If you are an old viewer, like myself, or a new viewer of this tremendously popular Korean TV show, we all share the same love for the people who make us cry from laughter. Even though the cast has experienced a shuffle among them, whether it was the old cast or the new cast, we all found episodes that made us giggle. For those who don’t know, Running Man is a game show that was first broadcast in South Korea, in 2010, and it continues to be aired to this day. Over the years, many directors have worked on the show, but each director is practically doing the same thing: creating games, which the cast has to play. In older episodes, each episode had a certain theme and usually the game finished at the end of each episode. Nowadays, the games continue throughout multiple episodes, and new games even start in the middle of episodes. In this article, I won’t be focusing on the overall dynamics of the show throughout the years, nor going to talk about old and new cast members. Instead, I'm going to talk about the most thrilling episodes for those who are desperately in need of some action. EPISODE 91
Yoo-Mes Bond
AIRDATE: 12.4.2012
GUESTS: No
WINNER: Yoo Jae Suk 
| Episode 91 is not the beginning of this new personality, which the quirky comedian and national MC has claimed, but it quickly became the funniest episode—at least for me. Yoo-Mes Bond is a personality, which Yoo Jae Suk has created with the help of the directors who have given him a single mission: to eliminate all other members using weapons of Yoo’s choosing. The official beginning of this new persona started in episode 38 but, in episode 91, we not only get a fantastic elimination game, but the whole setting of the game has a “prison escape” theme, which I really enjoy! | Once again, we are not going by any chronological order as I feel it is not really needed. I have never watched this show in order, and I am still very much alive! In episode 69, we encounter the continued battle between the actor Choi Min Soo and the national MC, Yoo Jae Suk. The dispute between these two began over one simple thing: betrayal. The daring Yoo Jae Suk managed to betray the macho man Choi, who decided to avenge himself and go on a hunting spree, which resulted in him having his own special episode. In each episode of his, Yoo Jae Suk is his main target, and the game should always end with Yoo’s elimination. But does it? Episode 69 takes place in an abandoned building, where almost all Running Man members are being tied to a chair—except Jae Suk, whose mission is to free other members while escaping the hunter, Choi Min Soo. The hunting doesn’t end with episode 69, though, as Choi is a very “sadistic” man and continues his pursuit in episode 118. | EPISODE 69
Grasshopper H(a)unting
AIRDATE: 20.11.2011
GUESTS: Choi Min Soo
WINNER: Choi Min Soo 
| EPISODE 60
Tru-Gary Show
AIRDATE: 11.11.2011
GUESTS: No
WINNER: ? 
| Even though Gary is no longer a regular cast member, I loved him when he was active. His clumsiness, never-ending love confessions to Ji Hyo, and his Mona Lisa smile have always made me laugh. I was always thrilled when Gary became the main hero of some episode or game. In episode 60, which aired many years ago, we truly see Gary’s full potential being unleashed! The game is simple: become a spy and eliminate other members without their knowledge. Sounds very simple, right? But what if other members knew from the beginning that Gary was a spy and had a mission of their own? | If you are an old fan, you know that Lee Kwang Soo, an ex-member, was always branded as the unluckiest member of all time. Whenever he was near eggs, he always picked the raw ones to crack against his head, and overall, his luck was never on his side. Many would say that it’s not proper to laugh at others’s misfortune, but Kwang Soo himself laughed at those weird moments. Thus, episode 292 was created. For once and all, we would know who was the unluckiest person! Thanks to various games in which Kwang Soo was always the "ace,” we would come to conclusions and see the coronation of the king of the unlucky. I recommend this episode to all Kwang Soo fans and those with a “Kwang Soo unluckiest moments” compilation among their favorite videos. | EPISODE 292
The First Unlucky Festival
AIRTDATE: 27.3.2016
GUESTS: Cho Myung Ik, Cho Hye Ri, Kang Hyun Soo, Wan Lee, Nam Chang Hee, Park Myeong Ho, Park Soo Ah
WINNER: Ji Suk Jin 
| EPISODE 147
Flower Boy Olympic
AIRDATE: 26.5.2013
GUESTS: Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Hyun Woo
WINNER: Green team 
| If you are looking for an episode with handsome guests, but also some action, fear not; I have something for you! I, myself, am a huge fan of active episodes, and this is the reason why I picked this episode as a recommendation. It is full of active games, plus amazing humor provided by none other than our clumsy fake “flower boy,” Kwang Soo, and our strongest Running Man member, Sparta Kim Jong Kook. If you plan on starting this episode, grab healthy snacks and get ready to run some laps! | This episode is part of the global project that Running Man hosts, meaning they travel to other countries and play the games suggested by some fans. This particular episode, even when it is part of a “mini travel series,” could be watched as a standalone because the most interesting part of the whole episode starts from minute 24:18 when the cast members are taken to Fuji-Q Highland, particularly to the haunted house. While some Running Man members keep their fear on a leash, others cannot stand the idea of ghosts or haunted houses, resulting in a mix of horror and great comedy! I recommend this to people who specifically crave a Running Man episode set in a dark place or night and need a good, spooky atmosphere. | EPISODE 354
Labyrinth of Fear
AIRDATE: 11.6.2017
GUESTS: No
WINNER: No 
| EPISODE 209
The Triangle Mystery
AIRDATE: 17.8.2014
GUESTS: Chun Myung Hoon, Ahn Danny, Eun Ji Won, Kai, Moon Hee Joon, Oh Se Hun, Soyou, Taemin
WINNER: Idol Team 
| This episode is truly the epitome of the word “Summer”! We get sun rays, hot weather, handsome cast members and fun activities, which will make you laugh out loud. This episode is very similar to the Flower Boy Olympic episode, and that’s the reason why I picked it. I really enjoy watching active Summer games, with sporty cast members or guests. The highlight for this episode definitely goes to Kim Jong Kook who loves giving others mudbaths during ssireum fights! To know more about ssireum, you can watch the 2023 Korean Series Like Flowers in Sand. | This could be considered one of the top episodes, purely because of the insane plot twist at the very end, which we all love! The race in this episode is very fast-paced and simple: find the secret couple hidden among other members. But what looks like a simple mission soon turns out to be a scene out of a pure nightmare. Humans and ghosts start to mingle in the earthly realm, and it is up to the Running Man members to decide who is going to be the final winner. I recommend this episode to those who are scared kitties but still love the horror and mystery genres. Plus, don’t we all enjoy secret identity episodes? | EPISODE 364
Couple Retreat: Find the Scene Stealer
AIRDATE: 20.8.2017
GUESTS: No
WINNER: Ghost Team 
| EPISODE 511
10th Anniversary Special
AIRDATE: 12.7.2020
GUESTS: No
WINNER: Thieves 
| If you love the mafia/werewolf game, then you are in for a treat with this episode! In the 10th anniversary special, each Running Man member receives a special role, and together they must solve one big mystery: who are the thieves that keep stealing the gold bricks from the safe? One would say that it is a slow-paced game because the whole episode is played in one set, but remember, this is a game of wit, so I recommend it for those who want to slow down but keep the thrill meter up because there is something sexy about witty games! | Are you feeling a bit stupid lately and craving to test your knowledge? Fear not; the ominous-looking episode 555 is solely focused on one’s knowledge. This episode could also be called an “escape room” because the members only get to exit the room and personal cubicles once they finish all the test questions. Some call this episode boring, as truly nothing physical is happening. Still, for someone who loves to solve riddles and test questions, this is a heavenly episode. | EPISODE 555
The Clever Escape Race
AIRDATE: 16.5.2021
GUESTS: No
WINNER: Genius Team 
|
Dear reader, how have you enjoyed this article? As you can see, I included a lot of older episodes because I simply love the way Running Man was styled back then. I crave active episodes, full of physical games, betrayal, escape rooms, and sports. If you know of any active recent episodes, drop them down below in the comments, so this list of thrilling episodes can expand thanks to your help! |
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