Streaming: Dark Comedy "Beef" Serves Grade-A Entertainment

By Christopher James

The littlest things can make a person snap. Minor inconveniences can pile up into a mountain of indignation, such as something being missing at the store or a garbage bag breaking when taking the trash out.

The two sides of Netflix’s pitch black comedy Beef have built quite an impressive mountain of rage, a volcano about to erupt at any second. Every business plan that Danny (Steven Yeun) comes up with has been destined for failure. He’s trying to provide for his parents but every get rich quick scheme fails and sets him further into a hole. While Danny thinks success will bring happiness, Amy (Ali Wong) proves that wealth and power doesn’t guarantee it...

A successful business owner with a beautiful house, gorgeous husband and sweet daughter, Amy has it all. Still, she's paralyzed by the fear that it could all fall apart at any moment. These two rage-filled humans collide in a Home Depot parking lot, when their cars nearly hit each other. One honk and flipped bird later and the two are careening around Southern California in an epic, road rage chase  straight out of an action film.

After such a big set piece, does Beef have enough juice to sustain ten episodes?

Surprise, it absolutely does!

Creator Lee Sung-Jin has crafted an ambitious comedy that delves deep into the human psyche. Each episode ups the ante as Amy and Danny embark in their epic war. Certain jumps threaten to lose the audience with big and broad swings, but everything is grounded by these two vivid protagonists, brought to life with fantastic performances from Yeun and Wong.

To delve into the plot machinations of future episodes of Beef could remove some of the shocking magic. It’s not quite a show of twists and turns, rather more like a cause-and-effect snowball where each action hurls our feuding pair into an unexpected direction. Calling it a dark comedy is accurate, but that undercuts the tricky blend of bite and empathy it has for its flawed characters. It improves on the high wire blend of pathos and laughs of season one of Russian Doll with the salacious satire of early seasons of Showtime’s Weeds. 

The greatest magic trick of Beef is how it critiques both of its characters, while still having compassion for their plights. In particular, Ali Wong delivers a deft and unapologetic performance, adding depth to Amy’s wells of anger. Within the ivy walls of her brand new Calabasas McMansion, each of Amy’s smiles is tinged with resentment. Her artist husband, George (Joseph Lee), thinks he can relate to her, but the pressure of providing for the family is omnipresent. This feeling that she must keep every plate spinning at all times is incredibly relatable. Any false move and Amy believes what she worked for will end.  Her life is a balance beam, while everyone else appears to her like they're walking with ease on solid ground; It’s relatable and grounding.

Steven Yeun is incredibly skilled at making audiences fall in love with flawed, idealistic men. Danny is an even tougher nut to crack. However, Yeun dramatizes how this feud becomes one of the few things that keeps Danny energized and distracted. He tries to supplant his animosity for Amy by joining a church. However, like every other endeavor in his life, he gives of himself until he resents getting taken advantage of. Danny’s relationship with his brother, Paul (Young Mazino), on the surface relies on cliche. Danny thinks of Paul as a slacker, someone who sits behind his computer aimlessly betting the family’s chances for success on big crypto schemes with variable chances for success. However, Danny willingly puts himself on the cross as the martyr brother, and Paul just wants some attention and credit for similarly trying to advance the family.

These relationships aren’t just expertly acted, the visual composition of the series aids the complex exploration of these characters and elevates the plot proceedings.

The use of art throughout Beef isn’t just a stylistic choice as it factors into the plot. Amy’s wealth is in large part thanks to George’s successful artist parents. Their totem becomes a bargaining chip and point of contention throughout the season. Additionally, it speaks to the way that images and objects can cause reactions and ripple effects that extend through our life. Maria Bello relishes every moment of her role as an narcissistic billionaire Amy is trying to woo. Her character is elevated above caricature in particular for what she values: Companies, ideas and, in the end, invaluable art pieces more than money.  In the function of the show, each title card is paired to a garish, striking painting. None of them are inherently violent, but set the tone for the distressed, angry souls on display. We, the audience, are primed for the tale because of how we respond to the art presented in the show.

This confident visual motif is one of many in this bold new show. Yet, Beef’s assured voice is sometimes cut at the knees with over-plotting, namely with Danny’s criminal cousin, Isaac (David Choe), and his buffoon lackeys that feel ripped from a Breaking Bad parody. These few false notes don’t betray the assured perspective behind the other main characters. Beef is one of the more original seasons of TV this year. A-

All ten episodes of Beef are streaming on Netflix, starting on Thursday, April 6th.

Comments

[Finbar McBride]

I am curious to see how Emmy voters will react to Beef. The series is certainly deserving, but the dark comedic tone is not standard fare for television awards.

For me, the show echoes the Emmy winning Nurse Jackie, the seven year Showtime series revolving around a highly skilled nurse in an urban ER who juggles marriage and children and an affair with the hospital’s pharmacist who supplies addict Jackie with opioids.

I think the rage evident in Beef echoes an anger we see on the news, in our communities, and in ourselves. I will be watching in July to see if this fine program lands on the Emmy ballot.

[Ryan T.]

Just finished watching this... magnificent! And in no small part to the staggering performances from Yeun and Wong. Those last three episodes especially didn't hold back.

[Peggy Sue]

Steven Yeun is an excellent actor.

Love the episode titles.