By Kaia Condon

On April 6, 2023, “Beef”, an intense dark comedy series, was released on Netflix. Directed by Inman Young, with leading cast members Steven Yuen playing Danny Cho and Ali Wong as Amy Lau, the series focuses on two strangers who get into a road rage incident, which causes chaotic conflicts in their personal lives.

At first glance, one might think the show is lighthearted and funny, but as you continue watching, you see that it’s not the case, as the show begins covering serious conflicts; mentions of suicide, grief, and broken relationships. In the opening scenes, Danny and Amy are seen having a brief and unspoken conflict in a parking lot located in California. This causes a car chase, leading to nothing but anger on both ends. As the show progresses, the feud between the two characters begins to strengthen. In one scene, Danny goes into Amy’s house and urinates on the floor, so Amy paints “unkind” words and phrases on his truck. 

Throughout the series, the problems within their lives become increasingly exposed. Amy struggles with her husband, George and daughter, June. Danny also struggles with his family, as his brother Paul does not help in any way when Danny tries to get their parents into America from Korea. While Amy had married into an artist’s family who already had money, Danny didn’t have any money and had to work odd jobs to support his family. Even though they are coming from different situations, they both struggle with the same problem: family. 

This show includes a great representation of Asian-American culture. While the show is not focused specifically on the character's cultural background, it is included in small ways like the way they talk, how Danny will switch to Korean when he talks to his family, and in the way he prepares and eats food. In one episode, Amy and her husband have family issues surrounding her strict Chinese upbringing. In this show, mental health issues are also discussed. In one of the episodes, Danny has a mental breakdown when he goes to his first church service in a long time. After this, his character begins to change a lot, and for the better. Amy was also shown having a breakdown, and she deals with it by talking to another man and developing a relationship with him. 

Throughout the show, you can see that the series isn’t about a silly argument between strangers in a parking lot. It’s about the real struggle and emotions people have, and how similar you can really be to someone you don’t actually know.