Warning: This post contains spoilers for the ending of "Beef."
"Beef," which stars Ali Wong as Amy Lau and Steven Yeun as Danny Cho, tells the story of how two complete strangers experiencing their own life crises can't let go of a road rage incident. Their beef becomes the catalyst for a chain of events that ends up essentially destroying their lives as they know it.
The series' penultimate episode is gore-filled and features a shootout that leaves several characters either dead or injured.
The series finale then is a startling departure from the action — so surprisingly quiet and simple — but still is living rent-free in our heads.
So we asked the show's creator (who also directed and wrote the final episode), Lee Sung Jin to help break down the show's final two episodes for us.
If you haven't watched yet, be forewarned: there are many, many spoilers ahead.
What’s up with the crows?
The series finale opens on two black crows having a full-on conversation, translated to viewers via closed captioning.
Why crows? Lee has an answer — but he's hesitant to share it.
"I hesitate to answer that because ... I am excited to see how people interpret the crows,” Lee tells TODAY.com. “I just know that crows are everywhere, and they’re very smart.”
He adds that living in Los Angeles, he sees crows “all the time” and they’re “such a part of L.A. life.”
“They should not be underestimated,” he says.
The scene just “made sense” to him. He adds that even though many writers use crows in their work, he felt compelled to include them in his too.
“I don’t know — there’s just something about the L.A. prominence (of crows) plus the sort of spiritual meaning behind them that felt appropriate for the show,” he says.
Crows often act as symbols for death in film and literature but they also can represent change or transformation.
What kind of berries do Amy and Danny accidentally eat?
While lost in the wilderness, Amy threatens Danny at gunpoint and makes him go search for something they can eat. She tells him to find aloe vera, agave and elderberries.
He struggles to do so while Amy keeps brandishing the gun at him from a distance but eventually, Danny seems to track down the three items on Amy's list.
Unfortunately for them, the berries turn out to be poisonous and rather than be nourished by fruity goodness, the two go on a pseudo drug trip while simultaneously vomiting.
It's not entirely clear what kind of berries they eat and the California Poison Control System declined to hazard a guess to TODAY.com's outreach. Lee didn't immediately respond to our follow-up question about the berries either. (We get it, it's not that pressing ... but we wanted to know!)
That said, Neal Denton from the University of Tennessee Extension speculated that the berries were either from pokeweed or nightshade plants.
"Nightshade would be more likely for hallucinations," he tells TODAY.com via text.
Deadly nightshade, as is it commonly known, can be found all over the world. All parts of the plant are toxic, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture but eating the berries can cause rapid heart beat, dilated pupils, delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and even death due to respiratory failure.
“Why are you so angry all the time?”
Conversations between the main characters in the woods get at show's emotional core.
Amy asks Danny a pointed question: "Why are you so angry all the time?"
“I could ask you the same thing,” he retorts.
Later in the episode, Danny asks a question of his own: “Why is it so hard for us to be happy?”
Danny, who has seemingly struggled with depression and carries the weight of his family on his shoulders, finds it hard to get in a good mood. In fact, the first time we saw him truly smile in the show is after he pranks Amy by peeing all over her bathroom and then taking off at a full sprint as she chases him.
That scene is the first time we see Amy truly engaged too — not hiding behind the Zen-like character that she's created to safely interact with the world.
Their "Beef" gives the two characters something to live for, however misguided and misdirected. As the series progresses, their decision to keep fighting have increasingly dire consequences — an escalation that eventually reaches a breaking point (make that several).
Lee says the two let their anger get the best of them because they are "trapped" in their own ways.
"I think for a lot of us, when when we’re stuck in our status quo, usually something dramatic has to happen to shake us out of it, whether positive or negative," he explains. "Couples therapists tell you all the time, 'If you’re stuck in a routine, it’s either gonna be like the two people going on a vacation together to break up the routine or like a horrible fight to shake things up."
He says that catalyst will force people to take a "look at issues that have been swept under the rug.
"And I think that’s the case with Danny and Amy — they’re so entrenched in the way that they are that it took this road rage to kind of shake them out of it. It becomes a scapegoat for for a lot of other things going on in their life."
So, what's the lesson from the 'Beef' finale?
Lee says there isn't "necessarily" a lesson he wants audiences to take away from this limited series.
"I think part of the joy of watching television is so many things are open to interpretation, but the one hope is that no matter where you’re at in your own life, the show’s gonna offer you something," he says. "Whether it is relating to Amy or Danny or about accepting your shadow self, or just a good laugh or a good thrill. I’m just hoping that the show can connect in some form or fashion."
Yeun echoes those sentiments, saying he doesn't have any "hopes for what (viewers) take away."
"I think we really put this out there to see how it reflects back on everybody. Hopefully people feel comforted," he says.
Young Mazino,who plays Danny’s younger brother Paul, agrees.
"I definitely have some shadows for sure. But I think it’s kind of like 'Naruto,' where you you end up befriending your shadow side to come face-to-face, instead of just leaving it in its locked up little corner cage," he says. ("Naruto" is a Japanese anime show in which the titular character learns to harness his powers as a ninja as he is guided by the spirit demon within him.)
Joseph Lee, who played Amy's husband George, says the cast sees the show as "a mirror."
"We’re showing the characters in the fullness of who they are," he says. "And if the audience is able to see themselves reflected in any of the characters then I think that’s an incredible experience to have."
Does Amy go to the hospital with Danny out of guilt, friendship or something more?
Lee says they left that final scene “very open” intentionally so viewers can make their own interpretation.
He says they debated adding more dialogue to the montage of Amy quietly waiting for Danny to wake up but ultimately decided against it.
“We wanted people to be projecting whatever they were feeling and going through at the time onto the screen,” he explains.
The show ends with Amy in the hospital bed with Danny as he slowly comes to and begins to move his arm — seemingly to go around her — but cuts before the audience can make any concrete conclusions.
What happens next?
Lee says everything is open to interpretation for the audience. He pitched the show to Netflix as a limited series, meaning he didn’t initially intend to have multiple seasons.
But Lee himself is “very curious” as to what becomes of Amy and Danny after the final credits roll.
“We pitched this as a limited anthology when we sold the show, so there’s a little bit of a close ended-ness to the story,” he says. “But you know, if the fans demanded, I certainly wouldn’t mind exploring Danny and Amy more either because I’m very curious what they do after the hospital.”
FAQs
What happens at the end of beef Netflix? ›
The season ends with Danny and Amy utterly alone, in the hospital, after being strung out on poisonous berries in the deserted Malibu hillside. But, for a brief moment, there's connection and understanding as Amy hugs Danny and he embraces her back to the yearning tones of Smashing Pumpkins' “Mayonaise.”
Will there be season 2 of beef? ›Beef has not yet been officially renewed for a second season. However, based on its stellar performance on Netflix, a second season could happen.
What happens in the show beef? ›Danny's friend Michael (Andrew Santino) is shot by police and dies, while cousin Isaac (David Choe) and Bobby (Rek Lee) are arrested. Naomi (Ashley Park) and Amy survive the situation, but Amy learns that her husband George (Joseph Lee) got their daughter June and took her home, leaving Amy behind.
Who wrote beef? ›Beef is a 2023 American comedy drama miniseries created by Korean director Lee Sung Jin for Netflix. It stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as Danny Cho and Amy Lau, two people whose involvement in a road rage incident pits them against each other.
Why does beef mean drama? ›Apparently, it goes back to old London rhyming slang. Londoners used to cry “hot beef!” (rhymes with: “stop thief!”) to raise the alarm in a touch-and-go situation. “Beef” came to be equated with “to shout”, and it evolved from there to represent what we know it as in its modern form.
What happens at the end of the story a piece of steak? ›He knows that had he been able to eat a steak before the fight, the outcome would have been different. Because he has already taken out credit on the loser's share of the purse, he leaves the fight penniless and in despair. The story ends with King crying on his two-mile walk home, as he cannot afford a cab ride.
Will beef ever go back down? ›USDA and agriculture executives said that beef production is expected to decline later in 2023, marking a return to higher beef prices.
Why did beef go up so much? ›Meat production plants shut down during COVID. And because production slowed, ranchers had nowhere to send their beef. Many had to scale back their beef production big time. The labor shortage issues exacerbated everything and created a huge imbalance.
How old is beef animal? ›| Typical Slaughter Age | Natural Life Span | |
|---|---|---|
| Lambs | 4-12 months | 12-14 years |
| “Beef” cattle | 18 months | 15-20 years |
| Chickens (egg laying hens) | 18 months | Up to 8 years |
| Pigs (breeding sows) | 3-5 years | 10-12 years |
[Finished] means that the animal is physically mature in skeleton and muscle and that it has some fatty tissue as well. This fatty tissue will be both exterior of the muscle (fat cover) and also interior of the muscle (marbling).
Who won t eat beef? ›
Hindus don't eat beef. They worship the animals. The Muslims don't eat pork. The Buddhists are vegetarians and the Jains are strict vegans who won't even touch root vegetables because of the damage it does to the plants.
Was beef on the Bone banned? ›The Beef Bones Regulations 1997 were a statutory instrument of the British government that limited the sale of beef on the bone.
Why was it called beef? ›The French referred to cow as boeuf, which then got morphed to today's beef. The French words stuck and that is how we got the word beef and not cow, which makes sense, seeing as how French words tend to litter the English language.
Who first ate beef? ›We've been eating beef since prehistoric times, as evidenced by the earliest cave paintings depiction of the hunt for the aurochs, a primitive bovine. Domestication of cattle happened around 8000 BC, and that is when beef consumption really took off.
Where is beef filmed? ›And as the series' protagonists Amy Lau and Danny Cho chase each other around their city seeking revenge for what started off as a simple car park cussing out scenario, everyone has been Googling the same thing: where is Beef filmed? The answer is: Southern California.
What is the point of beef? ›The point is attached directly to the rib cage and is a thicker cut with dense meat and large hunks of fat. The flat has some fat but is mostly meat and connective tissue.
What's beef mean in slang? ›Slang. a complaint. an argument or dispute.
Why is beef tied? ›Trussing beef before roasting helps retain its shape while it cooks in the oven and stops the meat from spreading. This method can also be used for stuffed and rolled joints of meat to hold them together. The trussing method works by tying a series of interlinked knots to secure the meat in place.
What is the ending of a story? ›You might see the ending of a story referred to as its climax, conclusion, denouement, or simply ending. These terms are all slightly different in meaning although they are often used interchangeably.
What is the final end of the story? ›An epilogue is the final segment of a story and effectively serves as one final chapter.
What is the significance of the ending of the story? ›
The ending is the most important part of a dramatic narrative: The ending is the part of a drama in which the conflict between the story's protagonist and whatever antagonistic force is standing in the way of the protagonist achieving his primary motivating goal comes to a head and is finally resolved.
Will there be meat in 2050? ›Demand for meat is only going up
And production is expected to continue to grow. By 2050, global meat consumption is projected to reach between 460 million and a staggering 570 million tons.
2023 will also likely bring a beef shortage, meaning you may need to shell out more if you want to serve burgers and steak. Last year, a drought in Texas resulted in less grass feed for cows. At the same time, alternative feeds were expensive, so farmers sold their cattle earlier than anticipated.
What is the beef outlook for 2023? ›A higher forecast for slaughter more than offsets a decline in expected dressed weights, resulting in projected beef production being raised 165 million pounds to 26.7 billion pounds. Fed cattle prices in 2023 are raised to $162 per hundredweight (cwt) on firm demand. The trade forecast for 2023 is unchanged.
Will meat prices go up in 2023? ›In 2023, prices are predicted to increase for other meats (4.5 percent), poultry (3.4 percent), dairy products (6.4 percent), fats and oils (15.4 percent), processed fruits and vegetables (11.4 percent), sugar and sweets (11.1 percent), cereals and bakery products (11.7 percent), nonalcoholic beverages (10.7 percent), ...
Is meat eating increasing? ›The climate crisis is pushing people to rethink their meat-eating habits, but meat production and consumption keep increasing regardless.
What gender is beef? ›Cattle raised for human consumption are called beef cattle.
Within the beef cattle industry in parts of the United States, the older term beef (plural beeves) is still used to refer to an animal of either gender.
Big Bertha was born in Ireland on 17 March 1945, St Patrick's Day. Her breed has been given as either Droimeann (a native Irish cattle breed), or Friesian.
Is beef all female? ›Beef can be made from either male or female cattle. For breeds explicitly raised for beef, like Angus or Herefords, all calves are reared for meat regardless of sex. Increasingly, cows and bulls of the Holstein breed born on dairy farms are inserted into the beef production system.
Why is beef hung after slaughter? ›A: Hanging beef in a cooler (at about 38° F) for at least 10 days is recommended to improve tenderness. This process is called aging. This allows the enzymes in the meat to break down the proteins and improve eating quality. The process would also allow the development of flavors associated with the aging process.
How long do cows live? ›
A cow can live for around 20 years but in commercial systems she will be culled at 6 years old, on average3. She can give birth from 2-3 years old. Dairy cows have a hierarchical social structure and communicate by touch, smell, vocalisations and body language.
How long is a cow pregnant? ›How long is a cow pregnant? A cow is pregnant for around nine months (or 279 to 292 days).
Is it against the Bible to eat beef? ›“The Christian has freedom to eat meat without it being a question of conscience. In fact, not only can they do it, they are blessed when they do it and the source of the meat is not really an issue in the New Testament,” Jamison says. “We are allowed to eat meat from any type of animals.
Does the Bible say we can't eat beef? ›"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Why Christians don t eat beef? ›Christians in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations traditionally observe Friday as a meat-free day (in mourning of the crucifixion of Jesus); many also fast and abstain from meat on Wednesday (in memory of the betrayal of Jesus).
What meats are illegal to eat? ›- Ortolan.
- Ackee Fruit.
- Sea Turtles.
- Haggis.
- Shark Fins.
- Beluga Caviar.
- Horse Meat.
- Kinder Surprise Eggs.
"Appetizing" as it sounds, you can't find mechanically separated beef in the U.S. because it could contain the agent Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which you know better as "mad cow disease." MS beef is a paste-like meat product made when edible meat still attached to bones is forced through a sieve under high ...
Is beef still safe to eat? ›Yes. Raw and undercooked meat may contain harmful bacteria. USDA recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked ground beef. To be sure all bacteria are destroyed, cook meat loaf, meatballs, and hamburgers to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 °F (71.1 °C).
What is pig meat called? ›pork, flesh of hogs, usually slaughtered between the ages of six months and one year.
Why is pork not called pig? ›During the reign of William the Conqueror, traditions and language became somewhat mixed as English began to evolve further. For the Norman chefs, the word for cow was pronounced “beuf” which ended up becoming “beef” and pig was generally pronounced as “pauk” which evolved into the present “pork”.
Can Muslims eat beef? ›
Muslims do not eat pork or other haram (forbidden) animals. Insofar as meat products go, animals such as cows, veal, lamb, goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, game birds, bison, and venison are acceptable for consumption, so long as they are slaughtered according to Islamic law.
Did humans eat meat before fire? ›New research conducted by scientists at the University of York and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona reveals for the first time that Europe's earliest humans did not use fire for cooking, but had a balanced diet of meat and plants - all eaten raw.
What are humans supposed to eat naturally? ›Fruits, green leafy parts of plants, shoots, seeds, nuts, roots and tubers are the fundamental components of the primate eating pattern – and common sense tells us that these foods should be the foods that humans eat, too.
What did cavemen eat? ›Our ancestors in the palaeolithic period, which covers 2.5 million years ago to 12,000 years ago, are thought to have had a diet based on vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots and meat. Cereals, potatoes, bread and milk did not feature at all.
Who is the biggest US beef producer? ›As of January 2021, there are 31,157,600 beef cows in the United States. This is down 1% from one year ago. Texas has the most beef cows, followed by Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska.
What rappers were in the movie beef? ›Many prominent hip-hop personalities such as Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg, Kool Moe Dee, Jay-Z, KRS-One, Mack 10, DMX and Ice-T also participate through interviews (some produced for the film, as well as archived interviews from other sources, such as MTV and BET clips).
Where is the most beef in the world? ›The United States accounts for roughly 19% of the world's beef production. More... The United States is the largest producer of beef in the world followed by Brazil, European Union, China and India.
What happens to the meat on the butcher show? ›According to one contestant, the series provides top-of-the-line and safe equipment for the contestants. An on-screen announcement at the start of each episode states that all meat used in the competition is donated to animal rescue shelters afterward.
What happened after the meat scandal? ›Roosevelt signed a law regulating foods and drugs on June 30, 1906, the same day he signed the Meat Inspection Act. The Pure Food and Drug Act regulated food additives and prohibited misleading labeling of food and drugs. This law led to the formation of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What is the documentary on Netflix about giving up meat? ›- The Game Changers (2018) ...
- What The Health (2017) ...
- Forks Over Knives (2011) ...
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014) ...
- Seaspiracy (2021) ...
- The Milk System (2017) ...
- Okja (2017) ...
- Blackfish (2013)
Is the Netflix series you over? ›
After a few weeks of letting the dust settle on what turned out to be one of the biggest plot twists in You's run (which is saying something considering Joe's track record), Netflix has finally announced the show will be back for a fifth and final season.
Why did butchers hang meat? ›During hanging, the enzymes in the meat make the fibres of the muscles softer and more elastic, which ultimately leads to the meat becoming relaxed and tender.
What happens to bones from The Butcher? ›Markets and butchers deal with all the different parts and pieces that come off of an animal, from bones and hides to blood and fat. Instead of sending these materials to a landfill, you can give them new life by recycling butcher scraps into products such as biofuel, animal feed, clothing and solvents.
What happens to the bones in Slaughter House? ›Waste materials such as bone, lard or tallow, are sent to a rendering plant. Also, lard and tallow can be used for the production of biodiesel or heating oil.
What is Biden doing to the meat industry? ›WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $9.6 million across the country and taking several other steps to help farmers, ranchers, processors and rural businesses diversify the nation's meat supply.
Who was responsible for the horse meat scandal? ›It was supplied with meat by a company called Spanghero. Spanghero had bought meat from a Dutch fraudster already convicted of passing horse off as beef, Jan Fasen. The Dutch trader ran a company called Draap, which spelled backwards is paard or Dutch for horse.
Why can't you eat horse meat? ›U.S. horse meat is unfit for human consumption because of the uncontrolled administration of hundreds of dangerous drugs and other substances to horses before slaughter. horses (competitions, rodeos and races), or former wild horses who are privately owned. slaughtered horses on a constant basis throughout their lives.
What is the downfall to an all meat diet? ›The carnivore diet is high in saturated fats which can cause elevated LDL or bad cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease. What's more, many different kinds of processed meats like bacon and some lunch meats are loaded with sodium and have been linked to certain types of cancer.
What is the most moral meat to eat? ›1. Chicken. Environmental Working Group (EWG), researchers found chicken is the most sustainable choice out of all the different types of meat. "Certified Humane" or "Animal Welfare Approved" logo to ensure the animals are receiving the best possible care and treatment.
What should I watch to stop eating meat? ›“Forks Over Knives” advocates that a low-fat, whole-food, vegan diet may help avoid or reverse chronic diseases. “Dominion” will have you questioning why you consider some animals as pets and others as dinner. “Invisible Vegan” shows how veganism isn't just about food, but that it's also an intersectional issue.
What is Joe Goldberg diagnosis? ›
In later seasons, currently being season 4, Joe is a murderer on the run and it was revealed that he has erotomania although it was obvious in the earlier seasons that the character is troubled, more so for his troubled childhood and his need for affection.
How many seasons will You Netflix have? › Is Love Quinn still alive? ›Unfortunately, no, she is not alive. But let's face it — given her particularly gruesome ending in the season 3 finale, the odds of her coming back to life were pretty slim. Showrunner Sera Gamble even confirmed her death back in October 2021.