The New Rivalry Is Even Better (and Bloodier) Than the First

Lee Sung Jin’s Emmy-winning anthology series BEEF is back for more beef, and this time, it ups the stakes even higher. Even after a stellar debut season, which became an awards darling, this fierce follow-up manages to surpass it in so many ways. 

The new season moves the titular ‘beef’ from a parking lot for the country club. In the new installment, a young, Gen-Z couple —Ashley Miller (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin Davis (Charles Melton) — witness an alarming fight between their millennial boss and his wife while working as low-level staff at a country club. They unwittingly become entangled in the drama surrounding their General Manager, Joshua Martín (Oscar Isaac), and his wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín (Carey Mulligan). What’s more, Ashley captures the domestic on camera, using it as the ultimate leverage to coerce and gather favors from Josh and his wife. While all this is going on, Josh and Lindsay must try to keep their heads level as they fight for the approval of the elitist club’s Korean billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh Jung) — who harbors secrets and scandals of her own. 

Unlike Beef Season 1, in which Danny and Amy randomly happen on each other, this season has Ashley working within the exclusive country club that Josh manages. For perspective, the typical clientele of the club, Monte Vista Point, is extremely high-class. Josh calls it a “land of make-believe,” and one that demands a 300k initiation fee. Ashley is one just one of the myriad members of staff who are looked down upon by Josh; he and the clientele see the staff as inherently lower than them. She’s expected to go about her work quietly with little benefits, not least health insurance, which becomes a key topic later in the season. 

Beef. (L to R) Cailee Spaeny as Ashley Miller, Carey Mulligan as Lindsay Crane-Martin, Mikaela Hoover as Ava in episode 206 of Beef. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

Unfortunately for Josh and Lindsay, their fates and future as the cream of the crop in Monte Vista Point are put under threat when Ashley and her boyfriend, Austin, capture incriminating footage of them fighting. This is far from a small bout; Josh is seen attempting to inflict physical harm. It’s enough to set their panic stations rocking. Both Ashley and Austin aren’t stupid: they leverage the footage and blackmail Josh and Lindsay into handing them favors. Their goal is to stop the divide and “split wealth equally.” Before long, Ashley is promoted to a higher-paying job (with Josh firing the previous employee with no reason). From her position, Ashley then pulls some strings to make her boyfriend Austin the resident sports therapist (a job he’s obviously out of his depth in, but who’s going to question it?). As Ashley and Austin continue to have Josh squashed under their Gen Z thumbs, they get greedy, and the favors get bigger. Ultimately, they settle the deal by squeezing 45K out of him, as well as health insurance. Whether or not they backed up the incriminating footage remains to be seen. 

It might appear as if both Ashley and Austin are living the lives of Riley, but they have heartbreak of their own. For instance, after feeling immense pain, Ashley learns that she has an ovarian cyst, which can be fatal if not treated quickly. It also hinders her chances of pregnancy, something she wants more than anything. What’s more, Austin — who’s innocent enough but definitely a bit of a drip — falls for Eunice (Seoyeon Jang), the interpreter for Chairwoman Park. He has a bond towards her due to her Korean heritage, which drives a wedge between him and Ashley at a point where she’s highly emotionally volatile

Beef. (L to R) Charles Melton as Austin Davis, Seoyeon Jang as Eunice in episode 203 of Beef. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

The first season was widely praised for its timeliness, and this season is no different. One element I found particularly eye-opening was the portrayal of the flawed American healthcare system. When Ashley is admitted to the hospital, she’s left stranded with long waiting times and charged outlandish prices. It shines a spotlight on the healthcare system as a real issue.

Beyond the real social issues, this season holds a mirror up to certain Generation Z audiences, perhaps a little too gratuitously at times. From Austin’s inability to perform his job without using the Zeitgeist AI app ChatGPT, to Ashley’s annoyance at not being able to use WiFi on a flight, to myriad off-the-cuff references to Gen Z culture — it never goes too long without reminding young people about their generational habits.

The season culminates in a trip from the United States to Korea. It’s a great touch for the series to head to Korea, especially for its creator Lee Sung Jin and the Korean cast. Given the success of the show, it feels right that episodes take place there. In terms of story, the trip offers a lot of fun, especially in the beef sense. There’s passive-aggressive beef and intense action. There’s a particularly well-choreographed one-shot action sequence that takes place. As for the Korea storyline in general, it serves as the overarching story. I wasn’t as invested as I was between the couples, but nevertheless, it serves as a fun, adventurous endgame to the season.  

As expected, the casting for BEEF Season 2 is once again spot on. The quality of the cast was never in doubt. Look no further than Oscar Issac, who in recent years has become one of those quintessential Hollywood ‘Golden boys’ in recent years, not entirely unlike Pedro Pascal. Isaac delivers another exceptional performance, bringing unparalleled pretentiousness as the country club general manager, and also a brilliant emotional performance. Carey Mulligan is equally brilliant alongside Isaac — I’m excited to see her starring in Netflix’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew later this year. Supporting star Mikaela Hoover was a fun addition as Ava, a wealthy and influential member of an elite country club, but it always felt like she was a comic relief character more than anything else; underutilized would be an understatement. 

MVP

Cailee Spaeny — For a season with four protagonists, it’s hard to choose just one. But 27-year-old Cailee Spaeny leads the series with a wide-ranging performance. Her character goes through the wringer more than anyone, from medical trauma to relationship issues — and Spaeny portrays it in a sincere, raw, and powerful performance. She’s central to everything great about this season. 

Verdict

While keeping the essence of what made Season 1 so popular, BEEF Season 2 tells a very different type of story. Showrunner Lee Sung Jin doesn’t repackage the first season, he builds on everything that worked and pens a story that elevates the stakes, generates more beef, and keeps you engaged right through to the end. Is it better than the first act? Yes — and that’s about as high a compliment as I can give.