Beef (Season 1)

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⭐ 9/10

This show had been on the list for a long time, it just took Jess finally saying she didn't want to watch anymore for me to burn through it. This show is great - super easy premise that then boils over into a million different things. 2 people get in a road rage incident that quickly escalates from grudge to full on war.

One thing I noticed halfway through is how much was happening, how much time was elapsing, how many things change episode to episode, and I love it. Each episode I could feel theories brewing up about where this would end up by the end of the season, but they would blow past my ideas in an episode or two and then tons of other unexpected things would happen. Feels like its counter to the reddit theory-crafting game Severance or Lost have drilled in to us, and also very modern in its pace.

The performances here are great, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong are both incredible. Steven is this sad broke guy who just messes up everything, and Ali is a ball of fire who lives in a world where everyone is fake. Both play their roles so well, and when they are together it feels like the characters get to be their truest selves. The supporting cast is also fantastic, and I especially liked the innocent brother. A couple of the side characters are hilarious in a way I haven't seen since maybe Barry, and the show does an excellent job of including them without it feeling forced. There is some terrific church content in here too, and the addition of this church community is perfect in a show about the pent of anger of people trying to keep it all together.

Another thing that sets this show apart of the Netflix trash heap is the production design. Amy is a designer, and the house is so pristine and particular, tells you so much about not only her but her family. Every location feels real and specific, right down to the hallucinogenic finale. Feels like this should be true of all TV, but it isn't, and its so glaring when you get a show that nails its locations and sets like this.

Excited for season 2 and its anthology setup, but this feels like lightning in a bottle with these actors, this setup, and the arc all the characters go through. White Lotus proved me wrong, maybe this can too. Can't say I found the ending to be the most satisfying, but it hardly matters. Been a while since I've seen a show this compelling and also with this level of quality 

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