Beef Creator Lee Sung Jin Has Three Seasons Planned
Where's the "Beef"? On Netflix, of course!
(Clears throat.) It's a testament to Lee Sung Jin's darkly tragicomical thriller that it's generated serious buzz based almost exclusively on word of mouth instead of being a recognizable IP. The series, for the uninitiated, stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as, respectively, ambitious small-time businesswoman Amy Lau and struggling contractor Danny Cho, two average people who end up in an emotionally-violent confrontation over an otherwise unremarkable vehicular accident in a department store parking lot. However, what starts as a rather intense road rage incident soon after spirals into something far more terrible and destructive.
Describing "Beef" in his review for /Film, Jeremy Mathai writes that the series "nimbly [switches] gears from a dramedy to a comedic farce to an almost surrealist fable at points," the cumulative effect of which is a superb acting showcase for Yeun and Wong powered by "some of the sharpest, driest, and most satisfying writing we've seen since the conclusion of FX's 'Atlanta.'" Without wading into spoiler territory, it's fair to say "Beef" also wraps up in a manner that's perfectly befitting of a story about our habits of being our own worst enemies (that and, on another level, second-generation Asian-American angst). However, Lee believes there's still plenty of bad blood to resolve between Amy and Danny, and he already has a plan for where things could go next.
Mo Beef mo problems
These days, if you're going to create an original show for streaming, it's probably best not to bank on getting a second season to tell the story you really had in mind. For every "Poker Face" that takes off thanks to word of mouth, there are countless non-IP streaming series that die a quiet death after a single installment, regardless of their quality. (Pardon me as I pause to shed a tear for "Reboot.") Speaking to Rolling Stone, Lee Sung Jin said that he kept that in mind while developing "Beef," yet was careful to avoid shutting the door completely on future seasons. He explained:
"I wanted it to have a conclusive feel just in case, but there are a lot of ideas on my end to keep this story going. I think should we be blessed with a season 2, there's a lot of ways for Danny and Amy to continue. I have one really big general idea that I can't really say yet, but I have three seasons mapped out in my head currently."
Perhaps it's because streamers are in the habit of limiting even their most successful non-IP shows to no more than three seasons for financial reasons (save for monster hits like "Stranger Things"), but Lee isn't alone in sketching out a three-part story arc for his series ahead of time. Long-time TV veteran Bill Lawrence has similarly talked about going into his current shows, "Ted Lasso" and "Shrinked," with three-season roadmaps, and even then he tends to wind down each new installment in a place that could (mostly) suffice as a series conclusion if needs be. Lee, it seems, took an identical approach — though, with a little luck, Amy and Danny's "Beef" may yet continue.
"Beef" is streaming on Netflix.