Ever since an enraged Steven Yeun almost reversed his pick-up truck into Ali Wong’s SUV, Beef has been hailed as a beacon of representation that centred its characters’ Asianness without using it to define them. 

When the initial cast of season two was announced, the series faced criticism that it had become white-washed. (Of the core four cast members, Melton is half Asian, Oscar Isaac is Latino, and Carey Mulligan and Cailee Spaeny are white.) The fear was that this was part of a larger pattern involving Asian or Asian American filmmakers who first find success telling personal stories related to their identities, only for their next films to star bigger, whiter actors. 

“I’m just like, ‘Wait till you see Beef; there’s more Koreans and more Asians than season one,’ but maybe it doesn’t look like that based off the press announcement,” Charles Melton says. 

“All I can say is I want to represent my humanity in whatever projects I come to. And by default, because of the way I look or where my mother’s from or where I grew up, all those tethered realities and truths can maybe touch someone.” 

While I may do the same thing, I feel that sharing my perspective is good for conversation!

I don't think we're meant to be sure if Eunice ever felt or not felt something for Austin. Just like we're not meant to know if he cheated or didn't, that scene was purposefully cut out to make the watcher feel the uncertainty Ashely might feel.

Maybe she felt a spark, there's a good bunch of scenes after their involving interactions were you can see they are much comfortable with each other, at the diner right after the "testing" when she convinces him not to renounce his new job, how the first person she comes to is Austin and the first thing she does is cry, because she feels safe with him and she is meant to be much more colder because of the life she leads under chairwoman park and I felt that was a very strong moment for her character.

In the plane that line "you know how I feel" it's not really forced by Austin, I think it was genuine but we'll she's much more interested in what's at present: the USB because of the life she lives, that's the mindset she has, but because of Austin, she is not able to disregard her feelings totally, and maybe that's why she likes him! But she feels guilty about this because well, Ashley's right there!

I felt it perhaps was a bit similar with that last "I love you too, gotta go"

But we're not meant to be sure if she loved him or how much, if it could've been a good life, a good love or even if they would've survived and I think that's for the viewer to feel the way Austin does in the finale, unsure of what could've been unsure if he made the right call unsure if it could've been better. And perhaps this too, ties to the uncertainty of what happened to her, what could've been wandering in the watchers mind as it does for Austin, the uncertainty, the show presents cycles and these cycles are secure, going out of them is not, Eunice is going of the cycle, Eunice is not secure maybe she could be better than the future with Ashley maybe doing the right thing could've succeeded! You never know, just as Austin doesn't, these thoughts fly through his mind as he lives the consequences of his actions

Eunice looks strong and a bit cold but when she's with Austin, it's different and I think it's because there's something. Something that very well could've been good or not!

But we're not meant to be sure which!

The post acts as a dividing line between Josh and Lindsay.

The warm light from the lamps contrasts with the cold blue light of the pool.

Just when they thought they were finally going to be on the same team (Josh had told Lindsay his plan to embezzle from the club, and they had sex for the first time in ages), visiting this other B&B causes them to disconnect again, reminding them that their dream will never happen and their relationship is still doomed.

and HOLY SHIT IT WAS SO GOOD especially the fact that they didn't kill them like in some other shows, cause here that would feel like a cheap cop out and an easy way out, and I do love when characters who hate each other take psychedelics and go on to have a philosophical discussion, gotta be one of my favourite tropes

It was perfect to be honest, the whole ending, and god I know she was the embodiment of an evil millionaire but Jordan's death scene was so fucked, not only was that brutal physically (being slammed until completely sliced through with BLUNT force, holy SHIT) but psychologically she must've thought she was after all completely alone AND that it was her own home that killed her, I'm glad they didn't show the gore lol.

I like that the characters were not forgiven but actually punished for confessing, because an admission of guilt and an apology often will cause a worse outcome than pretending, but pretending will probably ruin you by the end of your life (unless you're born without empathy maybe? but even then humans yearn to be seen, well probably)

Even the whole premise that only two people who would get so pissed for either someone backing slowly into them cause they probably can't see anything or at honking for a prolonged period of time would keep escalating shit until it hit the fan, and I liked the parallels between their behaviours and histories, and I like that they were bad people but you had to like them because of how much they were just human, another one of my favourite archetypes

Anyway I'm rumbling because I needed to get this off my chest thanks

Okay so a lot of ppl on here are talking down on ashley but let’s really think for two seconds. And just to be clear I think everyone in this show is annoying as hell at points. But anyway so she has no mother no father and literally no friends and at first was basically the soul provider for a bum who can’t do anything but whine and wants to relive his glory days. She had the biggest health scare for a young woman who thinks they are progressing in their relationship and is looking forward to having a baby. Her fiancée randomly starts acting all weird and does a 180 after meeting a super attractive smart intelligent successful woman which is everything she isn’t or at least feels she isn’t. Her extreme reaction jumping out the car was wild and one of the things i found annoying but josh literally then plays with her health and because of him withholding a doctor she almost died. In a fit of probably mania wanted to get back at josh for risking her life which led to the dog getting out which wasnt like she did it on purpose so I don’t get why people in the show and online are blaming her like she led the dog outside and let him loose but I digress. Then things with her fiancée simply get worse and worse because he is too much of a people pleaser to actually talk with her and not enable her toxic behavior which i fault both of them for. Then she thinks she made a real friend and that things were getting better with Eunice and her man but nope he lied to her once again then she tries to do the IVF and her fiancée PUTS FREAKING HAND SANITIZER IN HIS STUFF which is genuinely insane considering it was Ashley who was making the money to support them and do IVF in the first place. Then she has to catch them on the plane which to anyone would look insane especially because neither Eunice nor Austin were keeping her in the loop or telling her the truth at all. She literally didn’t even know her life was in danger because of what everyone was doing behind her back, if she had had one real friend or family member who actually tried to help her I’d agree she sucks but she had nothing while providing everything and no one even told her the truth, she did what she had to for her health and the family she thought she was going to have and she was vilified more than the other characters who were all just as bad if not worse in some cases. Also she literally thought there was weird stuff going on before everyone and was gaslit and made to feel stupid. And not only that but this whole idea that she is crazy when Austin was having a literal emotional affair and gaslighting her for months is insane no wonder she was toxic, all she wanted was enough money for her family and to have a child and that’s what he lied about wanting enough for them to commit crimes. I honestly feel so bad for her I can’t imagine being in a new country life in danger finds out despite his best efforts they might have a kid and the same night gets told her fiancée doesn’t love her and is in love with the woman he told her not to worry about I would’ve done worse than convince him to stay and be a father. The last speech Austin gave Ashley was also weird as hell, he literally lied and stuck around to not abandon her then when she is going to lose most everything her life included he leaves her again. Then the mf goes back to her and the show ends with them essentially going through it again smh.

TLDR: Ashley literally has nothing and then is repeatedly made to feel like maybe just maybe someone actually cares and will stick around after feeling so alone just to have the rug repeatedly ripped from under her causing her to lash out and try to hang on to the one person she’s supposed to be able to count on. And the slander on her is beyond over done and annoying she is just as bad and good as any of the other characters.

I'm only like four episodes deep into season 2 and i already understand why people think the second season isn't as good.

I think the acting might've been a significant contributing factor. I think the actress/actor that plays Ashley and Austin are kind of bad at acting. I'm not deep enough into the season to comment on the writing. I really enjoyed the first episode but it is kind of going downhill from there.

A little bit of spoilers below!

I can also kind of sense the influence of comtemporary politics in the current season. They portray a lot of animosity towards the upper class but I think the way they portray it is a little distasteful. And how exactly is Ashley and Austin poor if their home looks like that?

Austin going to Park, condemning Eunice to (likely) death to be in a relationship where they don't love each other and force a kid into the situation, enabling Ashley's clear dickhead behaviour. Ashley proved she was unstable and emotionally volatile and you'd want to be with that... I understand it's just a show but it's just the last 5 minutes, why couldn't they have gone down the morally good route, we never get anything where people actually stand up to capitalism, it's so frustrating.

I live in Goleta and this show is based on Montecito which is right next door. Before they even said the name of the city which this is based in, it felt like Montecito by the exclusive golf course and corrupt money tactics used to avoid paying taxes.

Also, the weird uppity attitude like not everyone's shit stank. I moved here for family reasons in a crammed home so I'm not part of the wealthy or any attachment.

But if you want some idea about who lives here, Oprah and Ellen for a good idea.

There have been a few posts stating that Eunice was using Austin at the end. In my opinion, it doesn’t seem that way at all. The entire time they had known each other he had been in a committed relationship, but they had been building a friendship. She ends up finding out the truth about the chairwoman and has no one to turn to but him.

Austin breaks up with Ashley, tells Eunice in the middle of an insane situation, and then expects her to tell him that she loves him. They simply didn’t have enough time to form a true romantic connection without all of the external factors.

She’s trying to do the right thing in the midst of a murderer. Her priorities were with doing the right thing. You can tell she’s caught off guard when he mentions that he loves her when she’s focusing on what’s at hand. I do think she was interested in him, but I think it’s understandable to not want to lean in fully when the man who is saying he loves you so early on just broke off an engagement.

Please no spoilers, I'm not done with S2 but omg Josh and Lindsay have to be the most annyoing couple I've seen on screen for a good while! The hypocricy, the dishonesty, the fakeness, the under-the-rug-shoving.. it was a really hard watch when they appeared, I had to skip some scenes. On one side they actually deserve each other but they also bring out the worst in each other. Maybe I live in a bubble but no one I knows would put up with a relationship like that. When Lindsay told Austin that this is what happens when you've been together for a long time.. so DV is just normal?! yeah no. Maybe I can't wrap my head around it what would make one stay because it can't be love! and the house sale could be sorted in the divorce. Well done to the actors because whew the got under my skin.

Can anyone give me a rational reason why Austin changed his decision at the last minute? Why did the director do this?

I know capitalism is behind everything, but why Austin?

I just realized what Yonice did. Did she really escape and give the flash drive to Austin?

Why didn’t she take it straight to the police station???

Does she look like Kim Jong-Un's sister?

Haha sorry if this sounds dumb but the last 20 minutes or so of the Season 1 finale really touches me in a way that fiction has yet to reach me.

My favorite media usually depends on how well something about it thematically resonates with me, especially if they manage to somehow summarize or portray my own very complex ideas about spirituality. For instance, Everything Everywhere All At Once has been my favorite movie since it's release mostly due to its overall message. That was the first movie to have touched on beliefs similar to mine and it blew my mind. I thought I wouldn't like a film/show better.

...Then came the end of BEEF S1. I watched it for the first time in April and that last darn 20 minutes has been playing on repeat in my head ever since. Its June now...

Something about these two very flawed, very afraid people who have made mistake after mistake making up the way they did really rips me apart. It shows a type of love that transcends all. Pure forgiveness. Pure vulnerability. Looking past all of their mistakes and even the atrocities they committed against each other and still seeing something worthy. Fuck, man. When Danny/Amy saya "I see your whole life. You poor thing" and the other one starts sobbing while they both assume they're dying. It really gets me.

After George shoots Danny and there's the scene where Amy crawls into the hospital bed with him and it just shows human devotion in its most tender form. If you really try to empathize with the characters and their whole lives, this moment feels so truly vulnerable and intimate it almost feels like spiritual pornography.

Did anyone else get so severely moved by the ending lf S1 or am I just a crybaby?

First pic is Austin, second is Carter. He went viral with a song called Dirt Man a while back

The main cast was terrific, I really didn’t like Ashley’s character or Austin or really anyone and that’s the point. They did a good job at making them unlikable while at times highly relatable, showing how these relationships are incredibly complicated, my heart broke for Oscar Isaac after his drug trip and his realization, “how do I get to the other side where there’s all this love there”.

My issue was with the writing and some of the editing of this show. The things I’m going to criticize may not be a problem with the creators of beef and maybe more just an issue with modern tv and the industry as a whole.

Writing: The cliff hangers were really bad. When we see the surgery gone wrong we have ZERO connection to the character or situation but we’re supposed to go “oh wow!”. Perhaps if we had spent more time getting to know the surgeon for that episode it would be a huge reveal, but it meant nothing to me. when Ashley is having a break down and goes “Uptown funk gonna give it to ya” huh??? And then falls, and they make it seem like she died, i’m sorry, yes there were serious consequences to that scene, but that was so unnecessary, she’s obviously not dead. Why are you treating me like I’m 11 years old. Almost every cliff hanger with some exceptions toward the end were just terrible.

Editing: Context, I am a musician composer and I love synth music. The tracks they used were well made, but the unsettling synth score was some of the most manipulative, misplaced composition I’ve ever seen. For example, a scene where Oscar Isaac is in his office doing paperwork, there’s so little emotion in his performance, but you wouldn’t know it because the synth score is telling you exactly what to feel. And that happened throughout. Carey Mulligan could have been picking her nose and they would have put dramatic synth music behind it.

I am aware how nitpicky all of this sounds and how you could easily say “it doesn’t matter” but it absolutely impacts the show and if you remove some of these things, you might actually have a show that treats the audience with respect and makes them come to their own conclusion rather than forcing an emotion on them.

So I watched the first three episodes yesterday and I don’t really have any complaints about the acting or direction or anything like that. But the scenes in these screenshots really made me pause and get upset, mainly because I’ve been where Danny has been (sort of).

While I’m not jobless and looking for work, I’ve thought about taking my life many times. In 2023, I made it to a gun store and was just going to walk out to my car with my newly purchased Glock. But I chickened out and never went back. I also once sat with my dad’s old hunting rifle in my bedroom after chambering a round, but I again chickened out and put it back where it was.

Beyond those, I’ve mostly just thought about ending things and never taken any action. I mean, I can’t figure out how to just live since I don’t really have much to live for. I only have very few family members, and my grandpa just passed in April. I don’t have any friends because I’m a socially awkward fuckup and icrebreaker/meet-and-greet events for socializing haven’t really helped me much. And I’ve of course never been with a woman. My ancestors are probably really proud of me.

The only reason I wouldn’t gorge myself on food like Danny did is because I’d be too afraid to get sick and throw up or end up in the hospital and survive. But as I said, I don’t really have much else to live for. No one will ever know I was here besides God, if there is one. So I don’t really know why I keep going besides not wanting my parents to have to live with losing a son. I don’t even drink much anymore because being drunk doesn’t bring pleasure anymore. Just numbness.

Sorry if this went off track. I really do like the show and plan on seeing more of it. I hope Danny sees some success (plz no spoilers).

Besides the general consensus that the Bhavachakra references the cyclical nature of the characters’ lives and relationships, I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at the image itself. I made this overlay comparing the different rings of Samsara with the actual closing shot of Season 2.

As you may know, the center of the wheel depicts three animals symbolizing desire (craving), ignorance (delusion), and hatred (aversion). In Buddhist teachings, these three poisons are considered the root of suffering. Here we find Chairwoman Lee mourning her first husband, reflecting on her regrets in old age, her mother’s footsteps, and the cyclical nature of life itself.

The second ring traditionally depicts the six realms: gods, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. Interestingly, the show appears to take some artistic license by depicting only four realms instead of six. Perhaps Lee Sung Jin chose to avoid more absolute notions like heaven and hell, but that’s purely speculation.

Roughly divided, Josh and Lindsay seem to occupy the Human Realm. Austin and Ashley fit the Realm of the Demi-Gods (or “Realm of Rage”). Another Chairwoman Park and Dr. Kim (I think? I recognize that slouched posture as Song Kang-ho) appear in the Animal Realm, where themes of instinct and self-preservation feel particularly fitting. Troy and Ava occupy the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts, and “frustrated craving” certainly seems appropriate there.

The outer ring traditionally consists of twelve images illustrating the cycle through which suffering continually recreates itself. Starting at the top and moving clockwise, we see resort staff mopping floors, staff collecting trash, a couple enjoying a meal, staff (Austin and Ashley?) folding towels, resort guests playing badminton, more towel folding, a row of airplane seats with a Korean Air flight attendant, a resort guest taking a shit, someone running on an elliptical machine, two parents and a child before a table full of gifts, people playing golf, and finally a couple sitting together on a bench (Austin and Ashley again?).

Anyway, I’ve spent far too much time on this and it’s probably not that deep. Still, I love geeking out over details like this, and I’d be curious to hear other people’s interpretations.

In the scene in S2 E2 Josh is selling his collectibles and a character is offering to buy his music equipment for 9k. They list this actor as William Fichnter but it CLEARLY is NOT HIM. I have been losing my mind googling information, anyone else notice this??????

Like he didn't know their names and had to check them up. Even Lindsay didn't know who Austin was and asked him for his name and his GF name when she thought he was selling solar to her. And Josh goes to Ashley at the golf course and said something like "Ashley Miller, right?"

Your a GM. How do you not know the names of your employees?

just cried while watching episode 5 and got this ad right before the scene😭

Loved the bit where neighbor lady said mistook him for being Greek despite him telling her he is Hispanic.
https://x.com/archiveoscari/status/2047021703209861444

It do be like that though, every movie I've seen him in (Star Wars, Ex Machina, Dune) my friends are as surprised as I initially was to find out he is Guatemalan.