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I couldnt stop watching Netflixs best returning show of 2026 but it has one glaring problem

The second season of Netflixs hit drama Beef has one distracting issue that stops it reaching the heights of its predecessor

[Cailee Spaeny as Ashley Miller]

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Netflixs best returning show of 2026 has one glaring problem(Image: NETFLIX)

Beef almost justifies its three-year hiatus but one thing kept bothering me.

I was completely addicted to the second season of Lee Sung Jins hit drama Beef, but it might feature some of the stupidest TV characters in recent memory.

As a Zillennial viewer (born in the mid-90s cusp of Gen Z and Millennials), it has become increasingly frustrating to watch films and shows penned by middle-aged writers whose limited understanding of the younger generations boils down to social media buzzwords and phone addiction.

Thankfully, Beef, for the most part, sidesteps this with complex and layered characters with real-world problems. Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligans Gen X, upper-middle-class Josh and Lindsay are deeply flawed and entitled, yet both their relationship and actions within the series, whilst heightened for the sake of drama, feel three-dimensional.

Ashley (played by Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton), meanwhile, are initially the more sympathetic of Beefs central quartet; hopelessly yet co-dependently in love, theyre desperate for a baby they clearly cant afford and resort to desperate measures in the hopes of paying for IVF treatment. They also happen to be incredibly nave, ill-informed, and at points so stupid it was hard to continue.

[Oscar Isaac and Charles Melton]

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Beef season 2 could have the stupidest TV characters of the year(Image: NETFLIX)

Both Spaeny and Melton are brilliant in their roles and Beef creator Lees angle is clearly intentional, using Ashleys blackmail attempt as well as her health woes to highlight how the younger generation has been shafted across the board, whether its by the US economy at large, the predatory healthcare system, or a job market that has become infested with nepotism and corruption.

However, Ashley and Austin completely lack the awareness of most 20-somethings Ive met who at least know the system is broken, even if theyre not equipped to deal with it. These two have one bright idea - threatening to release footage of Joshs near-violent altercation with his wife Lindsay to get a middling promotion - and then spend most of the series as pawns for the larger conspiracy at play.

Its not just their lack of agency that frustrated me. They consistently prove they have very little between the ears beyond white noise and an unhealthy obsession with each other. While Ashley is arguably positioned as the most sympathetic character, a wince-inducing visit to the hospital is undercut by her baffling misunderstanding of the pain scale. I thought it was like Letterboxd, she admits, after suggesting a 5/10 means she wouldnt be feeling any pain.

[Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny]

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Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny as young couple Austin and Ashley(Image: NETFLIX)

Ashley also soon proves herself to be both incompetent at her ill-earned managerial role and easily manipulated by Josh, begging the question why the couple didn't opt for the usual blackmail tactic of demanding a sum of money, rather than a promotion to a job she clearly didnt prepare for?

Austin, meanwhile, is made intentionally out of step with his Korean heritage, but his ignorance often stretches credulity, especially when both North and South Korea have dominated headlines in recent years. At one point he mistakenly refers to dictator Kim Jong Un as a member of BTS - one of the most popular bands in the world, Korean or otherwise - while a moment in the season finale hinges on his painfully rudimentary understanding of the language, leading to his white companions to step in and save the day.

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[Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan]

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the 15 Essential TV plan. This lets customers watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes the new season of Beef.

Plus, his himbo energy even extends to his grasp of the English language - I find it hard to believe that anyone can get to his age without knowing misc. is short for miscellaneous.

Overall, Beef season two still gets a double thumbs from me, despite the fact that no eight-episode instalment of television should take a whopping three years to come out. I just want to issue a plea to the clearly ingenious screenwriter Lee to include some smarter Zoomers next time.

Beef season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.

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