Beef (Season 2)

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⭐9/10

This is the follow up season to a show I loved, and I was super confident I'd love this one too because just look at that lineup! This season features all new characters in a new storyline, totally detached from Season 1, and even the premise is quite different. 

In this one, a young couple (Melton and Spaeney) are down on their luck, but luckily get leverage over their boss and his wife (Oscar Isaac and Mulligan) to get things they want. Each of these characters are wildly different, especially in terms of how they approach conflict, so it's fun watching them lock horns all season. 

My most prominent thought watching this was: out with the old and in with the new! Isaac and Mulligan are some of the best actors we have, and I felt they were completely outdone by Melton and Spaeney who might very well be the best we have in the next generation. I think their characters were a lot more interesting and all, but man, they capture these layers and complexities so well, both being compelling and super funny. 

Compelling and funny is kinda the name of the game in these recent A24 productions. This one had that same signature style, being snappy and smart, clever in it's writing, and being too close to home in terms of how you relate to these characters, being mindful of how the modern mind works and depicting it in art before the Internet consciousness does. 

I still had some minor complaints. Like the last season, I was not super impressed by the pretty "out there" finale, but that's probably more a matter of taste. I also don't love shows that feature so much uncomfortable arguing, so I found it stressful to watch and tough to come back to. I mean, it's the point of the show, and I respect it, but it made us take a lot longer to get through this one. 

But a worthy second season. It reminds me a lot of White Lotus and I'm happy Netflix gets to have a few good shows too. 

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