In the tvN Sunday variety show ‘Handsome Guys’, BTS Jin returned as an avenger and made a surprising comeback on the bingo board.
tvN’s ‘Handsome Guys’ (directed by Ryu Ho-jin and Yoon In-hye) is a Sunday variety show that seeks out Korea's representative cultural heritage and materials.
In the fifth episode aired on the 5th, Kim Dong-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, and guest BTS Jin were divided into the ‘Handsome Team’ and the ‘Guys Team’ led by Cha Tae-hyun, Shin Seung-ho, and Oh Sang-wook, to explore nine architectural sites that embody Jeju's history, culture, and unique beauty under the theme of ‘Exploring the Beautiful Island of Jeju’. Additionally, couple architects Lim Hyung-nam and Noh Eun-joo joined as special commentators to enhance the enjoyment. As a result, ‘Handsome Guys’ ranked first in the target demographic of men and women aged 20-49 in both the metropolitan area and nationwide, including cable and general programming channels, during the same time slot. (Nielsen Korea, based on paid platforms)
After appearing as a guest in the first episode, Jin returned again, recalling the punishment of ‘extreme part-time job wrapping mackerel’ from his previous appearance, saying, “I came to take revenge on all five of you. I hope to see you working,” hinting at his desire for retribution. Jin then earned the benefit of being able to form a team. Everyone took turns drawing a chance card, and Jin decided to recruit members based on their expressions after seeing which member drew a good card. Jin chose Kim Dong-hyun and Lee Yi-kyung as his teammates, successfully acquiring powerful chances such as ‘Opponent Team Location Check’, ‘30-Minute Nap Right’, and ‘Retry Right’, while the remaining Cha Tae-hyun, Shin Seung-ho, and Oh Sang-wook ended up with less favorable cards like ‘Birthday Celebration Right’, ‘Tangerine Picking Experience Right’, and ‘Retry Right’, marking a strong start for Jin’s revenge.
However, despite the advantageous situation, the ‘Handsome Team’ consisting of Kim Dong-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, and Jin started off clumsily, leading the race into confusion. There was a disagreement between leader Lee Yi-kyung and action captain Dong-hyun regarding the first destination. After much strategizing and deliberation, the ‘Handsome Team’ finally reached a compromise and decided on ‘Altteureu Airport’, located in the center of the bingo board, as their first location.
At the same time, the ‘Guys Team’, starting under unfavorable conditions, boldly gave up the center and chose the worst route that the ‘Handsome Team’ would not select, employing a cliff-edge strategy. Leader Cha Tae-hyun said, “The chance of winning is less than 10%,” and started the race with a relaxed mindset, while Shin Seung-ho and Oh Sang-wook were more focused on tasting local delicacies like ‘Meat Noodles’, ‘Black Pork’, and ‘Gakdugi’, keeping their hopes alive. After visiting the first location, a guesthouse inspired by Yongduam, the ‘Guys Team’ struggled against the distracting food smells and eventually sparked a glimmer of hope with Shin Seung-ho’s correct answer.
The ‘Handsome Team’ activated the ‘30-Minute Nap Right’ from the start to firmly bind the ‘Guys Team’, and while the ‘Guys Team’ members were forced to take a nap, they leisurely arrived at Altteureu Airport. Jin, comfortably entering the center of the bingo board, declared, “I want to taste victory too! If I get punished today, I think I’ll be resentful,” and then proceeded to the quiz. The question was about the painting ‘Sehando’ by Kim Jeong-hee, and Kim Dong-hyun, who holds a Korean history certification, showed unusual confidence. However, Kim Dong-hyun kept confusing Kim Jeong-hee with Kim Jeong-ho, who painted the ‘Daedongyeojido’, and said, “I’ve seen that painting! But I can’t remember,” causing Jin and Lee Yi-kyung to doubt him. Ultimately, the answer proposed by Kim Dong-hyun was deemed incorrect, and Jin lamented, “I picked the wrong guy.” Afterward, the ‘Handsome Team’ managed to secure their first bingo only after using their retry right.
The two teams that successfully answered the quiz had their meal time in contrasting atmospheres. While the ‘Guys Team’ was strategizing over meat noodles, they heard the alarm that the ‘Handsome Team’ had successfully completed the quiz at Altteureu Airport, leading them to exclaim, “We lost.” In the absolutely unfavorable situation of the bingo race, Shin Seung-ho suggested, “Shall we just drive along the coastal road?” to lighten the mood, while Noh Eun-joo showcased unexpected sweetness by offering to take them to a place she wanted to go.
On the other hand, while eating sashimi, the ‘Handsome Team’ experienced internal conflict over whether to use the ‘Location Check Right’. Leader Lee Yi-kyung wanted to use the chance to figure out the ‘Guys Team’s’ strategy, while action captain Kim Dong-hyun took the stance that “it might not be necessary.” Lee Yi-kyung became frustrated with Kim Dong-hyun’s constant opposition. After some back and forth, they decided to use the chance and discovered that the ‘Guys Team’ was employing a land-grabbing strategy. Afterward, while choosing their destination, a ‘real fight’ broke out among the ‘Handsome Team’, who hurriedly tried to settle the discord and headed towards ‘Bangju Church’. At this point, Lee Yi-kyung expressed his worries, saying, “There are no chances, and there’s no hope,” but the source of his worries, Kim Dong-hyun, remained carefree, saying, “Shall we buy Hallabong Aid?” which only further infuriated Lee Yi-kyung. Eventually, Jin subtly sided with ‘P-type action captain’ Kim Dong-hyun, raising the anger level of ‘J-type leader’ Lee Yi-kyung.
Soon after, upon arriving at ‘Bangju Church’, the ‘Handsome Team’ predicted that a quiz related to the ark would be presented and prepared thoroughly by searching for expected questions through AI. However, the actual question was about ‘Jeju proverbs’, and the ‘Handsome Team’ mobilized all their reasoning skills to decipher the meaning of the proverb presented in native pronunciation. They proposed a plausible answer: “If you use that much water when washing, you’ll have to drink all that water in the afterlife,” but the production team withheld the correct answer, demanding a precise response. The ‘Handsome Team’ momentarily set aside their conflicts and brainstormed again, but they made the mistake of repeating the answer they had given during their first attempt, resulting in it being marked incorrect. The production team then revealed, “The answer mentioned by Jin is correct,” stating that “it’s not ‘when washing’ but ‘when washing your face’ that is the correct answer,” which left Jin feeling disappointed as he remarked, “This could spark controversy. Because I will ignite the controversy.” Thus, having lost teamwork and missed the advantageous position, the red light was on for Jin’s revenge match, raising questions about whether he could ultimately succeed in his revenge and avoid punishment for the second consecutive time after the ‘extreme part-time job wrapping mackerel’.
Leader Cha Tae-hyun of the ‘Guys Team’ also showed signs of distress due to the gluttonous maknaes. While they were gaining hope by answering correctly at the Mun Hyung-haeng House, Shin Seung-ho and Oh Sang-wook were so engrossed in the black pork mukbang that they had no intention of returning to the race. Cha Tae-hyun lamented, “It’s over. Before coming here, the chance of winning had risen to 25%, but now it’s dropped back to 10%.” Both teams found themselves in chaos due to complicated internal circumstances. It raises curiosity about how the conclusion of the bingo race, where the outcome cannot be easily predicted, will unfold.
In response to the broadcast of episode 5 of ‘Handsome Guys’, viewers commented, “Jin, who said he came to win but is enjoying the game, is so cute,” “It’s so funny to see the leader suffering between the well-matched Seok-jin and Dong-hyun,” “Today was so much fun with Jin, and the chemistry between maknaes Shin Seung-ho and Oh Sang-wook was great, getting more enjoyable,” “What will happen in next week’s race? Is Seok-jin going to get punished again? I’m so curious,” “I feel like Jin will come out again. Let’s just drop the revenge and walk the fixed path,” among other viewer reactions.
tvN’s Sunday variety show ‘Handsome Guys’ airs every Sunday at 7:40 PM.
