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 middle of a stacked TV lineup right now. Every channel and streamer has something worth your time. 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 slowing down either. Between its steady stream of true crime docs and the upcoming release of Unchosen, there’s already too much to choose from.
However, tomorrow (April 16), one show is landing that should jump straight to the top of your watchlist: 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 pair; and Josh (Oscar Isaac) and Lindsay (Carey Mulligan).
Ashley and Austin are low-level staff at Monte Vista Point Country Club, a playground for California’s elite. Josh is the club’s general manager, while Lindsay is his designer wife, quietly dreaming of turning their home into a bed and breakfast.
Despite the obvious gap in their lifestyles (Ashley and Austin are literally using a frozen pizza box as a plate), they share the same frustration: they want more money, more respect, and a better life.
Everything changes when Ashley and Austin witness Josh and Lindsay in the middle of a vicious, seemingly violent argument.
At first, they keep their distance. Then they realise what they’ve seen could be leverage – and what starts as opportunism quickly spirals into a messy, life-altering feud.
There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface, but that’s where we’ll stop.
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?
Beef season 2 may follow the first instalment, but it’s a completely new story. There are no returning characters or direct plot links.
That’s because Beef is an anthology series. Each season stands on its own, telling a different story under the same thematic umbrella.
“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 popping up this time around.
Instead, Lee has flipped the formula.
“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 lead the new season as Ashley and Austin, with Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan playing Josh and Lindsay.
Isaac and Mulligan are heavyweight additions. They previously starred together in Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis, and Isaac’s résumé now includes Star Wars, Ex Machina, and Dune. Most recently, he appeared in Netflix’s Frankenstein alongside Jacob Elordi.
Mulligan, meanwhile, is an Oscar-nominated actress who broke out in An Education before starring in Shame, The Great Gatsby, and Promising Young Woman.
Melton has been on a steady rise since Riverdale, earning major acclaim for May December and appearing in Warfare.
Spaeny is one of the industry’s fastest-rising stars, following standout roles as Priscilla Presley and in 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, slightly shorter than the first season’s run.
Reviews haven’t dropped yet, but season 1 still holds a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes – and with Lee Sung Jin returning alongside director Jake Schreier, plus Wong and Yeun as executive producers, expectations are high.
Read more: The best Netflix series you can watch right now
Beef season 2 drops on Netflix on April 16.
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