Season 2
A young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife, triggering chess moves of favors and coercion in the elitist world of a country club and its Korean billionaire owner.
All the Things We're Never Going to Have
Country-club employees Ashley and Austin witness a vicious fight between their boss and his wife — and decide to leverage it to get ahead.
A New Starting Point for Further Desires
While Josh tries to play off Ashley's ascendance at the club, Lindsay seeks petty revenge. The Chairwoman proposes changes at the gym.
The Increasing Flimsiness of Any Certainties About the Future
Josh and Lindsay consider a new chapter for their lives. Ashley encourages Austin to get closer to Eunice.
Oh, the Comfort, the Inexpressible Comfort
When Austin and Ashley are trapped for hours in an ER waiting room, Josh sees an opportunity to turn the tables.
I Am Killing My Flesh Without It
Lindsay and Josh's marital strife comes to a head when an unexpected crisis hits home.
Those Blue Remembered Hills
Josh and Austin try to mend fences with a training session. Lindsay tutors Ashley in the delicate art of winning over the club's wives.
The Hour of Separation
Ashley, Lindsay and Ava's girls' getaway to Seoul is upended by old tensions, new revelations and shocking confessions at 30,000 feet.
It Will Stay This Way and You Will Obey
Fighting for survival on the Chairwoman's home turf, both couples must decide what — and for whom — they're willing to sacrifice.
Avis de la communauté (7)
I absolutely loved it, Cailee Spaeny is just an incredible actress, binged it as I couldn't stop watching and it definitely didn't disappoint one bit.
Not nearly as good as the first season, lost interest by the third episode
Beef season 2 feels radically different than the first season, and I'm not fully sure if that's a good or bad thing. Whereas the first season was intensely focused on the spiraling dynamic between two characters, this season feels like a complex tapestry of multiple characters whose inter-relationships keep moving back and forth, sometimes tackling larger societal issues. For example, a large focus of this season is on the healthcare system, both how it impacts those who are poor as well as those that are privileged. I actually think it's really clever how it weaves these themes in throughout the season, with plenty of dry satirical comedy related to the absurdity of the situation. However, in my opinion, Beef is all about the characters, and that's where I was left unsure about what this season was trying to say. The characters shift so much throughout the season, and I think a central focus throughout is this concept of love and what it truly means to love someone. I found it a fascinating analysis, but just a frustratingly opaque one at times. One thing to note is that while I found Cailee Spaeny's Ashley and Charles Melton's Austin to be funny and engaging, I found Oscar Isaac's and Carey Mulligan's characters to simply not be that interesting. I think the themes about their relationship are interesting, but their characters themselves were kind of bland. Everyone is doing a great job though, and I am always fascinated how Cailee Spaeny's entire look morphs based on her role. I did also find the role of Youn Yuh-jung slightly baffling and felt it added unnecessary complexity that would have been better served by keeping the show focused on the dynamics between the two couples only. Part of the appeal of season 1 was how it went off the rails, and while I think there are some crazy moments in this season, I also think it feels more restrained. That mix of increased cast and complexity, messier but more nuanced themes, and that restrained absurdity make it a very hard season to review. I think the last point hurts it though because the comedy is simply not as sharp as season 1. I also think season 1 has some surprisingly great cinematography, and outside of the final episode of season 2, it is largely unimpressive. Given that, I think I prefer season 1, but I also think season 2 has some merit. I also think all of the things I mentioned, but specifically the fact that it doesn't hone in on just the relationship between the two couples, will make it a more frustrating watch for most people.
Wtf!? Where's the "beef"? This is definitely not beef, maybe a cold chicken dinner, with raunchy sauce (see what I did there).
A definite step-down from Season 1, but at least it's from trying to be something different and not a mere retread. Still, whereas Season 1 feels like a focused unpacking of two existential blackholes at the hearts of two individuals on a collision course, this one feels more sprawling in exploring various elements within milieu/relationships with more main/minor characters, and I'm afraid the ambition spreads both characters and story threads thinner and feels lacking a bit (and also makes some plot machination and humor come off almost too broader). Remains good dark fun though, with a strong ensemble. My MVPs are Carey Mulligan, whose brittle bitterness is portrayed so great and feels closest to a Season 1 character, and Youn Yuh-jung, doing so much with more limited screentime than the central four, suggesting vast history and even unexpected menace. My single favorite acting moment of the season might be from Charles Melton though, with his post-phonecall taxi ride in the finale; it's incredible how he nails the sustained close-up on his face of dawning realization, contemplation, and then resigned decision, without it feeling like it breaks away from the himbo characterization he has portrayed up to this point.