Steven Yeun’s Netflix Hit Returns, Flipping the Script
Beef is back: Netflix just dropped all eight episodes of Season 2, delivering a fresh twist on Steven Yeun’s acclaimed comedy-drama that earned a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating in 2023.
Well, Netflix just dropped something a little unexpected—Beef is officially back for Season 2, and if you thought you knew what to expect, think again. The follow-up to Steven Yeun and Ali Wong’s darkly funny, positively unhinged 2023 drama series (which critics basically worshipped) is now streaming in its entirety. But that’s not even the big twist—this time, it’s a totally new story with a whole new cast, some of whom are surprisingly high-wattage.
The Big Switcheroo: Who's In, Who's Out
If you were hoping to see Yeun and Wong chasing each other in parking lots again, tough luck—they’re not on screen this time, but they’re still calling the shots as executive producers. Taking over are Oscar Isaac (yes, that Oscar Isaac) and Carey Mulligan, giving Beef Season 2 a serious upgrade in dramatic firepower.
- Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan lead the season.
- Charles Melton (May December) plays Austin Davis.
- Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) is Ashley Miller.
- Youn Yuh-jung (Minari, Pachinko) takes the role of Chairwoman Park.
- Song Kang-ho (Parasite) plays Dr. Kim.
- William Fichtner (Contact) is Troy.
- Mikaela Hoover (Superman) is Ava.
- K-pop star BM appears as Woosh.
Maybe not the regular Netflix bench, right? There’s something kind of wild about seeing such a stacked lineup all dropped into the same offbeat show.
New Story, Same Attitude
Season 2 tosses the old storyline (farewell, road rage spiral) and starts fresh. Here’s the setup: A Gen-Z couple—Ashley Miller and Austin Davis, both low-ranking staff at a fancy country club—get way too close to a messy fight between their Millennial boss and his wife. Suddenly, the newly-engaged pair are tangled in the marital meltdown of their boss, Joshua Martín, and his wife, Lindsay.
There’s also a power struggle with the club’s billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park, who’s busy playing damage control with her own scandal (her second husband, Dr. Kim, is at the center of that storm). So, it’s mess on top of mess—favor-trading, secrets, and a lot of scheming. If you enjoy watching privileged weirdos spiral, buckle up.
In Season 2, a Gen-Z couple witnesses an alarming fight between their Millennial boss and his wife. Newly-engaged Ashley Miller and Austin Davis, both lower-level staff at a country club, become entangled in the unraveling marriage of their General Manager, Joshua Martín, and his wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín. Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club's billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park, who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim.
Who’s Behind The Scenes?
Lee Sung Jin, the creator of both seasons, is still running the show. Direction comes from Jake Schreier, with writing credits for Ethan Kuperberg and Anna Ouyang Moench. Odd detail: the lead actors—Mulligan, Isaac, Melton, and Spaeny—are producing as well, so I guess it’s an all-hands-on-deck affair. As before, it’s an A2 (A24) production, so expect slickness and a little strangeness.
The short version? Beef Season 2 is a whole new animal—same show, but with a different story, big-name cast, and plenty of the same sharp bite. All eight episodes are streaming now, so if you missed the chaos the first time, now’s your chance.