Can you watch the second season of ‘BEEF’ without watching the first?
With the second season of BEEF due on April 16th, newcomers to Netflix might be righteously worried about whether they can watch the upcoming instalment without finishing the first.
Although it could have been difficult had it been any other ordinary series, since BEEF is an anthology series, watching the first season before the second isn’t an absolute must.
Each season of BEEF brings a self-contained story to the limelight with a new set of characters, fresh faces, and a different conflict. While the debut season followed the escalating dispute between Danny and Amy in the aftermath of a road rage incident, the second season opens in a new setting with a fresh premise, focusing on a completely different cast of characters.
The second season of BEEF follows a Gen Z couple who accidentally witness a concerning fight between their millennial boss and his wife. Although Ashley and Austin are lower-level staff at their country club, this incident soon makes them an unexpected aspect in the unravelling marriage and domestic life of Josh and Lindsay.
Despite the age gap between the couples, one thing remains common: they both vie for the approval of the club’s billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park, who can barely keep her own skeletons in the closet. So, needless to say, expect a conflict of emotions and understanding as BEEF season two dives deep once again into relationships and their evolution.
While it has been established that the second season of BEEF is an independent story in its own, showrunner Lee Sung Jin also told Tudum that he had always thought of the show as comprising separate stories of rage and rivalries.
“The intention was always to have it be an anthology. My early pitch to networks included slides with rough examples of potential ‘beefs’ for upcoming seasons,” he said. “However, because the show was in its first season and the future was uncertain, we intentionally wrote season one as a limited series….”
Having said that, although the first-season watch isn’t required for plot continuation and understanding, it is still highly recommended because both instalments explore similar themes of repressed anger, existential dread, and weird ways humans try to find connection.
Plus, just because Ali Wong and Steven Yeun aren’t appearing in the second season as cast members, it doesn’t mean they’re not involved at all. Both of them serve as executive producers for the new episodes of BEEF. So, you might want to make your own pick!