Those Crows At The Beginning Of The ‘Beef’ Finale Might Have Deeper Meaning
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
The new Netflix series Beef is dominating the Netflix charts. And for good reason: the star-studded cast is incredible, it's a dark comedy with some out-there plotlines, and it was brought to us by the good people at A24 (a.k.a. the geniuses behind Everything Everywhere All At Once). So naturally, viewers are dying to know what happens at the end of the show.
ICYDK, Oscar-nominated Steven Yeun plays Danny Cho, a contractor who's involved in a road rage incident with Amy Lau (the brilliant and hilarious Ali Wong). Things spiral from there, with the two of them working on overdrive attempting to ruin each others’ lives. In the finale, things are looking pretty dismal for both of them, but they end up in the wilderness together and seem to come to at least some level of understanding—until things go south again.
So, what happens at the end of Beef, and more importantly, what does it mean? Here’s the deal—and the theories. (Spoilers ahead.)
Who actually caused the house fire in episode 7?
Just before the series ends, Danny receives the most devastating blow. His house—the one he spent so much time, effort, and energy building—burns to the ground. Initially, Danny assumes this is somehow caused by Amy, which fuels their beef even more.
However, a fire investigator later informs Danny that the house burned down due to faulty electrical wiring. Rather than admit his own fault (Danny built the house and boasted about doing the wiring himself while on a video call with his parents), he doubles down and tells his brother Paul (Young Mazino) that Amy was responsible, which in turn leads Paul to confront Amy's husband.
What happens in Beef episode 9?
A whole lot. Things escalate between Amy and Danny, and police are called to the scene. Danny's friend Michael (Andrew Santino) is shot by police and dies, while cousin Isaac (David Choe) and Bobby (Rek Lee) are arrested. Naomi (Ashley Park) and Amy survive the situation, but Amy learns that her husband George (Joseph Lee) got their daughter June and took her home, leaving Amy behind. Naturally, that didn’t go over well.
What happens in Beef episode 10?
This is a real turning point for Amy and Danny. Both of their cars go over a cliff and they’re stuck in the wilderness together, forced to lean on each other for survival. Without the distractions of the outside world and cell service, the pair are forced to actually talk to each other. Things also get pretty intense out there (at one point they both genuinely believe they're going to die), and they both get injured—but they eventually make it out fine…or relatively fine (more on that in a sec).
They accidentally make themselves hallucinate
While trying to survive in the wilderness, the two eat some “elderberries” and start hallucinating. Ultimately, they end up talking about deep stuff (life, trauma, and philosophy) and start to see each other as real, legit people—not enemies.
This moment is actually the turning point in the show. Throughout their lives, Amy and Danny both wanted to be accepted by the people they love most (Paul and George), but ultimately only truly feel acceptance from each other, during this moment they share together. In this scene, they seemingly realize they are more alike than different, and, perhaps, need each other.
How does it end?
Danny and Amy kind of make up as they make their way out of the wilderness, and things start to seem hopeful—Danny even learns that Paul is alive. However, George finds them and shoots Danny before realizing that he and Amy have made up.
It seems like Danny will survive in the end, though: the final scene shows him on a ventilator at a hospital with Amy sitting next to him. And, in the final moments, she gets into bed next to him and his arm moves, suggesting he’s alive.
Does that mean Amy and Danny get together?
Like any good ending, the final scene of Beef leaves a lot for its audience to interpret. Amy getting into bed and hugging Danny suggests a romantic spark could be flickering between them. In an interview with Elle, Beef creator Lee Sung Jin explained that this might be one way of looking at it. When Danny's arm moves indicating he's alive, it looks like it could be moving to embrace Amy back.
However, the screen cuts to black before the audience sees if Danny truly returns Amy's embrace, or if it simply appeared that he was going to do that. Of course, Lee Sung Jin planned it that way. “I just wanted that little extra something that makes you wonder what’s going to happen next, or what does this mean for Danny? What does it mean for Danny and Amy that he’s moving?" He told Elle.
Lee Sung Jin won't give a definitive answer for what that ending truly means—but he says he's open to what people think. "I think any time two people have that deep of a connection, it’s easy to extrapolate that. But I honestly don’t know. I’m very curious what would happen to Danny and Amy once they leave that room," Lee Sung Jin told Elle.
Ali Wong had her own interpretation of that moment, that she explained in an interview with TVLine: "[Danny is] the only person she’s let really see her and I don’t know if she even let it happen. It just happened and she realizes how much she appreciates it. And now with the risk of Danny dying, she’s just like, ‘Please don’t go away. I’ve never felt more at home in my life,'” she told TVLine.
The Smashing Pumpkins song at the end is a huge hint.
Any Smashing Pumpkins fans may have more insight into what the final scene could mean. Lee Sung Jin really wanted the credits to role to "Mayonaise" by Smashing Pumpkins.
Mayonaise (2011 Remaster)
$1.29
amazon.com
"I’ve been wanting to use ["Mayonaise"] for quite some time. It was in the outline, and I’m so glad we actually got it," he told Elle.
Lee Sung Jin said this song in particular helps the audience get a better understanding of the ending. According to Genius, its lyrics are about the singer grappling with their understanding of what they want, going after their dream, and what they lost because of it.
One way of interpreting this in connection to the Beef ending is how much time Danny and Amy lost from their individual lives, and lives with each other, through their beef. However, they also probably wouldn't be in the position they are in the final scene without the beef. As Lee Sung Jin said, it's up for interpretation!
Did they actually survive?
Another (less likely) take on the Beef ending is that Amy and Danny didn't survive their cars going off a cliff. Go figure. The final episode's title "Figures of Light" could allude to the idea of the scenes playing out being a dream sequence, and nothing is actually happening. The opening scene of the final episode also opens with two crows in conversation. While Lee Sung Jin won't explain the exact meaning behind it, per TODAY, crows often represent death or tragedy in literature.
This could bring the meaning to be that carrying around beef with someone for so long can literally ruin your life, but I'm choosing to go down the romantic theory rabbit hole.
In an interview with Variety, Lee Sung Jin explained that the episode's title comes from a Carl Jung quote that was the "North Star" for the show. The full quote is "one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." This "dark conscious" might be death, but it could also be the darkness of having beef with someone. Either way, Lee Sung Jin also said this quote "sums up what the show is about."
One thing is for sure: There's no more beef.
Lee Sung Jin wanted the ending to evoke "a feeling of familiarity and home," per Elle, through Beef's ending. After their plight in the wilderness, their contempt turns into comfort. TBH, that makes sense. I'm sure getting lost in the wilderness is a sure way to create a bond with anyone—even people you get into minor car accidents with!
Alternatively, they both die, and with them, their beef does too. Either way, no more beef!
Is there going to be a season 2?
That's still unclear. Netflix has yet to confirm it either way. This is pretty typical—as the streamer tends to wait and see how a show performs before confirming another season. Considering Beef is currently ranked #1 on trending TV shows in the U.S., it seems likely it'll get renewed.
However, given the title of the show (and the squashed beef), it wouldn't make sense for the story of Amy and Danny to continue (sadly). Lee Sung Jin confirmed their story was over in his interview with Elle.
He also reportedly originally pitched the series as a limited anthology (think: The White Lotus), per The Hollywood Reporter. So a season 2 will probably include new characters, and new beef.
If you haven't already, you can (and should) stream Beef now on Netflix.
You Might Also Like
