Broadcast capture from TV Chosun’s ‘SeokSam Play Season 1’

TV Chosun’s ‘SeokSam Play Season 1’ captivated home audiences from its very first broadcast with nonstop laughter and explosive cast chemistry.

In episode 1, which aired on the 11th, the ‘SeokSam Family’Ji Seok-jin, Jeon So-min, Lee Sang-yeob, and Lee Mi-joovisited Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province, zipping through major attractions and showing unusual energy from the start.

While waiting for the latecomer Lee Sang-yeob, Ji Seok-jin, Jeon So-min, and Lee Mi-joo showed ‘real siblings’ chemistry. Ji said to Jeon, “Your makeup looks great, does it not?” but ultimately did not respond to Lee Mi-joo’s expectant gaze, revealing the trio’s unique dynamic. When Lee Mi-joo felt disappointed, Jeon comforted her by saying, “Mijoo, you are prettier,” and the two kept an endless compliment relay going in the middle of the street, making Ji cringe. In the meantime, they teased Ji as “Kobungi,” opening the floodgates of ‘Seokjin-baiting’ right from the opening.

Upon arriving at Namhansanseong, the ‘SeokSam Family’ admired the scenery only briefly before flipping the switch to high tension. While mentioning their clan progenitor in front of the King’s Road, Ji startled everyone by confessing, “It turns out my surname is Chinese,” throwing the mood into chaos. As Ji became absorbed in “playing king,” Jeon said, “I shall perform a maiden dance,” unleashing a manic routine, and Lee Sang-yeob burst out, saying, “Her eyes have gone wild.” Lee Mi-joo joined in with an executioner water-spitting performance, turning the scene upside down. Keeping the immersion even inside the Naehaengjeon, Ji shouted, “Is there no one here!” but the younger members shot back, “Your wife will scold you,” and he put a final comedic stamp on it with, “I have to go home and sort the recycling.”

At the Seomun Observatory, while Ji and Lee Sang-yeob were in the restroom, Jeon’s spicy wit shone. Aiming at the audio director who tried to adjust the mic volume, she jabbed, “But over there, even if you do not turn it down, no sound comes out,” and when Ji and Lee returned, they bristled, asking, “Did you not hear a ripping sound from me? A cracking sound?” turning the surroundings into a sea of laughter.

Their flamboyant banter did not stop even during a baeksuk eating segment. Jeon began, “It is like Lee Mi-joo’s pupils. The broth is so deep,” and Lee Mi-joo replied, “The broth is so clear. Like your skin,” making the older brothers shake their heads. Seeing that, Jeon looked after Lee Sang-yeob by saying, “The broth is so deep. Like Lee Sang-yeob on the inside,” but Lee Mi-joo delivered a decisive blow in the ‘Seokjin-baiting’ with, “The chicken is so big. Like the nose of (Seokjin) oppa.”

On their way to G-Stadium for games, when citizens shouted to Ji Seok-jin, “You are handsome!” the members quipped back, “No way,” “You are lying,” and “It is because you saw him from far away,” prompting another burst of laughter. In the ensuing ‘Fateful Dice Game,’ they narrowly avoided mines to secure a total bonus travel fund of 1.2 million won, and the excited Lee Sang-yeob capped it off with a sprint across the field.

Jeon’s offbeat party trick added to the fun. Confident about harmonizing on the children’s song “Ongdalsem,” she delivered perfect dissonance so the song grew increasingly strange, and in the end Lee Mi-joo wrapped it up with the forthright line, “How about giving up, unni?” filling the car with cheer. When the ‘SeokSam Family’ arrived at the glamping base camp, they met Choi Daniel. Matchmaker Jeon naturally steered a conversation between Lee Mi-joo and Choi, and upon seeing Lee Mi-joo, Choi bared his feelings with, “I am glad I came,” instantly heating up the scene.

With Jeon and Lee Mi-joo’s ‘Seokjin-baiting,’ Ji’s sly comebacks, and Lee Sang-yeob’s grounding presence, the four proved from the very first episode that they are a complete variety-show combination.

TV Chosun’s ‘SeokSam Play Season 1’ airs every Saturday at 7:50 p.m.