In what’s proving to be a pretty wild turn of events, this series has stormed into the #10 spot on Netflix‘s Top 10 Most Watched list, despite losing half of its viewership from its first season. Fans are disgruntled that the series has moved to an anthology format—a fact which the creator has been open about for any future seasons of the show beyond the first. Though the first season also failed to launch until a few weeks into its run on the platform, that may be the case with Season 2 as well; it just needs a few weeks to find its footing.
The first season of Beef debuted to critical acclaim, with casual viewers going crazy over the insanity of the narrative. The story centered on two strangers (Ali Wong, Steven Yeun) as a road-rage incident between them slowly consumes their every thought and action. Season 2, however, focuses on a quieter, though no less toxic, workplace drama that pits two couples against each other and themselves in violent, manipulative ways. Lee Sung Jin, the series’ creator, had always planned on stepping away from the aggression overdrive that propelled Season 1 forward, saying, “I thought Season 2 should be the inverse: a passive-aggressive beef, which is more true to life, especially in a workplace.”
It’s one of those occasions when the critics got it right—the fact that this season is “quieter” in no way takes away from the story it tells, or makes it seem lacking compared to the first season. And while less in your face about the brutality of the events taking place, it’s no less fraught. “This is a masterful story and another achievement for Lee Sung Jin as a writer and creative talent,” says critic Alex Maidy. Critic George M. Thomas adds, “Beef offers more than its share of surprises, proves to be razor sharp in its criticism of society, especially the flawed systems that cause harm in this country, and is the type of compelling television that is imminently bingeable.”
And now that the creator has made his stance on the fact that Beef was always meant to be an anthology, perhaps certain fans won’t let their disappointment at the loss of Wong and Yeun override what could have been genuine enjoyment of something a little different than the original.
What are your thoughts on the viewership drop for the second season of Beef? Do you have a favorite moment from the season? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
