Beef is back for season 2, and it follows a whole new set of people in a wilder exploration of how people can turn into their worst selves over minor infractions. Boasting some fantastic actors, higher stakes and a whole new setting, this season brings a much different viewing experience, but one that is just as engaging. I am not sure how long this concept can keep working, but at least on the second attempt, Beef still has enough bite to make it worth the sit when it hits Netflix.
Beef Season 2 moves away from the world of an avoided fender-bender between strangers to the world of a high-end country club, with a new set of characters, this time moving away from two people with issues and into two different couples struggling against each other in more outlandish ways. Oscar Isaac’s Josh is a country club manager, with his wife, Carey Mulligan’s Lindsay, working as a designer. They seemingly have a solid life together, at least on the surface, but that idyllic facade is quickly put in jeopardy when Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and her boyfriend, Austin (Charles Melton), go to return a wallet left at the club where they all work and see a massive fight.
This inciting incident sets off the chain of events that leads to the slow progression that changes all of their lives forever. This is only pushed further when the owner of the club, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung), needs to cover up something caused by her new husband, Dr. Kim (Song Kang-ho), leading down a dark path with no way back. Each story interweaves to give a full picture of just how horribly people will act when they feel trapped by circumstance and want nothing more than to break free and find their own kind of peace.
I will be honest, there is a lot going on in Beef Season 2, and not all of it works. Season 1 worked because of the likability of the characters, and even as they were on a downward spiral, it was engrossing to see just how far they would go over what seemed like a simple misunderstanding. Season 2 is far more elaborate than that, and each of the characters is horrible in one way or another.
Each of these people has their own issues, which would be obvious to anyone after even five minutes of self-reflection, but that is part of the perverse pleasure of this series, seeing how far seemingly regular people will go when pushed, and this season takes that even further than the last.
Despite how deplorable everyone is, Beef season 2 still manages to be incredibly watchable, and that is largely due to just how fantastic the cast is. There is no denying that these are some truly fantastic actors at work here, delivering some fantastic performances. With talent like Oscar Isaac (Dune), Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Charles Melton (May December), Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus), Song Kang-ho (Parasite), William Fichtner (Prison Break) and Mikaela Hoover (Guardians of the Galaxy), there is a lot to work with, and most of it is compelling.
“Despite how deplorable everyone is, Beef season 2 still manages to be incredibly watchable, and that is largely due to just how fantastic the cast is.”
It is easy to believe just how deep the rabbit hole goes for some of these characters, and the escalation feels somewhat relatable early on. Even as things are ratcheted up to a near-unbelievable level, you cannot help but stay engaged despite the absurdity of it all.
Despite all of that, Beef Season 2 still left me feeling hollow when it was all said and done, and that comes down to the fact that there is no emotional anchor this time around. Despite the great performances, fantastic production values and complex interwoven narrative, I could not relate to anyone at the start, and as it progressed, I hated each of these people more and more.
They are all deeply flawed people, and all are willing to sell out anyone they can to save their own way of life, making it all feel relatively nihilistic at the end of the day. There is no one to hold onto through the madness, only the feeling of getting sucked deeper into their depravity as you go on.
Now, do not get me wrong, I am sure Lee Sung Jin, the show’s creator and showrunner, fully understands this. Hell, making this season centre on a country club, where being fake and showing your wealth is part of the social contract, plays into the idea that no one is really your friend, which is a big part of what Beef Season 2 has going on. But that does not change how depressing it all is.
If Season 1 was a taste of how bad people can get with a small glimmer of hope through it all, Beef Season 2 loses that, ending instead with the bitter taste of regret and sadness when the credits finally roll. That can work for some people, but in today’s world, it can get a bit draining.
Even if the nihilistic tone did not fully work for me, there is no denying that there is a lot of talent, craft and skill in Beef Season 2. Lee Sung Jin has managed to bring together a unique tapestry that captures a select type of person and puts all their issues on display. It is stark, biting and depressing, but there is also art behind it all.
This is not a season of television you watch to feel good, but one you watch just to glare at the utter depravity humanity can fall into when given the chance. It is a hard watch, but one that is well worth the investment. Beef Season 2 is not for everyone, and the formula may be wearing thin, but there is more than enough here to make it a uniquely engaging season that keeps the core of what made the first season so memorable.
