[imagesource:netflix]

Okay, kidding.

There is more to life than glueing your face to the screen, but honestly, this latest Netflix series about rampant road rage has the ability to make you feel things you otherwise wouldn’t.

Even though BEEF just lost its #1 spot in Netflix’s top 10 list to the next batch of episodes of Love is Blind – everyone wanted to see who says yes or no in the wedding finale – the unhinged show has captured the world.

BEEF begins with a fight in a parking lot and never really slows down, weaving a tale of manic revenge and karma between two strangers while taking momentary detours into deep money psychology, the ‘American dream’ insofar as it is available to people of colour, the blessed workings of a Korean American church, generation trauma, mental health, and art – loads of wacky art.

“The art in BEEF is a character in and of itself,” notes Tudum, a pop culture event that covers Netflix’s original films and television series.

From the legendary Tamago chair to Jordan’s infamous culturally appropriated crowns, to Goerge’s blobulous vases (yes, I made up a new word to describe them), and the incredible title card illustrations, BEEF might just be too artful for Netflix (AKA, it is almost unbelievable that HBO or A24 didn’t bag the juicy show all to themselves). A24 did however work with Netflix to create the show, which makes a whole lot of sense.

Production designer Grace Yun explains every art piece in the show, the meaning behind them, and how they each play a big role in telling the story of Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny’s (Steven Yeun) growing sense of rage and alienation.

First of all, we have to talk about the eye-catching paintings and illustrations that accompany the title at the start of each episode:

Showrunner Lee Sung Jin is friends with David Choe (who also plays Danny’s in-and-out-of-prison cousin Isaac), who is one of the most successful artists of our time (having sold art for shares in early Facebook making him rich enough now to do whatever he wants). Choe single-handedly painted every single one of the paintings for the title sequences, which is even cooler when you see how varied they are in style.

 

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Then, Amy’s husband George’s (Joseph Lee) amorphous blob-shaped ceramic vases that he sculpts in their home studio, AKA their basement, represented how George floats through life and doesn’t really restrict himself. This is obviously a point of resentment for Amy:

Image: Netflix

Jordan’s (Maria Bello) mansion full of curated pieces that only a stupidly wealthy person could own is like a private exhibition space for herself, adding to the show’s theme of private curation and cultural appropriation.

Image: Netflix

Then, when Amy and George attend The 65 Chair Exhibit, George’s father’s Tamago chair is thrown front-and-centre:

Image: Netflix

Nothing says pointless and nihilistic like an impractical chair.

It’s still a little fuzzy whether BEEF will come out with a second season. Forbes notes that the creator has said he’d be open to it, but it would work like an anthology with totally new characters, meaning we’d lose crown jewels, Wong and Yeun.

As long as there’s more rage and art, we’re down for anything.

[sources:tudum]