Running Man: Episode 305

by gummimochi

This week’s episode is all about efficiency where the games are short and sweet and get straight to the point. Our cast will face a ragtag group of variety stars all ready to lay their images down for the sake of variety. These missions will challenge brawn, brains, and stamina from the wrestling mat to the soccer field and back into the ring. Only one team will be able to call themselves victors, but at least everyone can gain something from the win.

EPISODE 305. Broadcast on June 26, 2016.

Today’s episode begins with a secret meeting between Lee PD and a mystery guest who thinks there should be a change-up in the current cast lineup. He has something to say about every cast member from their talents to the lovelines, and is convinced that he’s the key to bringing in audiences.

Then it’s time for the opening, where our cast will face the Variety Avengers, led by our mystery interviewee… who rises on the stage lift on his back. It’s variety veteran Lee Kyung-kyu, who jokes that he was resting his eyes when the lift suddenly rose up to the stage. Heh.

Haha shouts that today’s shoot should end before sunset since Kyung-kyu is known to hate wasting time on set. Suk-jin: “I’ll be able to eat dinner at home tonight!” Kyung-kyu: “No… lunch.”

He’s brought more people with him today: comedian Kim Jun-hyun, the domesticated Asiatic black bear; comedian Jo Se-ho whose serenade is rejected by Ji-hyo; actor Lee Jung-jin; MC and actress Lee Soo-min gives a little dance performance; mixed martial artist Kim Dong-hyun; and last but not least singer Yoo Jae-hwan, whose voice cracks when asked to sing on the spot.

Jae-hwan is immediately punished for the slip-up, then Kyung-kyu declares they should move on. Efficient, I like it.

Our first game is a wrestling match and our first contenders are Kwang-soo and Jun-hyun. Soo-min gives an adorable cheer whereas Kwang-soo swipes at Ji-hyo for her weak attempt. Jae-suk declares this as a match between the long white socks vs. the short black socks, then Kyung-kyu pushes him back from the center spot.

Once the whistle blows, Jun-hyun asks Kwang-soo what will be the least embarrassing defeat for him. Welp, that can’t be good. It isn’t—he lifts the Giraffe into the air, who somehow finds his footing.

Kwang-soo puts up a good fight, using his center of gravity until Jun-hyun finally overtakes him. Then it’s time for the highly anticipated match between the powerhouses Jong-kook and Dong-hyun. The trash talk immediately flies from Dong-hyun’s mouth: “It’s no fun if it’s an easy win.”

Dong-hyun goes for an inside attack, but that works against him as Jong-kook tries to trip him up. But then Dong-hyun lifts Jong-kook, places his foot against his calf and uses that momentum to flip Jong-kook to the ground. That’s a 2:0 victory for the Variety Avengers, but there’s more to come.

The second game is a speed charades quiz, where the team will try to guess as many words from another teammate acting out the phrase while wearing a mouth gag, all within 100 seconds. The team who gives the most correct answers, wins.

Team Running Man is up first to try and guess proverbs with Jae-suk wearing the mouth gag. Suk-jin uses their first pass card with the first phrase whereas Jong-kook guesses his in seconds.

It sounds like Jae-suk is speaking gibberish to Kwang-soo until he finally gets it (“Nice words bring nice words in return”). Soon the Running Man cast is on a roll, and get six correct answers.

Kyung-kyu offers to wear the mouth gag for his team (“It’ll look bad if I don’t work as hard as Jae-suk does”) who will guess shows on SBS. Unlike the proverbs, these titles require more charades on Kyung-kyu’s part, such as acting like a news anchor.

The Variety Avengers eventually pull off seven correct answers, meaning they win this game too. However, they’re willing to do another round, and the Variety Avengers now need to guess song titles.

Jae-hwan decides to sing the melodies, though Kyung-kyu doesn’t recognize Baek Ji-young’s “Like Being Hit by a Bullet” right away. He says words around it, like “bullet” until he finally gets it. Dong-hyun looks utterly lost until he gives up.

There are less than 10 seconds remaining when Kyung-kyu has to guess again. He doesn’t get it, which means the Variety Avengers have five correct answers.

Kwang-soo will need to present the Korean movie titles for his team. He can’t resist getting a few punches in before trying to tell Jong-kook about Assassination and Jo Jin-woong’s memorable performance.

His King and the Clown impression is pretty spot-on until Jae-suk comes up to wipe the drool from his mouth. In the end they only get three correct answers, and the Variety Avengers win Round 1.

There’s a feast awaiting our winners whereas Team Running Man will munch on lonely triangle kimbap. Jun-hyun gives the ramyun a little kiss before slurping up those noodles in an instant.

Jae-suk shares an old story when Kyung-kyu wouldn’t take his greeting when they passed each other. Suk-jin has one too, of when he introduced himself to Kyung-kyu in a noraebang and the latter told him: “I don’t know who you are.”

It’s nearly 1 PM when the teams gather on the soccer field for Round 2: Variety Soccer. Each team member will wear one of five humorous items, including a fur coat to a drum, and so on. Whoever scores the most goals, wins.

The crew has even invited a special referee: singer and avid soccer fan Kim Heung-guk. He claims to be a busy man, saying that he’s got to leave in 30 minutes. The teams divvy up the items among themselves, and Jae-hwan can’t even get off the ground in the oversized backpack.

Our commentators think that the teams’ key players are Jong-kook and Se-ho, and so begins the first half. Jae-hwan intercepts with his oversized backpack then tries to block the goal.

Jun-hyun has accidentally rolled onto his side and can’t get up, but thankfully the ball goes out of bounds. Jae-hwan helps him back up, only for him to fall onto his back.

The commentators are dubious to the idea that the team members can make it through the game in their ridiculous outfits. Jong-kook tries gaining possession of the ball, but then Jung-jin kicks it to Se-ho, who kicks… and misses.

Kwang-soo passes the ball to Ji-hyo, whose kick is intercepted by Jung-jin. The ball is blocked, but then Jae-suk sends it back in.

Se-ho slips up on his flippers and Jong-kook’s oversized backpack. Jong-kook is given a yellow card, and Jae-suk gets worked up when Se-ho is granted a penalty kick. Referee Heung-guk: “I can call whatever I like!”

Jung-jin misses the shot though, and then we pick up to five minutes left in the first half. Kwang-soo has a clear shot and secures the second goal. The score now 2:0 in favor of Team Running Man, Dong-hyun is subbed in and his shot on goal hits the goalpost.

Next Dong-hyun passes the ball to Se-ho, who kicks… but the ball is blocked by Haha. Jung-jin gets a second shot, and then Se-ho kicks it out with his heel.

Se-ho gets a shot at redemption when Dong-hyun passes the ball to him, but the shot is once again blocked.

When Kyung-kyu goes for the corner kick, Dong-hyun sinks in the goal. Kyung-kyu trades the oversized backpack for the drum and ties up the game with a second goal.

Halftime is cut short because Referee Heung-guk says so, then Suk-jin’s shot on goal in the beginning of the second half is blocked. Kyung-kyu shows off some soccer moves until Gary steals the ball away, much to his ire.

His near outburst backfires on Jae-suk who tried to hold him back, but Kyung-kyu makes sure to milk this moment for what it’s worth. Soo-min turns out to be a decent goalkeeper blocking all the shots on goal.

Jong-kook finally scores another goal thanks to a penalty kick. With three minutes remaining, Dong-hyun kicks long, only for the ball to hit the goalpost again. Se-ho gets another shot and passes it to Jung-jin, who sends the ball into the goal.

There’s no time to lose as Suk-jin tries one, two, and three times to kick the ball into the goal until he falls on his face. With Kyung-kyu falling over, this is a golden opportunity; the ball rolls out, Jong-kook shoots… and scores the goal.

The final score is 4:3 in favor of Team Running Man, and Heung-guk seems himself out.

The teams are tied 1:1 coming into the final mission which will take place in a ring. This is Running Rumble, where the teams will face 1:1 in the ring to rip each other’s nametag off.

However, another teammate can join the ring after sixty seconds, which means one team could easily find themselves outnumbered.

Team Running Man thinks they should send Jong-kook in the ring first, but they’ve got Jun-hyun to worry about. Not only that, Jung-jin is speedy and Dong-hyun is packed with power. In other words, it doesn’t look that great for them.

Over at the Variety Avengers’ camp, Dong-hyun already anticipates that the other team will send in their strongest first. Soon, the order of appearance is determined and the countdown begins.

Jong-kook is the first contender for Team Running Man, and he’s up against Jun-hyun. Jong-kook grabs a fistful of Jun-hyun’s shirt and goes straight for the nametag. Jun-hyun reaches for Jong-kook’s back too, and the two spin around the ring.

Unfortunately, Jun-hyun slips on Jong-kook’s foot which sends him to the ground. Everyone waits with bated breath, but despite Jun-hyun’s struggles, he’s still eliminated.

Kyung-kyu worries about how it’s too late to change the order… since he’s up next against both Jong-kook and Kwang-soo. The commentators feel bad for Kyung-kyu already, predicting that he’ll barely last ten seconds.

Kyung-kyu runs and slips on the ground and kicks Kwang-soo in the face. He flails and attacks Kwang-soo any chance he can get, and somehow he withstands the 60 seconds.

Jae-suk and Se-ho join the battle, and the latter wriggles out of Kwang-soo’s grip. He slides along the ground at great speed, and Team Running Man worries that Dong-hyun will appear next. Bingo.

The countdown begins, and then Dong-hyun and Gary join the fray just as Se-ho is eliminated. Kyung-kyu runs around Dong-hyun, who is faced against all four Team Running Man members.

The others take on Kyung-kyu while he deals with Jong-kook and wraps him with his legs. Kyung-kyu’s nametag is ripped off just seconds before the next players are set to appear.

Now Haha and Soo-min join in, and it takes four guys to keep Dong-hyun down. Jae-hwan trips on the rope upon entrance, only to fall right into Jong-kook’s grasp and be eliminated seconds later.

Dong-hyun has found his target—Kwang-soo—and does away with him. Gary tries to get underneath to Dong-hyun’s back and rips off his nametag. Soon it’s time for the last contenders to join in: Jung-jin and Ji-hyo.

Jung-jin waits for an opportune moment to eliminate Suk-jin, then Jae-suk and Jong-kook take him on to rip off his nametag. Soo-min is gently eliminated, and Team Running Man is declared today’s victors.

Our winning team is given gold to take home, but it seems everyone gets to win by getting home in time for dinner.

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