Ray Richmond: ‘Beef’ has plenty to sink your teeth into, with a mind-blowing conclusion that defies expectation
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THIS COLUMN CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT THE 10-EPISODE SEASON OF “BEEF.”
A confession: I’m not generally one to binge a show. I like to do maybe two episodes at a time and let them marinate before moving on to the next one one or pair. It allows me time for the storyline, the performances and the overall effect to marinate and sink in. During more than 20 years as a TV critic, binging wasn’t ever even an option for me, since it was the era before streaming – and in fact I didn’t miss it.
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But all of that went out the window when I watched “Beef,” the Netflix comedic drama that dropped April 6 and has been building momentum ever since. I sat down to watch “Beef” and was immediately enthralled by the story that stars Amy Wong and Steven Yeun as two people from radically different worlds whose road rage incident sparks an ongoing feud that grows increasingly twisted and personal as they become utterly consumed with destroying each other. I watched the first two and put it aside…for about an hour, when my streaming account called out to me. This either speaks to the quality of the series or the fact I may have creeping schizophrenia. I’m hoping it’s the former. Regardless, by the next day I was back watching the remaining eight “Beef” episodes (there are 10 in all) in rapid succession. I grew increasingly hooked through the eighth episode. It was all wildly entertaining and seemed entirely plausible.
And then – whoa!
SEEEmmy buzz: Is ‘Beef’ ‘locked for the win’ for Best Limited Series?
To my mind, with the ninth episode, the show in some ways became even more intriguing due to a radical shift in tone. It felt like the writers and producers decided to screw with our heads to see what they could get away with, something you would probably never see in a network or probably even a cable show that made a mockery of our expectations. In short, “Beef” takes an even darker and more outrageous turn as it nears its conclusion. SPOILERS HERE There’s an accidental child kidnapping, a bungled heist, a shootout with the cops, a poisonous berry-induced hallucinatory trip, and a final shot that sees Danny (Yeun) and Amy (Wong) holding each other on a hospital bed. And every bit of it is incredibly surreal and created even more chatter than if it had gone in for a climax that was much more conventional and unsurprising.
In many ways, that’s the beauty of streaming content. There seem to be fewer limits than exist in the broadcast and cable worlds. You can craft a closing sequence of events that blows your very mind. And the “Beef” producers didn’t hold back. At all. The limited series has justifiably zoomed near the top of multiple Emmy races on Gold Derby, now in second place among limited series, trailing only “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Wong has rocketed up to second among actresses, Yeun to fourth among actors. And supporting players Young Mazino (terrific as Danny’s brother Paul), Joseph Lee (as Amy’s husband George) and Maria Bello (as the mega-successful businesswoman Jordan Forster) are all standouts with great sh0ts at nomination.
SEE‘Beef’: Steven Yeun and Ali Wong face off in ‘the funniest and boldest dark comedy since Atlanta’
I love the class clash at the heart of “Beef” that finds Danny as a failing, sometimes suicidal contractor and Amy as a unfulfilled entrepreneur who seemingly has it all (interesting work, loving and supportive husband, adorable daughter) but it isn’t enough. Danny seems constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown, and Amy isn’t far behind. Their ever-escalating clash is perfectly staged and seemingly almost preordained, given where each is mentally and emotionally in their lives.
It’s fascinating to watch all the chess pieces get moved and the personalities circle each other as “Beef” moves forward. You can’t wait to find out where it’s all heading, only to discover that where it’s going proves to be a three-ring circus of lunacy, all framed by a setup that has us on the edge of our seats wondering what these people could possibly do next.
For this and so many other reasons, it won’t be easy to vote against “Beef” in the top limited series race. Its premise and execution are just so colorfully original. There are surely numerous other worthy contenders striding toward nomination in the category, including Netflix’s creepy and surprisingly sensitive “Monster,” Apple TV+’s intense “Black Bird” and Nat Geo’s powerful and beautifully produced Holocaust-themed “A Small Light.” But “Beef” is starting to look like a frontrunner due to its brashness and fearlessness in veering off the rails and daring us to move past incredulity to embrace our inner anarchist.
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