Netflix’s Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, was a phenomenon upon its release in 2023. At the time, everyone thought that the show would be nothing more than a limited series. Now in 2026, Beef has taken the anthology route with a brand new eight-episode season. Beef season two follows two couples at a high-society country club in Montecito, California. One of those couples is the millennials Josh (Oscar Isaac), the club’s general manager, and his interior designer wife, Lindsay (Carey Mulligan). On the flip side of that coin is the newly engaged Gen Z couple, Austin (Charles Melton) and Ashley (Caliee Spaeny). When an act of violence occurs, it throws the couples into a beef that will change them all for better or worse.
Beef season two is an entirely different animal compared to its predecessor. Co-writer, director, and creator Lee Sung Jin has lots to say in this season. That includes things further than just the “beef” of the titular characters. Instead, it deals with deeper themes of betrayal, lust, identity, power, and social class. If anything can be said for certain about Beef season two is that it is brimming with ideas. The question is whether those ideas make a cohesive and effective finished product. In the case of this season, sometimes those ambitions exceed the show’s grasp. That said, the season as a whole is anything but a disaster.
Our four titular characters are played by some of today’s most engaging actors. Lee Sung Jin knows this, and when the “beef” of the season is present, the show is a thrill. This is largely thanks to the complexity of the performances. Starting with Isaac and Mulligan, the characters Josh and Lindsey risk being archetypal. That involves their rich lifestyle, which is shrouded in risk. Not just in how they live, but what they have to be willing to do to keep it. Almost thirteen years after their collaboration in Inside Llewyn Davis and Drive, both Isaac and Mulligan slip back into their rapport. Saying “rapport” in this case means more than just comedic tinges.
Both Isaac and Mulligan translate a sense of comfort with one another on screen. This includes a warmth and absolute viciousness that transpires throughout the season. The lengths they go to in order to deliver sardonic humor feel real and lived-in, giving these characters genuine believability. While the words are cold and calculating, their arguing comes from a place of closeness. We, as an audience, feel a history delivered through meanness. It delivers something wholly engaging, even when the character’s individual drama feels less compelling. Granted, it’s hard to say anything otherwise with performers this capable at the helm.
On the flipside of that coin, we have Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton. Their characters, Austin and Ashley, have a real, passionate love from their first scene. The performances exist as a polar opposite of Josh and Lindsay, giving all of the characters an interesting dichotomy. Their tenderness is obviously infectious to the audience, evoking a feeling similar to Josh and Lindsay’s relationship. Granted, Austin and Ashley’s dynamic is certainly more loving compared to Josh and Lindsay’s vitriol. Spaeny and Melton effectively convey that tenderness, with viewers knowing more is bubbling under the surface. Watching all of these characters’ individual moments and interplay among all four is a delight. The problems come into place once the plot gains momentum.
Lee Sung Jin is flirting with more than just a “beef” between characters here. This includes the Academy Award-winning Youn Yuh-jun and Song Kang-ho in other key roles. Both actors deliver effective performances, further enveloping the themes and ideas of class throughout this season. Making that choice morphs the show into an almost corporate thriller. In turn, that trades the moments of dark comedy and one-upsmanship between our titular characters. It lessens the bite of the season as a whole, angling for more sentimentality. When such moments happen, it takes an unnecessary bite out of Beef season two. The thriller elements are certainly entertaining, but feel like an entirely different show.
That tonal shift is certainly not the cast’s fault whatsoever. Isaac, Mulligan, Spaeny, and Melton know the right notes to hit in their characters. Each balances the humor and underlying tension and sadness enveloping them. Such emotions stem not only from the current situation but also from deeper seeds sown earlier in the season. Including those thriller-esque elements makes them feel like homages and tributes to earlier films. It’s certainly effective, clearly reflecting Lee-Sung Jin’s affection for the genre. But being the second season in a hit series, the choice will leave many viewers wanting more. I can’t deny the swing the season takes, but with such devotion to those elements steering away from the titular “beef”, it will leave some to feel bored.
Beef season two is one of 2026’s most ambitious seasons of television. Lee-Sung Jin throws a lot at the wall, yet not all of it sticks. To be clear, that should not be considered a bad thing. The ambitions are admirable, particularly in his comments on class, which create a very entertaining season of television. That is largely thanks to the performances across the board. The performances are so exciting and unpredictable that the entertainment value is hard to ignore. Each individual actor and the combined strength of all of them deliver mostly captivating television. For some, the strength of those performances alone makes Beef season two worth viewers’ time. It’s particularly in the last moment of the series that delivers enough of a payoff to leave me pining for a third season. That is, even if the destination leaves a stronger impression than the journey.
Beef Season Two is now available to stream on Netflix.
Learn more about the show at the Netflix site for the title.
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