy the heck out of them. Why don’t we dive in and find out?

EPISODE 274. Broadcast on November 22, 2015.

On this rainy morning, each of our cast members start off at different locations: their teammate’s homes. Jae-suk already knows he’s at actor Kim Kwang-kyu’s place, but told that Kwang-kyu doesn’t know who he’s paired up with today.

Revealing that he’s never been to Kwang-kyu’s place before, Jae-suk chuckles at the paper greetings “May spring bring abundant joy and happiness” still plastered on his door (usually these are pasted on one’s door on the first day of spring). “It was the first day of winter the other day!”

Once inside, Jae-suk can’t help but giggle at all the awkwardly placed excercise equipment, then sighs at his flattened pillow and the array of medicine bottles on the counter. Even the gloomy quotes and existential questions (“I won’t be around in 2070, right?”) pains Jae-suk for his still-single hyung.

As they eat breakfast together, Kwang-kyu drives in the final nail in the loneliness coffin: “Thanks for eating with me. So this is what it’s like to eat with people.” Aww.

Haha is at another bachelor’s place: Gary’s. He’s not fully awake, and am I the only one who’s a bit disappointed that he’s fully dressed? The man knows how to keep a clean abode which houses a personal studio. Side note: Gary handwrites all of his lyrics on yellow legal pads and is very particular about his pens.

He’s got a riverside view too… but not much of a green thumb it seems. Case in point: dried leaves on the floor. LOL, I love how Haha makes himself at home, jumping on the leather sofa and rummaging through his fridge.

Evidently Haha feels extra comfortable because he and Gary were also former roommates, and Gary keeps hiding his bloated face. Jong-kook is impressed that his teammate takes care of his health, though the voice on the other side of the door tells him to get lost.

Aw, it’s MC Park Soo-hong who’s got an expansive bachelor pad. When Jong-kook points out that Soo-hong’s got two pillows, the latter returns, “You never know!” Adding fuel to the fire, Jong-kook notices two toothbrushes too. Are we to expect wedding bells in the near future?

Picking up the red one, he swears he uses that one just for holidays. Mmhm.

Upon hearing that he’s outside an idol’s dormitory, Kwang-soo lights up—could it be a female idol? My guess is that it isn’t. Why hello there Niel.

Kwang-soo’s disappointment is apparent, but he quickly buries it and points out the pile of messy clothes stuffed behind the door. He starts picking up after his dirty laundry and trash like a concerned mother would, then practically cries at the world’s saddest refrigerator. Will someone feed the boys, please?!

Kwang-soo: “Why do you live like this?” Niel: “We usually don’t eat much at the dorm.” Rifling through the barren fridge, Kwang-soo offers to pick up some groceries with him later. Yes, please, please do.

Ji-hyo arrives at an agency to greet Buzz’s Min Kyung-hoon who seems pleased to hear that her younger sister is a fan of his. Suk-jin is at an office too and his teammate Jo Jung-chi appears more disappointed at this outcome than he is.

The teams are split about the camping concept for today’s theme, but then they’re suddenly given belts to wear and literally locked to one another. Soo-hong says aloud, “Man, I should’ve been paired with Ji-hyo.”

Since Ji-hyo’s a lady, she’s the exception to the “being chained together all day” rule (they’ll unlock her whenever she needs to go do her business), to which Kyung-hoon jokes, “Don’t.”

Speaking of the bathroom, when Kwang-kyu notes how the door won’t close properly, Jae-suk tugs at him to come inside then. At least they’re not the only ones running into this issue from the start—Suk-jin’s stuck outside listening to bathroom noises while Haha complains that he doesn’t wanna see Gary taking a shower.

Which means he’s relegated to receiving Gary’s clothes outside the door. In his nekkid state, Gary asks invitingly, “Wanna wash up together?” And then he adds that the shower’s kinda far so uhm, yeah Haha’s gonna have to come inside.

Kwang-soo makes sure to pack extra (in case anything gets stolen from him) while Soo-hong packs a tent and other food amidst Jong-kook’s constant nagging. It turns out that the ice cream Haha had been eyeing earlier is just frozen food waste, which ew.

Ji-hyo and Kyung-hoon carry out an entire cooler’s worth of goodies, but that’s only half the battle because now they have to get in the car. Heh. But once everyone’s off, the pairings meet up with one another to do some grocery shopping.

Once all of their groceries are bought, everyone finally gathers at the camping grounds. There are five different zones and at the top houses various sleeping arrangements varying from the barren ground to a luxury RV.

I can’t help but wonder if we skipped an early mission because Suk-jin mentions that he and Jung-chi bought nothing. A game before the grocery shopping, perhaps? In any case, it’s a race to the top with their belongings, and first place gets their pick.

As it turns out, the teams must sacrifice anything that they drop, and Jae-suk and Kwang-kyu take hold of the luxury RV. It’s super spacious, complete with a stove and a separate bedroom and a shower.

Both Kwang-kyu and Jae-suk share in their personal interviews that this is the reward for hard work, but why do I get the feeling that they’re going to lose that privilege in an upcoming game?

Kwang-soo and Niel claim the second best RV, which is still quite nice. Jong-kook and Soo-hong arrive to two folding chairs and a tent and immediately blame one another for stopping earlier.

Heh, Jong-kook’s I’m watching you expression during Soo-hong’s personal interview cracks me up. So instead of blaming Jong-kook, Soo-hong ends up blaming himself, though adds that he doesn’t think his words reflects how he truly feels.

Soo-hong lights up when he realizes that they can use the blankets he brought from home, to which Jae-suk rubs in how theirs was already provided for. But as soon as they see the wooden bed, Soo-hong and Jong-kook change their tune.

However, they won’t be able to move in that easily, so Soo-hong proposes the following: they’ll share their meat and goodies if Jae-suk allows them to sleep on the deck and use their grill. Jae-suk: “We’ll let you sleep here and give you some of your meat back.” Cue enraged Spartakooks.

Eventually, Jong-kook and Soo-hong do get to move in and agree to share their bountiful meat with their landlords.

Once everyone arrives, the PD announces lunchtime, along with two special zones filled with ingredients and supplies. Suk-jin is still upset about the mungbean sprouts they lost earlier, and Jung-chi explains that he was just trying to keep up.

They don’t have any cooking oil either, and what they think is cooking oil from afar is in fact, apple vinegar. D’oh.

Being tied together is an inconvenient reality for everyone: Ji-hyo falls trying to pitch a tent while Gary yells at Haha for walking too far away. Haha keeps dropping hints for Gary to help out, then gets genuinely annoyed when he finds Gary sprawled on the bed.

What’s most annoying is each other’s bathroom habits, and Jae-suk worries that Kwang-kyu will get constipated. He gives the hyung the green light to let one rip, but it’s audible and deadly enough for some nearby staffers to turn their heads.

Suk-jin gets caught trying to swipe a ramyun, so Haha immediately retaliates by grabbing Jung-chi: “You catch one and neither can leave.” In his interview, Haha shares, “Are they… thieves? Usually you should [scold] the other when one steals, but he praised him instead.”

Ji-hyo protects her meat with her life while Soo-hong gets scolded yet again for not marinating their food long enough. Jong-kook continues to nag even during their interviews, though he defends that he’s just trying to help Soo-hong out. At the mention that Soo-hong does listen to him, Soo-hong bursts into helpless tears.

Kwang-soo gets slightly annoyed whenever Niel questions his cooking tactics. “Do you have a problem with everything I do?” Kwang-soo shares that that’s probably the one thing he takes issue with, but when Niel says he doesn’t really like this pairing yet, Kwang-soo responds with a soft slap.

Chef Haha whips up a tasty kimchi stew that wins Gary over, while Ji-hyo and Kyung-hoon eat with Kwang-soo and Niel. Aww.

The teams make their way downhill as the sun sets to play some 6:6 jokgu. However, the losing team will have their connecting velvety rope shortened by 90 cm (currently 180 cm). As if they couldn’t stand one another already.

In the first round, Jae-suk’s team wins the first point when the rope between Soo-hong and Jong-kook goes taut and the ball flies behind them. But it happens again (mostly because Jong-kook doesn’t move) and the blame goes to Soo-hong. Two of Jae-suk’s mishaps evens up the score, though.

We skip ahead to Jae-suk’s team leading by 3:2, and Jae-suk revs up to kick the ball over close to the net… only to miss it. And then Kwang-soo’s mistake gives Jong-kook’s team the lead.

But when the ball comes to Soo-hong, he kicks it but falls, putting tension on the rope yet again and causing the team to lose the point. Tied 4:4, both teams need this next point, but Jae-suk kicks the ball into the net, and Jong-kook’s team wins the first set.

Determined to win, Jae-suk’s team takes off their coats. Suk-jin calls for the ball as soon as it heads over… but then gets hit with it instead. And the next time Suk-jin tries to receive it, he kicks it right into Soo-hong. Guess who’s the weakest link on this team?

A little later, the score is tied 3:3 when Kyung-hoon kicks it over the net. Kwang-soo gets upset when he gets yelled at for trying to serve (instead of Niel), but when Jae-suk slides to try and save the ball, it hits the net instead.

In the third set, the ball hits Suk-jin full-on in the face and Jung-chi avoids the ball. It’s an easy four-point lead, and in the final point, Kyung-hoon goes for the heading, but the ball lands right on his family jewels. Owwww.

Kyung-hoon makes up for it in the fourth set, and the ball goes back and forth a few times before Kwang-kyu fails to pop the ball over the net. With that, Jong-kook’s teams wins with three sets to one.

After being given shortened links, the teams head back to find a campfire and goodies waiting for them. The loss is forgotten while they eat and enjoy themselves, and afterwards, Kwang-kyu asks why Jae-suk doesn’t go to the bathroom. “You have to go so I can.”

As the night deepens, two mysterious shadows approach and the sound of howling cuts through the air. Looking out the window there are beings in black robes wearing animal masks, and Ji-hyo closes the door before a tiger beats on the door.

The mailbox outside contains information on their final mission: Find the key, disconnect the link, and escape the camping grounds. However, there are only five cars waiting for them at the base of the hill.

They start running at once, and Haha makes sure to keep his and Gary’s nametags secure. But Soo-hong and Jong-kook deduce that perhaps they must tear off the animals’ nametags to get more hints, so the group draws in the tiger before ripping off his nametag.

There’s nothing there, and the chicken has nothing to hide either. But the hunt continues and when Kwang-soo and Niel head down a level, they notice more of the same kinds of animals.

Kwang-soo and Niel grab hold of the other husky trying to hide in the darkness, but getting that nametag does nothing. So they decide to head down to the parking lot, and Niel points to the station where they can place nametags.

Placing any nametags does nothing, but soon they’re joined by the others. Placing matching nametags opens up the rock and gives them their keys to their freedom. Yay for Kwang-soo winning the game!

Now that the others know what they must do, Jong-kook and Soo-hong follow up with matching nametags. They too are awarded with freedom, followed by Gary and Haha, and then Ji-hyo and Kyung-hoon.

To make matters worse, it’s raining now and only one car remains. Out of breath, Jae-suk asks the ram to help them out, only to run him down in the end. But then Kwang-kyu realizes that he’s dropped the nametag someplace.

Meanwhile, Jung-chi and Suk-jin have a target of their own. They notice the dropped nametag but don’t realize its worth until Jae-suk retrieves it and runs. Jae-suk and Kwang-kyu get to be the last ones to escape…

… whereas Suk-jin and Jung-chi are left to clean up the mess before they’re finally disconnected. Having been too physically close all day today, Suk-jin suggests that they don’t see each other for a while. Jung-chi: “Should we forget what happened today?”

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