(Written September 28, 2025)
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We’ve reached the final
episode, and I’m really going to miss this show. It’s been worth getting up early on Sunday
mornings to get to know ATEEZ better and wonder why more companies aren’t like
KQ Entertainment.
When we last left our boys,
Mingi was staring Father Time in the face, Jongho was serenading Yeosang, and
the whole group was denying they drank too much while San was getting drunk off
his ass. I live for the chaos of this
group. Let’s do this!
We begin with Jongho in a
confessional. He’s asked for the hardest
moment in his life, and he says it’s right now.
As this is being filmed, the group is promoting while learning new songs
and the choreography. Preparing is
always the hardest part for him because it’s never just preparing. It’s also doing the interviews, promo
appearances, and everything else that goes with being an idol. He feels overwhelmed sometimes.
As all the members have been
doing, he’s quick to say it’s worth it when they perform for their fans. This is probably the most serious I’ve seen
him on this show.
We cut to him on his date
with Yeosang, driving their Porsche through the mountains. The group is driving different versions of
the new 718 Boxster model, which starts at around $74,000 USD, but with all the
extras we’re seeing on the dashboard and the fact that Porsche will want to
show off the best version of their car on this show, we’re looking at about
$160,000 USD per car. I’d be way too nervous
to drive a car that expensive. I’d be
crawling along at 20 mph in the slow lane, waving for all the other impatient,
honking drivers to just pass me and shut up already.
As Jongho zips along like he’s
driving my 2009 Chevy Cobalt with several dents and a left rear speaker that no
longer works, he and Yeosang talk about favorite memories. Jongho talks about his audition for KQ, which
he almost passed on. He had just left
Big Hit Entertainment and wanted to take some time off. A friend convinced him to get back in the
game. I hope he got that friend
something nice.
Yeosang talks about their
busy schedule and how they also have to prepare their solo material. “If I had two or three bodies, it wouldn’t be
enough,” he says. He says doing this
show gave him a chance to relax for a while.
But I know that can’t be true.
This show is still part of the job.
Yeosang still had to get up early, do the hair and wardrobe thing, and spend
several hours on camera not catching fish.
Not to mention the hours he probably had to spend on his skincare
routine. The man’s face is flawless.
We spend a couple of minutes
watching Jongho and Yeosang eating, and I remember something from my
notes. According to Reddit users, KQ
Entertainment doesn’t limit their groups’ eating expenses. I guess they’re making that point by showing
tables full of food on these dates. I’m
still mentally scarred from my other show recaps where idols talk about having
to train while eating just half an apple a day.
We now check in on Seonghwa and
San on their glamping date under the stars.
I like that San is a happy drunk.
Look at that face. Someone please
make sure to take his keys away.
San keeps repeating how
blessed and happy he is, and a very annoyed Seonghwa keeps telling him to
stop. How is Seonghwa also not drunk at
this point? He’s throwing back Macallans,
too. Maybe he’s just waiting until he’s
off camera and tossing his drinks into the bushes.
“I’m so happy, I’m crying in
my heart right now,” San slurs. Okay,
forget getting him home at this point.
Just take off his shoes, put him in a sleeping bag, and let him glamp it
off in the tent. I know drinking is kind
of a sport in Korea, but he’s clearly had enough.
Then we get a flashback to a concert
where ATEEZ was caught off guard by a gift from their fans. We don’t get to see it, but it looks like the
fans have collected photos that are being flashed on the screen. The members break down in tears. I’m not sure I could handle that much love
from so many people. I think I’m
understanding San a bit more now. He
says he’s cried so much, his tear glands are broken, and I get it.
We cut to Hongjoong and
Wooyoung at the hotel lounge, talking about the future and how they want to be
role models for the idols coming up behind them. Hongjoong also says he’s trying to find out
who he truly is, as opposed to the idol he plays onstage. I imagine that must be hard for everyone in show
business, and it says a lot about Hongjoong’s character that he knows there’s a
difference. He doesn’t seem to be buying
into the idea that he is the idol everyone worships. He knows his true self is something else, and
he doesn’t want to lose it.
Now we get a montage of all
the dates from the previous episodes. The
nature walks, pottery, paragliding, kite flying, roller coaster riding, fishing,
losing hats in the Han River, enjoying good food, and getting drunk. You know, despite this show being a lot of
work for these guys, maybe this was relaxing and fun for them on some
level.
We get our opening credits
and then join Mingi and Yunho at their restaurant, where they talk about how
they want to be remembered. I think the
show is trying to wrap up all the Hidden Ask questions. They talk for a while, but one thing really
jumps out at me. Mingi talks about how
he takes care of his family, but he’s at the age where he should have his own
family. At least that’s how I’m understanding
him. Yunho says he’s not ready for that
kind of life yet, so I think I have it right.
The reason Mingi’s words
stand out to me is because idols usually aren’t allowed to talk about getting
married and having kids. They’re
supposed give the impression they are living eternally for their fans. KQ doesn’t seem to force their artists to pretend
like that.
One of my favorite Monsta X
clips is Hyungwon bonding with a small child at a day care center. He’s clearly great with kids. He later says in a confessional the experience
made him want to be a dad someday, and then he very quickly corrects himself,
realizing he shouldn’t have said that.
Here, Mingi and Yungo talk casually about having families someday, like
normal people do. Again, I wish all
entertainment companies ran like KQ. I’m
sure ATEEZ has their conflicts with the company, but I’ve never seen a group
with so much freedom.
Our boys then lighten the
mood by wondering if the other members are having such serious conversations on
their dates. They decide most of them
are, except for Jongho. Mingi says, “Jongho
would say ‘we need to drink.’” Okay,
first of all, they clearly know their maknae very well. Secondly, I am once again getting a little
worried about Jongho.
Sure enough, the editing team
immediately cuts to Jongho and Yeosang at the restaurant just in time to hear
our maknae say, “We had a great day, so we have to drink. We have to toast.”
The whole group watching the
footage in the studio gets a huge kick out of this, while I Google Alcoholics
Anonymous and find they have 200 groups in 11 districts in South Korea. Just putting that out there.
We get one last Hidden Ask
question, telling the guys to share any unsaid feelings. Yunho accuses the crew of giving them
makgeolli to get them drunk for these questions. We get a sweet moment where these two
basically tell each other that they will always support each other in
life. Back in the studio, an embarrassed
Yunho says, “Did I really say that?”
Don’t worry, Yunho. San understands.
San: I love you, Yunho! Yunho: Get off me.
Mingi and Yunho end their
date with a toast to “Twin Towers friendship.”
I raise my root beer in agreement.
Cheers.
Back to Jongho and Yeosang on
their date, and they get the same question about unspoken feelings. Yeosang knows right away that Jongho is the
one who submitted this question and tells him to answer first. I’m expecting a smartass reply, but Jongho
simply says, “Thank you, and thank you, and thank you.”
I never thought I’d say this,
but Jongho should drink more often.
Jongho says Yeosang is 100%
his friend. “Is there anyone below 100%?”
Yeosang asks. Back in the studio,
everyone leans forward while Jongho pretends to think about his answer and then
says, “I’ll decide later.”
Jongho then asks Yeosang, “If
we do this again, will you choose me next time?” Back in the studio, San actually gasps as he
waits for the answer.
“He’s asking for another
date!” Hongjoong laughs.
“Of course I’ll choose you!”
Yeosang tells Jongho. That crash you
hear is San’s heart breaking into a thousand pieces. But then Jongho flips, saying he’d choose
another member. OOF. Yeosang turns around and tells the crew that
shooting is over.
Jongho does say something really
sweet. “Even if we didn’t catch the fish,
we caught our friendship.” Awww, that’s
sweet. But based on that smirk as he
says it, I’m not buying it for a minute.
This conversation goes on for
a while. This final episode mainly
consists of deep conversations between the members that I’m sure the fans love,
but it’s hard for me to take these heart-to-hearts seriously when they’re happening
on camera. I don’t think these guys are
being insincere. It’s just that they know
they’re on camera, and I want to get back to the fun stuff the show was
supposed to be about. This show has gone
from double dates to couples counseling.
Weren’t we supposed to be voting on the best date by now?
I think the members are a
little uncomfortable as well. Yeosang
tells Jongho he’d like to have more conversations like this off camera. I’d be fine with that. I know an idol’s life is supposed to be on
display constantly, but there has to be a line.
Hongjoong and Wooyoung wrap
up their date. Hongjoong says he
appreciates how the other members respect him as the group’s leader, even when
it’s not always easy. Like Yeosang, he
wants to have outings like this more often, but away from the cameras.
We do get a great moment when
they talk about their misadventures on the Han River. That was one of my favorite moments from this
series. Wooyoung frets about all the
memes that will come from that footage.
Don’t worry, Wooyoung. Those new
memes will be hard to find among the billions of other memes of you and Hongjoong
already online.
There. Feel better?
Wooyoung tells his date that
when Season Two is released, he should be paired up with someone else. Please tell me we’re getting another season
of this show.
Now we go to Seonghwa and
San, the latter of whom really shouldn’t be talking anymore. I think more memes will come out of San’s participation
on this show than any other member.
We get another heart-to-heart,
and they make a final toast to their date, their fans, and the future. Then they go stargazing with two telescopes
set up for them. San is really setting
himself up for those memes.
With that, all the dates come
to an end, and we rejoin all the members in the studio. Jongho is proud of himself, saying that if he
hadn’t written such a great Hidden Ask question, the members would not have
shared such honest feelings. Sure, but I
kind of miss the trouble-stirring questions.
It’s finally time to vote for
the Best Date Mate, and now I understand why they call it that. They’re not going to vote for the best date
couple. They’re voting for the one they’d
most like to be on a date with, based on this show. I actually had to think about this. I’d either want to go paragliding with Mingi,
or jet skiing with Hongjoong, or amusement park riding with San (as long as we
took my car, and I was the designated driver).
Our boys get whiteboards and
angonize over their choices. Then, on
the count of three, they reveal their whiteboards. The results are:
Hongjoong votes for Yeosang.
Wooyoung and Mingi vote for
Yunho.
Yunho votes for Wooyoung.
Seonghwa votes for Hongjoong.
San votes for Seonghwa. (I’m shocked he didn’t vote for Yeosang.)
Yeosang votes for … this. The translation tells us it’s a vote for San,
but we’ll come back to this.
And finally, Jongho votes for
San. That puts San and Yunho in a tie
with two votes each. Only Mingi and San voted
for the ones they actually went on dates with.
This, of course, starts some arguments.
Turns out Yeosang actually
voted for two people. Those of us who
don’t read Korean aren’t told which one he finally erases, but I think it’s Jongho. His final vote remains for San. Why?
Because all during the show, San has acted so sad and rejected about
Yeosang being on a date with someone else, so he wants to show some love for
his smitten bandmate.
ATINY, what exactly is going
on between those two?
Jongho chose San because he
likes the way he drinks. That maknae is
a menace. “Let’s drink a lot together
later,” San tells him. So much for Yeosang,
who now just got dumped by his date and his date mate. Seriously, ATINY, what the hell is going on
here?!
Jongho reminds San that in
Episode One, Yeosang was asked for his top three date picks, and San wasn’t one
of them. San replies confidently, “I don’t
care about numbers. I know that Yeosang
will come to me.” SERIOUSLY, ATINY, WHAT
IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
Hongjoong says he voted for
Yeosang because Yeosang didn’t put him on a banana boat in the Han River. “Don’t be greedy. He’s mine,” warns San, who just agreed to
ditch Yeosang and go drinking with Jongho.
We’re reminded that Mingi and
Jongho didn’t get any votes. I’d go
paragliding and nature walking with Mingi any day. As for Jongho, if I ever wanted to look right
into the soul of a supervillain, I’d go drinking with him. That would be more dangerous than
paragliding.
Jongho invites Mingi to go
drinking after they finish taping. He
gets, “No thanks, I’m fine,” as a response.
Hongjoong announces there is
a prize for our two date mate winners and gives envelopes to San and
Yunho. It’s … oh my God … a confirmation
that we’re getting a Season 2, along with a blank check and the privilege of
choosing their date locations and date partners next time.
Hear that, San? You get to choose Yeosang as your date! Hear that, Yeosang? RUN.
The group is super excited
and ask if they can go overseas next time.
I don’t see why not. I’m currently
recapping Season 2 of RIIZE’s show, and they’re filming in Shanghai. Let’s go nuts and take ATEEZ to Las Vegas!
Yunho talks excitedly about
Morocco. Everyone seems set on Morocco. At least seven of them are. San is staring intently at Yeosang. I’m not kidding. This whole time, while everyone else is talking
about the possibilities for Season 2, San is staring, unblinking, across the
room at Yeosang, who is looking nervously around the room. WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
Hongjoong promises us a
Season 2, and I learn that the actual name of this show is ATEEZ Plus, which
means I’ve been calling this show by the wrong title all this time. Oh well.
I’ll fix it in the Season 2 recaps, which I am VERY excited about. I will happily get up early on Sunday mornings
to do this all again.
ATEEZ waves goodbye, for now. Well, seven of them do. San is STILL staring at Yeosang.
Well, ATINY, this has been
one of my favorite recaps yet, and I’ve been recapping Kpop shows for a year and
a half. Thanks to the Tumblr users for
their comments and background on this great band. Join me for my BOSS RIIZE Season 2
recaps, already in progress, and feel free to check out all my recaps on my website.
Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you
all again in Morocco. For now, that’s a
wrap!
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