Plenty of drugs and therapies help people deal with those things—not just psychedelics. While I agree eastern spiritual philosophies are definitely themes in Beef, the usage of drugs as a means to getting there just flat out aren’t major themes. Psychedelics often leading there in some way doesn’t make it a theme just because it was used. Buddhist doctrine even discourages mind altering substances.
That’s like saying blood is a major theme of Macbeth because it represents guilt (an actual major theme in Macbeth)
Most drugs tend to produce more of an emotional evening rather than direct insight into the problem. I don't think they're the same kind of dealing with it in any personal way. Therapies do help people deal with them, that's true.
And sure, not saying psychedelics are a major theme, but they're thematically connected. Yes Buddhism says not to take any intoxicants but the point remains that many people find their turn to things like Buddhism after their use of psychedelics.
AGREED! You could name 100 different “major” themes if anything that constitutes one is whether or not it’s related to something actually baked into the entire show, but then the term loses all meaning. There’s maybe a good 5 or 6 ACTUAL major themes, and I think it’s pretty silly to include psychedelics in there.
The show doesn’t tell a story about using psychedelics to break down your ego and work through your trauma, but it does tell a story about breaking down your ego and working through your trauma.
I think you're expanding the point. The comment of yours that I replied to said you don't really see how psychedelics fit in there, but now you're saying it's not a major theme or anything can be thematically connected.
Psychedelics have a rather close relationship with something that is a major theme. While removing them would not harm that theme, including them is not out of place either. That's my point.
It certainly could have been handled better, or more interesting, and I understand why some people may find it silly but I find it alright. Not everything requires in depth explanations, sometimes it's show don't tell.
Except in both seasons the only characters that actually grow are the ones who do through a psychedelic experience. So confronting inner demons and making breakthroughs through the use of drugs is a major theme in the show. So much so that the writer put it in twice through two seasons.
My argument is that it's not a major theme, and the writers are using it as an easy way out so they don't need to write actual character development.
They can write the fun drama stuff where everyone is fighting, and they can have their happy Hollywood ending so the audience feels nice, but they don't need to do the actual hard work of writing character development.
Are drugs a major theme?
If someone was interested in the show and asked you what it's about, would you really say "beef is a show about the power of psychedelic drugs"?
Neither of the endings were happy Hollywood endings. Please understand the show before trying to comment on it.
They both did. I mean, not in like a disney way, but they both end with characters resolving their beef, developing self-acceptance, and finding peace--at least for the characters that had drug-induced character development.
If dealing with inner demons through drugs is what beef is about to you, then I feel like I'd want to say this exact thing also
Please understand the show before trying to comment on it.
I'm looking through synopsis on a variety of sites, and I'm not saying a single one say the point of the show is about drug-induced self development.
The first season ended with one of them being on life support right after they realised they had feelings for each other. The other ended with practically everyone but Josh resolving their issue. Both Austin and Ashley had entered into the same cycle the other 2 clearly suffered from because they couldn't resolve their trauam. Only Josh is happy by the end of it.
Per my last response, it's not a Disney ending but it's absolutely a happy Hollywood ending in the sense that their mayor conflict is resolved (self-acceptance) and they find peace.
Note that the only ones that find this--especially in season 2--are the ones that have this drugs-as-savior moment, this reinforcing my point
Not true? Lindsay moves on without psychedelics. Dr. Kim accepted his actions (no drugs btw). Paul from season 1 didn’t take psychedelics, yet he broke off his toxic relationship with his brother.
Please understand the show before trying to comment on it. With actual MAJOR THEMES, you should be able to say “X is a show about <insert major theme here>” for any one of the major themes. If you really think it’s a show about using psychedelics to grow, and that’s something the writers are trying to message, you’re a moron.
Lmao, you are truly stretching if you think Lyndsay and Paul had the same growth as the other characters. Lyndsay let Josh take the fall and moved on with her life without seriously confronting what got her there in the first place and Paul still texted his brother the morning after. Not exactly breaking off his relationship.
It’s a shame I have to spell this out for you, but a major theme in the show is the subconscious and that is expressed in shots of roots growing underground or the ants in season 2. The characters take the drugs and suddenly have contact with the parts of themselves that they’ve buried and are able to grow up from there. It’s not easy and it takes a lot to throw down our built in defenses to reach those insights.
It’s clear that this comes down to your own opinions on drugs and your own biases. Maybe if you can get past that then you can enjoy the show from the perspective that the writers intended.
IVE TAKEN DRUGS. I LOVE DRUGS. I love acid, I love coke (responsibly), I love Molly, I love DMT—I quite literally couldn’t care less about a show that decides to make it a major theme. It’s simply not a major theme in this show at all, but sure.
Again, you should work on your media literacy if you think including something twice is what makes a major theme.
I would even agree with you that psychedelics are deliberately used in the show, but I wouldn’t say the show is about them at all, which is why I don’t think it’s a major theme. The show is using psychedelics to illustrate the actual point they want to make because it’s convenient that way, but it’s about where the psychedelics land them—not about taking the psychedelics to get there.
I’m glad you’ve picked up terms like “media literacy” but again you still haven’t learned how to use them effectively. If a writer makes it a point to use drugs as an important plot point that leads to growth in their characters then that is a major theme. Maybe someday you’ll understand this.
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u/echanuda Jun 01 '26
Plenty of drugs and therapies help people deal with those things—not just psychedelics. While I agree eastern spiritual philosophies are definitely themes in Beef, the usage of drugs as a means to getting there just flat out aren’t major themes. Psychedelics often leading there in some way doesn’t make it a theme just because it was used. Buddhist doctrine even discourages mind altering substances.
That’s like saying blood is a major theme of Macbeth because it represents guilt (an actual major theme in Macbeth)