WGM - Don't listen to your mother about your laugh, Yura.
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Although I would recommend a few more episodes from this past year than ryan has, I have 2 main problems with Running Man as it is now:
* The cast (and crew) has relied too heavily on specific roles, and they're overplayed right now. We always know Kwangsoo is going to betray - there's no surprise. When Gary and Jihyo aren't Monday Coupling it up, they look kinda lost and often fade into the background of an episode without trying something else (unless a script point/particular guest is present to help them stand out). Haha is always the schemer, and has been for ages, but at least he also used to be the playboy, the kid, etc. A developed character is important, but no one is playing with a new side to show the viewers and they've become overly familiar - we see them running through games again and again in the same manner. The first 100 episodes or so were consistently great not only because the show's concept was fresh, but because the cast was unpredictable.
I think the cast and crew know this, and rather than change things up themselves, theyve increasingly become more reliant on guests to provide entertainment, show a new behavior or reaction. However, when the guests dont fire in these situations, neither does the episode. Its why some of the best episodes recently are without guests the cast comes in knowing they need to be at their best.
* Almost every current episode is a race (keyword: "race", not "competition", which I think has always been an important cornerstone of the show) and, as such, almost every game we watch feeds into that. The show has become more about being a spectacle rather than showcasing variety. When was the last time we had something like the earlier episodes' "A Leisurely Cup of Tea"? It was 15 to 20 minutes of just talking - no running, no falling over in water or mud, no mechanical contraptions - but it displayed how genuinely funny the cast can be just interacting with each other. Segments like this, which got the cast close and bonded them, are some of the best to watch and which are sorely lacking now.
I think boring or overly complicated games in recent episodes are a symptom of this. PDs are searching for the next outrageous moment, and then rehashing those that have worked to some extent, instead of looking towards the cast and guest dynamics to utilise. Create a situation for them to play in and mould, dont always throwing them into a rule-based game.
is more like nerd, loser etc.
