Beef

I’m not sure why, but I’d been avoiding this series for a long time, convinced it wasn’t for me. Then my husband and I were looking for something to watch, noticed the second season was already out, and decided to give it a shot — and that turned out to be one of the best decisions we made this month!

First of all, I love books, films and series that explore the different relationships and dynamics between people — within families and outside of them — so this series felt like it was made for me personally.

The cast is great and feels completely natural, like they’re not performing but actually living through it. Special shout-out to Ali Wong — the rage and pettiness of her character is just iconic. You go, girl!

The scene on the way to the panic room completely caught us off guard. We didn’t expect anything like that at all. It was a shocking turning point — a wake-up call. Everything up to that point had looked like an almost amusing fight between two mentally unstable people who had accidentally stumbled into each other’s traumas. That scene made it clear that this is serious, and that’s why we’re all here — not just for giggles and emotional relief watching two people have beef with each other.

The series also shows perfectly how sometimes we just need to let things go, because if we don’t, everything keeps spiralling and getting worse. And how important it is not to suppress our feelings, but to learn how to express anger and other emotions in a healthy way.

I loved how each episode had its own distinct visual style and an interesting title — and even though I’m not particularly well-versed in art, I’m pretty sure the references are there, and some of them might even hint at what’s coming next.

This series reminded me a lot of White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, which we also loved — lots of drama between people, with crime as the seasoning. A perfect recipe.

The conversation about Asian cultures and identity is also a significant part of the first season.

Western therapy doesn’t work on Eastern minds.

If I were part of the creative team, I’d have suggested naming Ali Wong’s character Annie instead of Amy, because her opponent is Steven Yeun’s Danny, and “Annie VS Danny” would have given that perfect mirroring effect that reflects how much these two are actually alike, which is exactly why they can’t stand each other.

We definitely preferred the first season, even though the casting and some of the themes in the second were also really good and, I’d say, relatable. Personally, I didn’t love the direction the second season took by bringing in the “mafia” and corruption — it felt too big a topic for this series. I’d have preferred it to stay focused on “ordinary people”, rather than introducing some kind of “higher power” dynamic.

I’ll definitely be waiting for a third season and really hope it happens!