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Beef (2023– )
8/10
Beef; a tasty story with a large side of thrills
6 April 2023
There's a lot of good things to say about this show. The premise is what hooks you in; what happens when two of the most stubbornly angry people in California get involved in a road rage incident? Apparently a whirl wind of escalating bad choices that seem to get crazier with every interaction the two main characters, Danny (Steven Yeu) and Amy (Ali Wong), seem to have.

It's a beautifully written script that delivers a lot of drama, thrills, and emotional moments that may catch some people off guard. The characters have more depth than you would expect, and they all feel like real people who make realistic choices, albeit, that may not always be the case with our two protagonists/ anti-heroes. The show leans pretty deep into it's themes of existentialism, giving us two characters that are faced with unfulfilled lives and can't seem to figure out why. Regardless of how you would face this philosophical dilemma, it turns out Danny and Amy seem to cope with this unhappiness through regressed anger that finally explodes when they meet. For some, the middle may drag on a bit, but it all feels important to the overall story. The last few episodes go completely off the rails in a Tarantino-like fashion, but it's ending feels very satisfying and fitting with the rest of the story and delivers on its promise with its premise.

With its relatively short running time of about 30-40 mins (compared to the hour long episodes most series have) it hits the sweet spot in terms of pacing. The editing is purposeful and clever, and the music choice is also something to enjoy if you are a fan of 2000's rock music and the incredible voice of Steven Yeu (who really sings all the songs he performs in the show).

The acting performances from both Steven and Ali are what really brought this story to life. Aside from the anger being portrayed and highly enjoyable to watch, it was the emotional moments that were really the highlight for me. The range from both leads really helped make those moments hit harder, especially when you see Steven's character Danny go from a road-rage filled civilian belting all types of expletives, and only an episode later witness him break down in tears in a church of people singing.

Again, there is a lot to like about this show. It's structured very well and keeps the tension building from episode to episode, and for a show like this, it works to keep the audience engaged. This feels like a show that had a lot of time and effort put into it to get it just right and polished. I very much enjoyed it and hopefully others will too.
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