How is it possible, that when you finish the current 3MAD season, you find it the best season ever? Is it just me or was this one actually the best one to date? All jokes aside, I think that this was exactly what I needed. I enjoyed every single episode and it was the highlight of my week. So let’s get into the review.

First of all, I would like to praise the crew for showing us that everyone was filming the show in safe environment and circumstances. South Korea is the pioneer in the fight against COVID-19 and it was nice to witness it even in entertainment such as this show.

This season brings back the legendary trio – Cha chef, Mr. True Sea and Mr. Ho Jun (he is too old to be just Ho Junie now :) ). And damn, they age like fine wine and are true living icons. They are in sync by now and you can see it especially when Ho Jun arrives a bit later on in one of the episodes and they feel the void of his absence acutely. I really enjoyed all the jokes about getting old together, the constant mischief and running jokes for the dedicated viewers.

I also want to praise Cha Seung Won and Yoo Hae Jin for being not only good colleagues to Son Ho Jun, but being trusted mentors as well. He often confides in them on camera about his insecurities and they give him good advice and assure him, that all will work out in the end. To me, all three of them portray healthy masculinity which is quite rare to find on mainstream TV these days.

They have so much to do this season that you don’t even notice the length of the episodes. That is mostly because they cannot sit still, but also because of the location. Jukguldo is smaller in comparison with Manjedo, but it has so many nooks and crannies and opportunities for things to do. I enjoyed watching the morning run with Yoo Hae Jin, picking up abalones with Ho Jun, walks with the guests and the misty morning on the last day of the shoot through the helicam was pure magic. Maybe it was because I was stuck inside for too long in lockdown, but the scenery was almost liberating to see and it eased my feeling of stuffiness.

Fishing Village 5 opens with a tough first couple of episodes. The sea was not calm enough for comfortable fishing and the nets were not bringing in plenty of fish either. The cast therefore suffered quite and a bit and created the instantly iconic P (potato) a SP (sweet potato) fancy restaurant gag. I laughed so hard when in the next episodes Cha Seung Won smuggled in some meat from home, just to be sure. But, as it often happens, lows are followed by some spectacular highs. I kid you not, when Yoo Hae Jin, after struggling so much for years, caught that giant fish (that was getting bigger and bigger every time they mentioned it), I applauded and made a loud cheer. He really did well and was at the right place this time around. He caught plenty of seafood and it results in some pretty interesting cliffhangers. Yes, cliffhangers about fish. Only this show can do that.

The guests are phenomenal this season. Every single one was compatible with the hosts. It is quite rare to get out of the house for a trip this year, so you could tell that they really enjoyed themselves. Gong Hyo Jin’s warm laugh, her desire to keep everything sparkling clean and her ability to be satisfied with whatever they were able to put on her plate makes her a superb guest. She was the first female guest with this ensemble and she was very pleasant. Lee Kwang Soo felt like a fourth host, he was always ready to help and he was so gullible, that he made me laugh out loud a lot. I enjoyed his presence. Lee Seo Jin’s signature sass was just a cherry on top. He is the complete opposite of this hyperactive trio and he was just perfect here. Truly, the guest everyone wanted. Also, please, Na PD, when the restrictions end and we will all be safe, please do the Middle-aged Men over Flowers (with Ho Jun as the porter) as a real show for us, I would love it.

The hosts are amazing and the fact, that this is their fourth season on this format of the show makes it a special experience. Cha Seung Won is an inspiration in the kitchen. I really enjoy his style of cooking, he prepares even simple meals deliciously and you can learn a lot from him. He develops his style and was quite ambitious this season as well, for example with the tofu. He also praises everyone often, which is my favourite thing about him. Son Ho Jun’s ability to predict what will be needed, and hand it to Cha chef even before he asks for it, is remarkable. He pays attention and adores his older colleagues. He is very endearing and although unsure of himself, he is truly valued.

Yoo Hae Jin always does his best and goes above and beyond. He is incredibly creative and so funny while trying to improve their island lives. Atelier Muscle, How strong, Jabajo and other inventions of his are not just practical, but they are instant running jokes. I was hoping that this season he would finally get lucky with fishing and I was so satisfied when he did. You just have to root for him. He is one of my favourite people on this planet. If he decided for his next project to read a phonebook out loud, I would still watch it.

I really enjoyed this season. It was a perfect escape from all this, every single minute of this season (including the final debrief) was just pure joy. I would love seconds, this cast is my absolute favourite. Well worth my time, I will rewatch it for sure.