Disclaimer: This review is very long, it might take you a couple minutes to read it. In this review I don’t go into the details of the JJY scandal, I just mention it for context. I don’t mention the KJH and CTH allegations because as a foreign viewer, I don’t think it’s my place to comment on this case which is very specific to circumstances in Korea (and as far as I’ve read, they have been both declared not guilty).

Edit for context: I now see that KBS World is un-priveting the episodes and majority of them are slowly coming back. This review was written during the period when the scandals were relatively fresh.

When I discovered S2 of 2D1N at the beginning of last autumn, I did what I always do. I went into a rabbit hole of articles trying to read up on it and to see the current state of the show. I wanted to watch the new episodes as they air while catching up. And to my surprise, the show was on hiatus due to the astronomical scandal that was the talk of the internet. Therefore, after finishing S2, I decided to keep my hands off of S3. Time went on, I rewatched my favourite S2 episodes a couple times, dipped my feet into S1 and then I heard that, thankfully, S4 is going to be launching as well. And as the new episodes aired, one a week was just not enough.

The famous YouTube algorithm kept suggesting to me the few S3 episodes that were left there and not privated by the KBS and my greed for them rose exponentially, especially because I was head over heels for the show. So, I was faced with the dilemma – do you discard 5+ years of hard work of several hundreds of people just because of one bas****? At the same time, I kept on reading more about the show and looked up the lists of favourite and best episodes of 2D1N as a whole (mostly because I felt overwhelmed by S1 and wanted to see a select few episodes for now) and you know what? All of the lists feature mostly episodes from S3. Tumblr, blogs and comments were also just buzzing with S3 and somehow in a weak moment, I clicked on the Quit Smoking Project Special, one of the most acclaimed episodes of S3.

After that, S3 became my dirty little secret. I sporadically clicked on the recommended further episodes and I realised that this is (was) something else. Then lockdown/quarantine happened, I was stuck in my tiny apartment for almost three months and this was the only thing that provided me with somewhat of an escape.

Such a dramatic intro to a review of a variety show? Well yes. The circumstances why this season was dissolved were dire and I was, like many people I saw in the comments of various episodes, searching for a reason to justify watching it. Now, let’s move on.

The fact that the show was almost a year out of existence provided me with (I hope) a unique perspective. Let’s just flat out say, that because of JJY this show did “not age well”. Some segments of some episodes, in the light of what we know now, left a bile aftertaste and some are just tough to watch (like the one where they in honour of Joo Hyuk’s mom, who passed that year, do a summer vacation at a friend’s house and visit the mothers or close family members of the cast – the episode with JJY’s mother is simply heart breaking). There are also some inside jokes about JJY that were innocent when first broadcasted, but now are just scary to think about.

So, is this a review or what?

Let’s look closely at the season as a whole. I really have to praise Yoo Ho Jin PD, who did remarkable things with the show during his “reign”. It’s almost as if the first year of S3 is some kind of world building of their own universe. They very quickly develop nicknames and “characters” (almost), as well as plenty of running jokes and scene stealers from the crew are introduced. Yoo PD and his team also come up with excellent specials, some of which become a repeated/upgraded versions of themselves the following years. My favourites include the annual health check-up, food tours or races with throwing the dice. All episodes from the first two years of this season are very special – even if the members are asked to reflect and pick something memorable, they usually come back to these. The beginning also introduces some legendary “guests” from the citizens. The fact, that they came up with ways to incorporate their appearances in later years, is remarkable (like in one of the races, the teachers recorded short informational videos for the members to ace the quizzes). The last thing I want to mention here is the incredible trust Yoo PD developed with the members. Just the fact that he let them shoot some parts without the crew or made a special where they choose what they are going to do, is amazing. Not only is it entertaining, but the members truly make the show their own and those are some of my favourite parts.

Just to close this off, I want to mention that somewhere here the editing really improves, compared to the earlier seasons. Yoo PD makes small changes to make the show more dynamic, which also has to do with the fact that they just have so much footage. I remember the members (this was not intentional) from earlier seasons always worrying about the footage, if there is enough of it. In S3 this really is not an issue anymore.

The switch to Yoo Il Yong PD is very smooth, since the members themselves chose him. This change happens a few episodes into Dong Gu’s addition to the show, which was also a nice transition (I do believe that this made his “blending in” a bit easier). Il Yong PD rules with an iron fist at first, but as with most directors, they soon wrap him around their fingers. His run at the season is also very creative and the quality is very stable, there are also some ambitious and quite expensive specials, which proves that the higher ups were willing to invest resources into the show as well. The only downside is that after two full years of superb specials, his are just a bit less memorable. But nonetheless, still excellent. My favourites include Kim Jong Min special, Emotional trip with the poets or the Panmunjeom (the closest village to North Korea). I also have to mention, that some of the funniest bokulboks of his “reign” are hidden in seemingly boring episodes. Like when they were exploring the fall colours, hiking and then for dinner they played protect the fish (toys) in a bowl while spinning on an office chair. I almost peed my pants.

There is one more thing I want to mention that both of the above-mentioned PD’s did so well and that were the “member specific” specials, as I like to call them. Like when Kim Jun Ho had a terrible year within his private life when he got a divorce and at the same time kept losing everything on the show, they prepared a special where he was lucky the whole day. Or the episodes where they recreated some old family photos unknowingly – those were my absolute favourites. The PD’s showed the members as real people and that’s partially why this cast is still so very much loved.

The story of Kim Sung PD is heart breaking. After being on the show for almost seven years, his reign as the main PD came to a quick ending. And it is indeed a shame because from the few episodes we got, they were incredibly creative and something new.

The members who are this season

When I decided to seriously get into S3, knowing full well what happens, I told myself that I won’t get attached and especially not to Kim Joo Hyuk. Well, he was my absolute favourite since the first episode I’ve seen. I frequently cried during random episodes when he mentioned something about what he wanted to do with his life, and I was deeply touched by his authentic presence. He brought me so much joy, and in many ways, he was the ground rock this season stood on. When he decided to leave the season, he left such big shoes to fill. No wonder it took them so long to find someone to add to the cast.

Kim Jun Ho makes this season what it is, in a lot of ways. You can see how he slowly falls in love with the show and he completely lets himself go. The infamous Yaps, the one always causing mischief, chronic cheater, bender of the rules and a cute man-child. He has an excellent feel for the audience, I really liked it when he tried to steal/hide stuff they were finding during some missions and his rotten luck is a thing for a whole another review. He brought dynamic into every team he was in and I liked that a lot.

Cha Tae Hyun is an asset to every team, he is steady and always works hard. I really liked how he almost never interfered with other’s petty wars and revenges. I think that he has a lot to carry in his everyday life and it was fun to see how he could escape it all for two days and one night due to this show. He is also the one that is a close friend to every member and he knows them really well.

Defconn is, as they said, the anchor of S3 and the members trust him. He has a unique talent in making everyone feel comfortable and welcome, which in some episodes makes the biggest difference. He also possesses the “too much gene” (he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop doing something or talking), so I get that he’s not everyone’s favourite. However, I liked him here quite a lot. He also kept the season on point with references to current popular idols and actors, some of whom ended up on the show because of that.

I always root for the team Kim Jong Min is in. He is the chaotic good of this show. It looked to me as if he was the most comfortable with this cast, which I get since the majority of them are close to his age. I loved how he adored Kim Jun Ho and always bickered with him (if you don’t know, they now started a YouTube channel together called Kim Dumb, check it out). I am rooting for him in the new season as well, he is one of my absolute favourite human beings.

Yoon Dong Gu (I’m sorry, it’s just difficult to address him as Shi Yoon to me) is a breath of fresh air for this season and I think that he brought a lot of perspective and reflection at the time he joined. In his first episode, when he decided to play rock-paper-scissors fairly, I knew that he would be something else. Yet, he fits the show like a glove – he is very human, often fails, and he is very, very, very sweet. He is also quite affectionate with the members and holds them in high regard, it was nice to see.

Does JJY deserve anything nice to be said about him? To be honest, knowing what I know now, it gave me the freedom to rewind his parts when they were separated from each other or simply scroll my phone without regrets when he was on. As a whole, I don’t think he would be my favourite anyways since he presented himself, at least at first, as quite arrogant and I really don’t like that. When he came back from his hiatus (which we now know the reality of) I think I finally saw his place in S3. It wasn’t the same without him and he belongs to this season, however heart breaking that might be.

I also want to comment on Lee Yong Jin, the intern who never got to be the member. He was like a flash from the clear sky, when he first appeared on as a guest, I just knew that he belongs there. He is hilarious and the few episodes with him that we got, were excellent.

In conclusion, since we never got one

I cried like baby watching the last episode of S2. If S3 had a similar final episode, I would end up in the ER with severe dehydration. This is a bad joke, but the fact that we are left without a conclusion, a full send-off, is bittersweet, heart breaking and frankly, this season deserved better. On the other hand, leaving it on a high is a small gratification. I am sad, that the power to make and ending was taken from them.

I am not a fan of comparisons and of the attitude of not moving on from stuff. This season was overall very excellent and had elements that the previous seasons of the show didn’t have. It was almost as being an insider in the coolest group of people at your school, that everyone wants to be friends with and seeing them for who they are – just regular (and super funny) guys. I will root for every cast member and I sincerely hope that the system won’t fail JJY and he will recognize his wrongdoings, correct his behaviour and realise the burden of what he’s done to his victims.

I will of course support the new season of the show, since the idea of it is more than just the members. It’s all inclusive and about the beauty of Korea, learning about the culture, food and life (while having some fun).

I will remember these members forever.