‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm 3’ hits No. 1 for 3 consecutive weeks

‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm 3’ has claimed the No. 1 spot in its time slot for three consecutive weeks, fueled by the fresh combinations and unpredictable chemistry of its new cast members.

In the third episode of tvN’s ‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm 3’ aired on the 13th, the chaotic life in the local production areas unfolded in Tongyeong, featuring Yum Jung Ah, Kim Sun-young, Kang You-seok, Roh Yoon-seo, and guest Park Hae Joon. Featuring a different structure from previous seasons, the episode provided diverse entertainment, ranging from a grueling onion harvest and unexpected fishing missions to an intense curry battle.

The broadcast recorded the highest viewership rating in its time slot among cable and general programming channels for households in the metropolitan area. With this, the program has ascended to the top of its time slot for three consecutive weeks. It also continued its upward trend by taking first place in the key 2049 male and female target demographic nationwide among all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters. The viewership ratings are based on Nielsen Korea's paid platform data.

Above all, the changes in this season are contributing to the rising viewership ratings. It is being evaluated that while the familiar chemistry of the existing cast remains, the addition of new faces such as Kim Sun-young, Kang You-seok, and Roh Yoon-seo has added relationships between individuals of different generations and personalities to the program's signature labor-based variety format.

From the very first night in Tongyeong, the members' chemistry exploded.

Yum Jung Ah, Kim Sun-young, Kang You-seok, Roh Yoon-seo, and Park Hae Joon visited a karaoke room to fully release their hidden excitement. As soon as the singing started, Kang transformed into a completely different person, and Roh, who declared herself the 'entertainment manager,' also lifted the mood with her youthful energy.

In particular, the reunion of Park and Kang, who played a father-son relationship in the drama ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines,’ created a unique sense of laughter. Unlike their serious relationship in the work, they showed clumsy and playful sides in the variety show, providing unexpected fun.

The next day, Kang and Park challenged themselves to sea fishing on a motorboat. The two showed great ambition, as if they intended to realize the 'dream of a full catch' that they couldn't achieve in their drama, but they drew laughter by revealing the clumsy charm typical of novice fishermen from the very start.

The members remaining at home prepared stone seaweed pot rice and green onion yukgaejang using the stone seaweed harvested directly from the sea the previous day.

Yum appeared nervous about controlling the heat for the stone seaweed pot rice, which she was attempting for the first time, but the result was a success. The pot rice was cooked perfectly to the core, and with the addition of the spicy green onion yukgaejang, a hearty breakfast was completed.

Notably, Roh, who usually does not eat much, caught everyone's attention by eating continuously, saying, “The food goes down so well.”

Afterward, serious labor awaited them.

To obtain ingredients for the curry battle, the members participated in a game of chance and found themselves caught in an unexpected 'kidnapping drama.' The team that picked onions had to move to Geoje Island, while Kang, who picked potatoes, was excluded from the fishing mission.

Kang, who was unexpectedly spared from the labor, could not hide his joy, but a strange tension formed between Yum and Kang, who found his reaction suspicious, providing another moment of laughter.

The onion expedition team arrived at Songjin Village in Geoje Island and immediately changed into work clothes to begin harvesting.

Kim, known for her bold and outspoken personality, shouted at the production crew, “Don't film me!” but once she entered the field, she immersed herself in the work more actively than anyone else. Roh showed her social skills by naturally conversing with the village elders, and Park even wore sunglasses while working because the onions made his eyes sting.

While cries of exhaustion erupted from the members due to the grueling labor of squatting for a long time to harvest onions, the results were significant. The onion expedition team harvested a whopping 250 onions, weighing approximately 100kg.

On the way back after finishing the work, Park's unexpected monologue show took place. Contrary to his silent working demeanor, he suddenly exploded with variety show talent, flipping the atmosphere and adding another point of laughter to the program.

Then, the highlight of the day's broadcast, the curry battle, began.

The cooking competition, inspired by the style of ‘Culinary Class Wars,’ was prepared for Yum, a curry lover. Kim and Park competed under the names ‘Untcurry’ and ‘Tongtong Ravioli Junce’ respectively, while Kang took the name ‘India Mafia’ and Roh used ‘Do You Know Hidden.’

Each participant's cooking style was distinct. Kim added apple and cheese to a familiar home-style curry, while Kang aimed for deep flavor by caramelizing onions. Roh, attempting her first curry dish, utilized unique ingredients like citron syrup and coffee powder. Park presented a unique combination by pairing curry with dumplings.

The first round of judging was handled by 'Chef Yum.' Yum ranked Park's curry first and Kim's curry last.

However, with the addition of the five-member public judging panel, the rankings were completely overturned.

The final results saw Kim in first place, Kang in second, and Roh in third, while Park finished last. The divergence between the expert's palate and the public's preference created unexpected entertainment.

In particular, when his curry placed last, Park expressed his frustration, saying, “Don't you dare come back,” even going as far as declaring a boycott of ‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm,’ providing laughter until the very end.

With the introduction of new members, the interpersonal dynamics have become more multi-layered. By adding new chemistry stemming from generational differences to the program's core framework of labor and cooking, ‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm 3’ continues its strong early momentum.

The simple change of introducing new faces to a familiar format has effectively revitalized the program. All eyes are now on whether ‘Unnie's Direct from the Farm 3’ can maintain its upward trend through the new combinations of its cast.