The October 17 premiere of ENA and TEO’s Earth Marble 4 followed KwakTube, Pani Bottle and Wonji on the first round of their travels. The season’s travel film festival concept calls for viewers, travel partners and experts to evaluate their films. Its new game board includes new destinations, 28 countries the show had not visited in earlier seasons and expanded special spaces. New host Kyuhyun said he would need 2 weeks just to prepare for the trio’s spontaneous style of travel.

KwakTube went to New Zealand with a glacier tour planned as the centerpiece of his travel film. He had visited the country before and wanted to capture something different. After a 20-hour flight, he learned that his booked tour departed 3 hours and 30 minutes from his lodging, with no early shuttle available. The booking could not be canceled, and he was told worsening weather could bring an 80% chance that the helicopter would not fly the next day. KwakTube also booked another glacier tour departing near his lodging. Bad weather led to a complete cancellation of glacier tours the following day, eliminating his planned main shoot. Kyuhyun criticized his travel planning, while Noh Hong-chul said his film had yet to show artistic merit, originality or the experience of traveling along with him. KwakTube said his trip felt like a thriller so far and asked viewers to see how it ended.

Pani Bottle went to the Maldives to film bioluminescent plankton. He wanted to make a personal travel film that went beyond familiar resort imagery. Pani Bottle traveled 7,100 km over 29 hours on 4 flights and 3 boat rides. He did not stay in lodging during the journey. At night, he entered the water off Vaadhoo Island and stirred it while trying to film, but did not capture the plankton on camera. Kyuhyun said he had heard that plankton had appeared in large numbers off Korea’s west coast. After looking at the stars, Pani Bottle said he would show something in the next installment that would make viewers forget the plankton.

Wonji began her Singapore trip by trying things she normally avoided. She had declared that she wanted a room to herself, but her first room had not been cleaned, its air conditioner was broken, and it smelled of smoke and mold. Wonji complained about her lodging in Singapore and was directed to another hotel location. For a task that called for 3 local food recommendations, she asked a hotel employee about kaya toast and a taxi driver about chili crab. She also took a perspective photo at the Merlion statue that made it appear she was catching its stream of water in her mouth.

Back in the studio, KwakTube joked that after filming his New Zealand trip, he thought he might be fired from the show’s long-awaited season 4, but Pani Bottle’s failed shoot made him think they might both be fired. Kyuhyun said the trips would need a major turnaround after that start.