TV: FROM ROAD RAGE TO EMOTIONAL MAZE: EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF NETFLIX'S “BEEF"

BY IRVIN RIVERA

As the climax of netflix’s beef reached its heights and the imminent fading of the frames of Amy and Anny close to the closing credits are imminent, all I could think of was some of the last few words of Amy (Ali Wong’s character) towards the end when she was walking with Danny in one of the moments during the final episode- “yeah, but we could slow down, right?” I don’t want this show to end but it has to. But dang, what a beautiful, masterful work by Lee Sung Jin and the whole cast.

Netflix’s BEEF is layer after layers of escalating quantum, physical, psychological, emotional and cultural entanglements of seemingly inevitable events presented with fearlessness, grit, honesty and grace. The parallelisms of Amy and Danny’s lives and the feeling of not knowing where the show will take is what hooked me on this ride and committed myself to bingeing the whole season in one go. To say that this is a wild, enjoyable rollercoaster of a ride is an understatement.

Steven Yeun (Danny) and Ali Wong’s (Amy) performances are topnotch in this series. You can tell their massive commitment to their craft and as an audience member, they really drew me into their world during the first few minutes. The supporting characters also delivered memorable performances all throughout- Young Mazino (as Steven Yeun’s brother), David Choe (as Yeun’s cousin), Justin H Min, Ashley Park, Joseph Lee and more completed the various pieces of this twisted, wild, beautiful messy puzzle of a world that started from a random road rage from two individuals whose lives will be entangled in all sorts of unpredictable chaos.

Although the show tried to touch on a LOT of topics and issues like the contrast between the rich and the poor, the grounded emotional, calm people over the angry, outwardly, individuals, Eastern and Western cultural differences, family dynamics, time differences, generational traumas, childhood traumas, etc., it was still able to present them as guides to effectively propel the narrative of the plot and deepen the dynamic character development of the characters.

It’s raw- people are just assholes, yet magnetic. it’s also dynamic, it’s dramatic and it’s engaging- these were the things that I love about this show. It’s not just the prevalence of beautiful Asian faces on screen, but also the relatable narratives and experiences presented throughout. Kudos to the writes and the visual team!

Speaking of visuals, I just want to highlight the beautiful opening credit title art by David Choe as well as the typography treatment throughout the show. If you appreciate good art, you’ll know what I mean.

You should watch it and give it a try if you angry Asian people trying to outsmart and outlast each other. It’s like Survivor, but scripted, and in a long, yet bingeable Netflix show. But seriously, Beef deserves the praises it got from critics.

It’s a must-watch emotionally charged tale of entangled individuals fueled by rage and are actually, deeply seeking refuge and comfort from their loneliness.