When a young engaged couple accidentally film an elite country club owner and his picture-perfect wife in the midst of an intense smack-down, they use their blackmail to work their way up the ranks of the country club. Behind the scenes, the seemingly perfect country club owners fight back in a dramatic power struggle.
This is “Beef,” an anthology series from film studio A24, meaning every season features a new cast of characters, new storylines and even more catty fights that continue to escalate with each episode, reaching extremes similar to shows like “The White Lotus.”
In this season, both of the main couples are deeply flawed, making neither one a clear antagonist or protagonist. The young couple, Ashley and Austin, played by Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton respectively, are dealing with medical and money troubles as they try to start a family. The owners of the country club, Josh and Lindsay, played by Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan respectively, fight often and have a bad habit of participating in money laundering.
Showrunner Lee Sung Jin created the show based on his own personal experience with road rage. He recalls in an interview with Today Magazine that a person honked and cursed at him before driving off, so Jin decided to follow the angry car for at least 30 minutes. This shows how one simple altercation can spiral into further and further chaos, if those involved are willing and able to take it that far.
It also highlights how both sides of the story can be wrong. One of the main themes of the show is the “entitleness” of the Gen Z generation, and that rings true in multiple fields. Older generations like Gen X and Millennials believe that Gen Z get things handed to them often, and this relates back to “Beef” in the ever-present tension between the two main couples.
A common recurrence throughout the season is the appearance of a trail of ants following the characters. This is a call-out of the never-ending pursuit of wealth that leads people to follow high-profile individuals mindlessly, and serves as a reminder that within that framework, anyone is replaceable.
With the second season scoring 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, this season is less rageful and intense as it was in the first season. Instead, the focus has shifted to the intellectual and karma-oriented storyline.
If you’re a fan of shows highlighting dysfunctional lives of the extremely wealthy, like the Mike White-created “The White Lotus,” you would love to sink your teeth into the extremities of the high-stakes, drama-comedy show that is “Beef.”
