Beef season 2: 'Masterpiece' Netflix series with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score returns tomorrow
Get ready for a brand-new Beef
Beef season 2, a sequel to one of the best Netflix shows ever made, is less than a day away from its premiere – and this is why you should watch it.
We’re in the midst of some serious telly. Every channel and streamer has something to offer. Half Man is about to start on BBC One, The Neighbourhood is coming to ITV soon, Channel 5 has Missed Call, and Prime Video has The Boys and Invincible.
Netflix isn’t holding back, either. Between its new true crime documentaries and the impending release of Unchosen, it’s hard to decide what to watch each night.
However, tomorrow (April 16), one show is dropping on the platform that demands your attention: Beef season 2.
What is Beef season 2 about?
Beef season 2 centres on two couples: Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton), an idealistic, engaged couple; and Josh (Oscar Isaac) and Lindsay (Carey Mulligan).
Ashley and Austin are low-level staff at Monte Vista Point Country Club, a haven for elites in California. Josh is the club’s general manager, and Lindsay is his designer wife who dreams of transforming their home into a bed and breakfast.
Despite clear differences in their lifestyles (Ashley and Austin use a frozen pizza box as a plate), they have something in common: they want more money and respect.
One fateful night, Ashley and Austin happen to catch Josh and Lindsay in the thick of a particularly nasty, seemingly violent fight.
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At first, they’re wary about getting themselves involved. However, they realise it could be an opportunity to change their fortune, and this spirals into a messy feud that changes all of their lives forever.
There’s even more to it than that, but we don’t want to spoil anything for you.
Speaking to Netflix, showrunner Lee Sung Jin explained: ” At first, the main theme seems to be young love versus older love.
“But as the episodes unfold, we wanted to show that this theme, along with others like class divide and hedonic adaptation, falls under the umbrella of generations.”
Is Beef season 2 connected to season 1?
While Beef season 2 is technically a follow-up to season 1, it doesn’t share any cast or plot connections. It is a whole new story, complete with a refreshed cast.
In short, Beef is an anthology format. That means season 2 (and any future seasons) are separate from each other, but packaged together.
“The intention was always to have it be an anthology,” Lee explained.
“My early pitch to networks included slides with rough examples of potential ‘beefs’ for upcoming seasons. However, because the show was in its first season and its future was uncertain, we intentionally wrote season 1 as a limited series, ending that story with a period.”
So, don’t expect to see Ali Wong or Steven Yeun in the second season.
With season 2, Lee didn’t want to “repeat” himself.
“Season 1’s beef is so overt and aggressive, I thought Season 2 should be the inverse: a passive-aggressive beef, which is more true to life, especially in a workplace,” he added.
Who’s in the season 2 cast?
Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton play Ashley and Austin, respectively, while Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan portray Josh and Lindsay.
Isaac and Mulligan are bona fide stars. They starred in Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis together, and Isaac has gone on to appear in the Star Wars franchise, Ex Machina, and Dune. Most recently, he starred in Netflix’s Frankenstein alongside Jacob Elordi.
Mulligan is an Oscar-nominated actress. She broke through with An Education, later starring in Shame, The Great Gatsby, and Promising Young Woman.
As for Melton, the 35-year-old has been on a wave of rising fame since Riverdale. He earned worldwide acclaim for his turn in May December, and he also starred in Warfare.
Spaeny is one of the show’s most exciting prospects. She is a true rising star, gaining recognition from her performance as Priscilla Presley and starring in a run of major projects: Civil War, Alien: Romulus, and Wake Up Dead Man.
Who else is in Beef season 2?
- Youn Yuh-jung (Minari) as Chairwoman Park
- Seoyeon Jang (Butterfly) as Eunice
- William Fichtner (Prison Break) as Troy
- Mikaela Hoover (Superman) as Ava
- BM as Woosh
How many episodes are there?
There are eight episodes in Beef season 2, which is two fewer than in the first season.
While reviews haven’t been released for the new season, the first season still has a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Given the renewed involvement of Lee and director Jake Schreier, and Yeun and Wong staying on as executive producers, there’s no reason to believe it’ll be anything short of great.
Read more: The best Netflix series you can watch right now
