1 Night 2 Days: Episode 438

by girlfriday

EPISODE 438. Broadcast on May 12, 2013.

javabeans: We kick off Part 2 of our “romantic backpacking trip” with special guest Choi Kang-hee, and the captions prompt the question: What do you need with you on a backpacking trip? Tae-woong says a camera, Tae-hyun says music, and I’m hoping somebody said food and shelter.

girlfriday: Maybe they assumed it would get taken away anyway.

javabeans: Am I the only one who’s like, But is that reason to stop trying? C’mon, years of this stuff, weekend after weekend, some lazy PD’s gonna slip up someday.

girlfriday: One missed bag check later, Shi-kyung’s sitting in the corner with a mound of candy bars and Joo-won’s playing video games?

javabeans: All I’m saying is, it ain’t gonna happen if you don’t even try.

girlfriday: We get back to the team games for camping supplies, after Team Kang-hee has won the sleeping bags. This time it’s a gas burner for the winners or a tin can with a roll of foil for the losers. (I’m confused — where’s the part of that that makes fire?)

javabeans: I half-expect New PD to point them to the woods: Sticks. Fire.

girlfriday: Now that would be fun.

javabeans: From these stakes, I do think he’s learning that it’s better to be mean than fair. Sleeping in garbage bags? Cooking with one tin can? He’s learning. Game 2 is called Cham-Cham-Cham, where your opponent points either left or right and you want to turn your face the other way.

girlfriday: This one’s an upgraded version, where if you look the same way, your opponent tries to hit you over the head, and your only defense is to cover your head with a ramyun pot, which looks silly, but is effective. First up is Joo-won vs. Shi-kyung, and it almost doesn’t even matter what the game is, ‘cause we’re just waiting for them to beat each other over the head.

javabeans: Ha, at one point Shi-kyung hits Joo-won over the head, but both guys react so fast that even after the fact they don’t know who won and require a replay. I’d be the fool standing there going, “Er, who won? What happened? What do I do?” and the producers would be telling me to step aside because my turn is over.

girlfriday: That’s pretty much exactly what happens to Hae-jin when he goes up against Su-geun. One second the game is starting, and then suddenly he’s being whapped over the head and it’s all over.

javabeans: And Jong-min fixates too much on the game itself (he wins) to remember to hit (he loses). Then Kang-hee wins her game, but fumbles for the wrong prop and can’t figure out what comes next, and they’re both just standing there going, “Er…?”

girlfriday: Haha, that’s totally what I would do. Tae-woong and Tae-hyun get a few good hits in with the pot helmet on, but on the last one Tae-woong panics and forgets the pot altogether, just cowering with his hands over his head.

javabeans: Everybody (aside from Shi-kyung and Joo-won, who should always be on opposite teams) is pretty terrible at this game, which makes it funny.

girlfriday: So then the game is tied, and Kang-hee gets sent out to be the tiebreaker against Jong-min, who’s still playing slowly on purpose because he can’t bring himself to hit her. His team calls a time-out to explain to him that he will never date her because he doesn’t have a chance in hell, so hit her already. Lol.

javabeans: In the end the Reject Team wins this round and therefore fire. We move on to the last game for camping gear, which is for flooring and pretty crucial, given that they’re sleeping on a field of rocks. One team will get a proper mat, and the other team… a cardboard box.

girlfriday: Dude, if the Rejects get the cardboard boxes with their trash bags, it’s gonna be really sad. The game is movie charades, where each team comes up with the movies their opponents have to act out.

javabeans: Damn, they’re really mean when they have to come up with terms for the opponents. Su-geun has to act out the movie Divine Weapon, which is like impossible to act out in terms of plot or even keyword, so he breaks it down by syllable (shin-ki-jeon). This is hysterical, watching him mime jeon as pancake and then trying to be amazed about it (shin-ki = amazing).

girlfriday: Hahahaha. I totally get WHY he’s doing this, but from the other guys’ perspective, it’s senseless and just really funny. Plus, it’s backwards.

javabeans: I’m dying here. The thing is, Su-geun is awesome at this game but the movies are just impossible. I’m amazed they even get Divine Weapon and he moves on to Alice in Wonderland, in which he mimes being a pigtailed girl amazed by a new land, which leads to “Welcome to Dongmakgol? The Host?” HA.

girlfriday: I love that he tries to mime Johnny Depp and gets, “Crazy person?!”

javabeans: Su-geun moves on to a title that we don’t get to see (I guess to show us what it feels like) and complains about it because it’s either indecent or impossible or something. Reluctantly he commences, and is he acting out the actual plot?

girlfriday: It’s like this whole storyline about going out to dinner and paying the tab. Oh, is it Petty Romance? Only because that team was confused about how to spell it earlier.

javabeans: Omg, he’s totally acting out a “petty” argument, isn’t he? Why doesn’t he just point to Kang-hee? Amazingly, though, Su-geun gets his team to the answer. He’s so good that even the opponents marvel at how good he is at explaining clues they purposely made impossible.

girlfriday: He really is the Charades King. Ha, once they get Petty Romance, Shi-kyung demands they hide the next clue so he can beat up Joo-won for a moment.

javabeans: OH MY GOD, he gets them to Psycho by imitating Psy, then pointing at his nose (ko).

girlfriday: HAHAHAHA. Brilliant. They get through all their clues, and then it’s Joo-won’s turn.

javabeans: Ha, Su-geun’s team is actually resentful of making their clues too easy now, since they’re dealing with Rambo and Alien.

girlfriday: Yeah they really went with easy ones. Joo-won’s team wins, but man, Su-geun wins for comedy.

javabeans: It’s such an unbalanced match that even the winners are like, Dude. Ours was too hard and a Round 2 is suggested. So the winners give up all but one of their mats (for the actress) and go for another round of the same game, with adages this time. Our losers the previous rounds really up the ante with hard ones, as Kang-hee finds out when it’s her turn. The thing is, I find this whole round really funny, but I wonder if it’ll be inaccessible if you don’t know Korean? Because the guys are mostly breaking things down into syllables and “sounds like” clues, and it’s all language based.

girlfriday: It’s amusing how Joo-won decides to do “tree” (namu) with the “mu” syllable for instance (by doing the variety radish teeth grind), but the clues themselves aren’t funny in translation.

javabeans: Joo-won doesn’t really string together his clues very well, but he does get out enough of the right words so that once there are several, Hae-jin swoops in and puts them together in the appropriate proverb form.

girlfriday: It turns out Shi-kyung has an even harder time though, and when he gets stuck on one he taps Su-geun in to take his place, but even Su-geun can’t manage this one.

javabeans: This goes on forever. Su-geun and Shi-kyung are both at the ends of their ropes, and at one point they’re like, “We’ve lost, can we do this together?” And STILL they can’t get it across. They get so far off-base that it’s hysterical, now they’re just going syllable by syllable. Oh my god, Jong-min is trying so hard and I want to slap him because he gets everything upside-down, almost perversely.

girlfriday: Team Kang-hee even joins in because they’re so frustrated, and they just want them to get the answer. It’s funny that they won this game not because they’re better at charades, but because they could think of things that are impossible to act out.

javabeans: So then we move on to dinner, which New PD intended to be a fishing exercise, only they can’t because of the weather. Thus he will have each team call one friend to come out and join them, bringing them dinner. It’s a two-hour drive, which should make things tough. Jong-min immediately offers up Shinji, but hilariously, she answers, “Leader-nim! Oh, you’re doing 1N2D aren’t you? Bye!”

girlfriday: Pfffft. She learned her lesson the last time.

javabeans: Then Joo-won calls Jang Young-nam, his Level 7 Civil Servant co-star, and she sounds super cute on the phone. But alas she’s still filming so they don’t ask her, though Hae-jin does take over the call and exchange greetings since they’re friends.

girlfriday: Aw she’s cute. Then Shi-kyung calls a mystery friend, who turns out to be Lee Moon-sae.

javabeans: Whoa. He’s a big star in the music world, and Shi-kyung automatically gets on his knees as he calls. He’s actually on his way back to Seoul, but Su-geun totally butters him up and he agrees to buy dinner and drop by. I love how Tae-hyun and Joo-won get all excited before realizing, “He’s not on our team.”

girlfriday: Oh right, does that mean they don’t get any of his food? Meanwhile, Shi-kyung’s off in the corner requesting side dishes and rice on top of that meat he’s bringing.

javabeans: It only takes him thirty minutes to come, which means it was fortuitous that they caught him before he got home, and he arrives carrying a box of food. He had to buy stuff on the road and says he couldn’t find much, but the guys are thrilled to have meat. He’s all, “Are you glad to see me, or the food? Do I not even measure up to the pork?” He says he didn’t eat dinner either, and therefore bought nine portions. Tae-hyun cheers from the opposite team, “Nine portions! Nine portions!”

girlfriday: But Su-geun explains to a bewildered Lee Moon-sae that the minute he gave them the food, it became theirs, and now he’s earned the right to eat with them. He’s like, “I… brought the food… but now I’ve earned the right to eat it with you?”

javabeans: Hahaha, I love his reaction. I notice that Moon-sae, despite being rather put out by the idea of not sharing, quietly sliiiiides over to the winning team. They all die laughing at it and comment on his quick adaptability, and he chimes in, “I know not to be on the same team as Tae-hyun!”

girlfriday: They bust out a few snacks, and Su-geun tells Kang-hee she can win some dinner, cuing Jong-min to face her with a peppero stick in his mouth. Ha. She’s so terrified that she actually falls over in her chair.

javabeans: Haha. You can’t fake those reactions. Ultimately they decide she gets her pick of the five team members for who will be her partner in biting down the stick to less than one centimeter. She makes up her mind, saying, “[I take the] challenge!” Tae-hyun quips, “If it’s a challenge, it’s Jong-min!” Lol. They give each member a moment to sell himself to Kang-hee, like this is some dating show. And despite the rather frightening sell (“I can’t predict what might happen!”), she picks Jong-min. I kind of love the epic music mixed with the horror reactions as she does it, like she’s heading to a martyr’s death.

girlfriday: I know, with the slo-mo cringes from the guys around her, like they shouldn’t have let her go that far. Heh. She manages to get it small enough, and uses her win to feed Joo-won. Aw. Immediately Tae-hyun gets up with a stick in his mouth, “Let’s go!” Hahaha, is he talking to Hae-jin?

javabeans: Omg, this is hilarious. They’re both totally into the game and willing to do it, but also totally wigged out at the possibility of getting too close for comfort.

girlfriday: The exchanges as they get ready are cracking me up. Hae-jin: “Why are you so forward?” Tae-hyun: “This isn’t going to be a happy picture, so we’ll do it fast.”

javabeans: Then Hae-jin practically attacks Tae-hyun, and it’s just the best thing ever. Horrified-amazed-shocked reactions all around. Then Jong-min gets up to make a proposal: If Kang-hee does her Shy Dance (which she did in Level 7), she can win her team more dinner. With phone in hand, Tae-hyun immediately asks, “Kang-hee-ya, what tempo music do you need?”

girlfriday: The boys dance it with her, so at least it’s a team effort to win dinner.

javabeans: Lee Moon-sae puts on a mini-concert, and then they present Kang-hee with a birthday cake. Er, birthday chocopie stash.

girlfriday: And then they tell Lee Moon-sae that he can’t leave until tomorrow. I’m confused as to why they’ve brought two guests under spontaneous pretenses when it’s clear they were planned from the get-go.

javabeans: I know! At first I really did think maybe they got lucky with him, but now it’s obvious that he’s been briefed and is ready to spend the night, with no objections or “I’ve gotta call my wife.”

girlfriday: If this is going to be the new direction of this show, I have a major bone to pick with New PD. Anyway, now that everyone’s staying, the old teams are moot, and they’re just going to do a bitter/green tea bokbulbok to decide who sleeps outside. Wait, so the other games for the supplies were moot too? Lame.

javabeans: Wait, what happened to garbage bags and cardboard boxes? Dude, if we were playing for tent rights I’d’ve been totally cool with that. No baity the switchy!

girlfriday: I know! The universe has rules, buddy!

javabeans: Grumble grumble boo hiss. I was totally enjoying this episode until now, but now it just seems all scripted and fake.

girlfriday: Which is the whole point of what this show isn’t supposed to be. Gah.

javabeans: WhatEVER. Anyway, they do the tea drinking and I don’t really care anymore, but basically Tae-hyun has bad luck again (if it IS even luck! I be suspicious of everything now) and gets stuck outdoors.

girlfriday: Haha, I think if there’s one thing we can still have faith in, it’s Tae-hyun’s bad luck.

javabeans: Tent sleepers are Moon-sae, Kang-hee, Hae-jin, Su-geun, and Shi-kyung. Outside: Jong-min, Tae-woong, Tae-hyun, Joo-won. But Kang-hee has been keen on the idea of doing this hardcore camping thing at least once, and Hae-jin has mentioned wanting to sleep outside too, so they both offer to swap. Hae-jin picks Tae-hyun because he wants him to sleep inside for once, and Kang-hee swaps with Jong-min because I think she doesn’t want to sleep with him, haha.

girlfriday: Kang-hee plans to make breakfast for the boys in the morning, and the morning mission will be a flag race, where five winners get to eat. She doesn’t sound very confident that she can cook, so it remains to be seen whether this is a reward or a punishment.

javabeans: She gets up early in the morning to prep, while the guys are woken up by the morning song. Shi-kyung sprints outside first, intent on earning his breakfast, and Hae-jin Mr. I’m So Not Competitive also bolts up quickly. The others stagger around, all, Huh?

girlfriday: There’s boating involved? This is a Serious Race.

javabeans: Ha, Shi-kyung and Hae-jin are in such a hurry that they launch their boats without their VJs, who have to shoot from the shoreline.

girlfriday: At least it pays off. They get flags along with Joo-won, so the competitive boys all win breakfast. Moon-sae gets a flag too, which leaves the rest of the boys running around aimlessly for the last flag.

javabeans: Tae-woong spots it, lucky for him. I do love how Tae-woong has the tendency to wander around without any intention of fighting for the morning flag, but then he’ll get lucky and suddenly wake up and get all into the race. On the other hand, Su-geun sleeps through the whole thing and has to be woken up by his VJ. With the flags all picked, Kang-hee introduces her dish, and the guys ask sorta nervously, “This isn’t your first time making it, right?” I’d describe her reply as a suspicious long silence.

girlfriday: But it’s ddukbokki with ramyun. How hard could it possibly be, even if that was your first time ever making it? Also, how is that her first time making it?

javabeans: In any case, she struggles with the ingredients and the guys don’t look reassured. Moon-sae wonders if breakfast is for the guys who couldn’t find flags. Half the guys actually head out to fish. They must really be worried. Oh, it isn’t actually ddukkboki with ramyun, but ramyun with extra stuff in it. She made ramyun.

girlfriday: That’s a whole lot of effort for ramyun. The losers end up making their own ddukbokki with the leftover ingredients, because it’s freaking ANARCHY up in this show and there are no rules anymore.

javabeans: Then Kang-hee and Joo-won put on an impromptu scene that sounds like it’s from Level 7, and do we really need to relive that?

girlfriday: Level Who? What’s that?

javabeans: Moon-sae takes the reins in concocting some sort of story out of some random scenes, and I’m not sure I’m following.

girlfriday: Oh. No. Remember the last time the boys put on a play and then there was the stripping and Seung-gi got all weird and traumatized?

javabeans: At least that one was entertaining. This one seems slapped together like a Gag Concert without the logic. Suddenly we have wigs and face makeup and superhero capes. Sorry, this may be really entertaining but I’m struggling not to tune out. Although I can’t tell if Tae-hyun is a hippie or Wonder Woman, and that’s kinda funny.

girlfriday: Yeah, whatever his costume is supposed to be, it isn’t that, but it sure is hilarious. It meanders for a while, but there is a big laugh when Hae-jin does this whole long angry diva director routine… only to bow when Su-geun the “real” director arrives. The thing that’s hard to care about is the WHY of it all, since they’re doing it for no reason.

javabeans: Either there’s zero point and therefore I don’t care, or there is a point but the show didn’t tell us what it was and therefore I don’t care. And why is Jong-min getting nekkid on a rock in the distance?

girlfriday: The better question might be, why is Jong-min always getting nekkid?

javabeans: The first scene involves Kang-hee crying at the river for her lost lover Joo-won, who is joined by fisherman-guru-beatnik-superhero Moon-sae in a bright red Moses robe with train. Then there’s a flashback scene with boyfriend Joo-won, catching her with Shi-kyung and getting all jealous.

girlfriday: Suddenly it’s a makjang, and he’s also her brother? Or something. And then Jong-min acts like a crazy person.

javabeans: Then Tae-woong acts like a (freakish soldier) crazy person, and then Tae-hyun acts like a (Jeon Woo-chi-lite) crazy person. Somehow they fixate on this tagline that isn’t funny at all (“If only that hadn’t happened!”) but it sort of gathers momentum the more it gets said. I think. I don’t know. I’m still confused.

girlfriday: And then we’re made to watch it again? Because what, the edited version will make more sense?

javabeans: It just feels like randomness.Then the episode ends and… I don’t know what just happened.

girlfriday: I’m pretty sure at some point when we weren’t looking, gremlins hijacked this episode.

javabeans: Let’s just hope they give back the show. Who do I have to bribe to make that happen?

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