Beef

Beef is an acquired taste–decadent, depraved, yet cathartic. But once you develop a taste for it, you simply can’t get enough.

The filet mignon of stories about pettiness and hostility, the edgy comedy takes a look at how anger can be a source of motivation and creativity when channeled properly. It works as a vicarious vent for our own frustrations: nasty yet somehow therapeutic.

Of course, it’s also about how destructive and misplaced our fury can become.

The show has topped the Netflix charts around the world, and 10 days after its premiere, it’s still percolating in media and social conversations, including where I am in the Philippines.  Why, you might wonder?  Despite the over the top antics, the story is actually relatable, one that could happen anywhere because people worldwide are frustrated right now. Blame it on the pandemic, the economy, war, the political climate — the list of deeper triggers is long.

My own beef with Hollywood has always been its botched attempt at ‘positive representation,’ where films lazily portray Asians as either two-dimensional characters lacking agency or worse, caricatures that perpetuate racial stereotypes. Beef is an example of what meaningful representation should look like.

Though most of the cast in Beef are Asian Americans, their roles are fully realized, with nuances and flaws, and what transpires could happen to anyone; the characters just happen to be Asian Americans.

Steven Yeun and Ali Wong have great chemistry playing mortal enemies with kindred souls, and they dish out satisfying performances that will entertain, irritate, and in the end make you empathize.

The supporting characters are equally appealing and properly fleshed out. Beef is wonderfully written, and each scene is expertly plated — which makes every plot point easily digestible. The 10-part series just flows, like a 10-course meal that you can consume in one sitting.

It may not offer a solution to dealing with anger issues, but sometimes in order to move forward, we need to tap into the darkest corners of our psyche. Beef exposes the darkness, so we can see the light.