1 Night 2 Days S3 episode 1
Aired : 12/01/13
Overview
The new season debuts, with a focus on introducing (and hazing) the new cast members. The cast then travels to Gangwon-do.
Staff Scores
Planning and Direction: 5
As this episode was primarily about introducing the new members, the plan was fairly basic, but well executed. The home invasion ambush segment was well done, and having the first punishment be standing outside at a toll-gate listening to KBS bigwigs give motivational speeches was very clever. The episode slowed down a lot in the second half, however, with the eating segment in particular going on a bit too long. It’s understandable though, since the focus was more on familiarizing the viewers with the new members than being outright entertaining. Furthermore, Ho Jin PD seems to understand that much of what made 1N2D great in its prime was the ruthlessness of PD Na Yung Suk, which bodes well for future episodes.
Postproduction: 7
The on-screen graphics and captions were fairly rudimentary, but KBS has by far the best sound crew of the major networks and it was apparent in this episode. The sound effect board is varied and funny, and was used in tandem with music to significantly enchance what was happening on-screen. The laugh track was a bit overused at times, but that’s not something unique to 1N2D.
Cast Scores
Cha Tae Hyun : 6
Tae-Hyun kept a high energy level throughout the entire episode, and didn’t miss many chances to make the audience laugh along with him. His natural mischievousness was allowed to take the forefront, helping make the first episode a bit less awkward.
Kim Jong Min: 6
Similarly to Tae Hyun, Jong Min also did a very solid job easing the new members into the group. His reactions were generally good as well, which helped out a few of the more awkward segments.
Kim Joo Hyuk: 4
Although he seemed very nervous and uncomfortable in the beginning, Joo Hyuk showed his willingness to allow himself to be put in unflattering or unpleasant situations, which is something that many of the other ‘big name’ actor members from the past seemed reluctant to do. While his first major variety performance was a bit lacking, there seems to be potential for the future.
Kim Jun Ho: 5
Jun Ho didn’t do a lot this episode, but (unsurprisingly) seemed much more comfortable in general than the other new members. Had some decent moments but nothing special.
Defconn: 6
Defconn seemed a bit cautious at first (for Defconn, anyway), but in the end was the most talkative and engaging of the new members. While he also did not do a great deal in terms of comedy, he stepped in as a sort of ‘default MC’ at several points, explaining the situation for the viewers and generally helping to give structure to several segments.
Jung Joon Young: 4
Kind of a strange debut for Joon Young, he seemed a bit taciturn and uninterested at times, almost like he didn’t want to be there. It was a somewhat weak debut for him, but again its understandable since some awkwardness is to be expected in a debut.
Guests
None.
Episode MVP: Cha Tae-Hyun
Final Grade: 5
While awkward at times, the first episode was already an improvement over Season 2 and one would expect the show to improve significantly once the new members settle in more. The first episode was fairly simplistic, but in this situation that was probably a good decision.
Shilpae! 