One of Netflix’s best shows ever is back with new season streaming now

The new batch of episodes might even be better than the first.

Premiering in April 2023, the first season of the comedy crime thriller followed the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers (Ali Wong and Steven Yeun) in California.

Unable to let the incident go, the pair became entangled in a prolonged feud of increasing stakes, one which threatened to unravel their lives and relationships.

Beef S1 was renowned for its performances, its rich characters, its unpredictable story and how it blended a black comedy crime thriller with a more complex, serious drama about the pressures and struggles of second-generation immigrants, mental health, self-destruction and existentialism.

In October 2023, Netflix officially renewed the series for a second season. Beef S2 sees the show shift to an anthology format, as it will follow a whole new story and cast of characters.

The new season centres around a young, cash-strapped couple, Ashley (Cailee Spaeny, Alien: Romulus) and Austin (Charles Melton, Warfare), who work together at an elite country club.

When their boss, Josh (Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis), drops his wallet, the couple journeys to his home to return it to him. There, they witness Josh and his wife, Lindsay (Carey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis Island), in the middle of a massive fight.

Believing Lindsay is being attacked by Josh, Ashley and Austin record footage of the incident. Though this was not the case, the pair use the clip to blackmail the boss and his wife. This is after the uninsured Ashley finds out she has a serious health condition that requires expensive surgery.

The blackmail plot triggers a series of "chess moves of favours and coercion" within the club as the two couples also vie for the approval of its new billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung, Minari).

JOE recently spoke to one of Beef's writers Alex Russell about his excellent debut movie: the stalker thriller Lurker.

You can read a transcript of our interaction with Russell when we asked him about Beef S2 below:

Having seen the first two episodes of Beef S2, JOE wholeheartedly agree with Russell's assessment.

Carey Mulligan in Beef season two

While we're still early in the season, the second batch of episodes could even be better than the first.

Beef S2 retains the complex but compelling characters, the rich themes, the sharp writing, the black humour, and the unpredictable plotting of S1.

This time around, though, the story feels tighter, and the comedy hits harder. Also, Isaac and Mulligan are electric in the lead roles, clearly having fun embodying their fascinatingly flawed characters.

Rising stars Melton and Spaeny also make for a great foil for the pair to bounce off of.

The first two seasons of Beef are streaming on Netflix right now.