Ashley Park | Beef

• Genre: Black comedy, Comedy-drama, Psychological drama, Thriller, Tragicomedy
• Created by: Lee Sung Jin
• Starring: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake
• Music by: Bobby Krlic
• No. of seasons: 1
• No. of episodes: 10
• Executive producers: Lee Sung Jin, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Jake Schreier, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich
• Producers: Jes Anderson, Savey Cathey, Inman Young, Alex Gayner, Matthew Medlin
• Cinematography: Larkin Seiple
• Editors: Harry Yoon, Nat Fuller, Laura Zempel, Jordan Kim
• Running time: 30–39 minutes
• Production companies: A24, Bugsy Bell Productions, Universal Remote, Buji Productions, Domo Arigato Productions
• Network: Netflix
• Release: April 6, 2023

Two people let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action.

"The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 1
• Directed by: Hikari
• Written by: Lee Sung Jin
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Danny Cho, a contractor struggling to maintain clients, nearly drives his truck into Amy Lau's SUV in the parking lot of home improvement store Forsters, where Amy is organizing the sale of her business to the chain's owner, Jordan. The incident between Amy and Danny escalates to road rage and a car chase. Amy drives away, and Danny notes her license plate number. Both are struggling with tensions in their personal and professional lives. Danny feels that his brother Paul is irresponsible, and their parents have moved back to Korea after the failure of their motel business. Amy is stressed by her work, and by her relationship with her well-intentioned husband, George. Danny borrows money from his cousin Isaac, a criminal who may have played a role in the loss of the motel. Danny tracks Amy down from her license plate number and uses his role as a contractor to enter her Calabasas home and take revenge by urinating all over her bathroom. Furious, Amy chases after him and notes his license plate number as he drives away laughing.

"The Rapture of Being Alive"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 2
• Directed by: Jake Schreier
• Written by: Alice Ju
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Amy and George agree to find Danny. Danny gets the idea from Isaac to start a new business under his brother Paul's name. While the brothers visit Danny's ex-girlfriend, Veronica, and her husband Edwin, Isaac informs Danny that Amy and George were looking for him. Amy catfishes Paul on Instagram and has an argument with George at a gallery opening. Amy vandalizes Danny's truck, leading to a fight between him and Paul. Amy agrees to couples therapy with George.

"Just Not All at the Same Time"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 4
• Directed by: Hikari
• Written by: Alex Russell
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Amy reveals to Paul that she is married and will be leaving for Las Vegas to speak at a conference. After getting Danny and Isaac drunk, Paul steals Danny's truck and drives to Las Vegas. When they recover, Danny and Isaac follow Paul to Las Vegas. Paul meets with Amy at her hotel room and they spend the night together, although Amy insists they keep their relationship platonic. As Amy talks at the conference, Isaac spots Paul in the hotel restaurant and chases him to Amy's room, where Danny and Isaac confront him. Danny and Isaac spot Amy at the conference as they leave the hotel, and Danny heckles her about the road rage incident. After another chase, Danny and Isaac are apprehended by police as Amy watches, gloating.

"Such Inward Secret Creatures"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 5
• Directed by: Hikari
• Written by: Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen & Niko Gutierrez-Kovner
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

After crossing state lines to find Paul in Las Vegas, Isaac is placed under house arrest. Danny befriends George using a false name. Danny visits Isaac and tries to convince him to steal valuable artworks from George and Amy's home. However, Isaac lashes out over his arrest and the money Danny owes him, and does not agree to the plan. Danny convinces Isaac's associates Michael and Bobby to rob the house, but when George confides in him about his loneliness, he feels guilty and tries to call off the robbery. Danny convinces George to leave home temporarily. Amy returns home, and invites Paul. They have sex, but argue after Paul asks her for money. Amy orders Paul to leave. Amy's neighbor Naomi becomes suspicious about her involvement in the road rage incident, which Amy has been covering up, and starts investigating. George's mother Fumi sneaks into the home to look at the artworks, intending to sell them. Michael and Bobby break in and are confronted by Fumi. After she threatens them with Amy's gun, she trips and falls down the stairs.

"We Draw a Magic Circle"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 6
• Directed by: Jake Schreier
• Written by: Joanna Calo
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Isaac takes over running the renovation operations at the church. Danny tries to get Paul to open up about his breakup with Amy, but Paul remains closed off. Naomi visits Fumi, trying to investigate the connection between Amy's road rage incident and the robbery. Amy administers Fumi with extra painkillers, leaving her unconscious and unable to talk to Naomi. Amy meets with Danny, and she agrees to pay him enough to clear his debt with Isaac to implicate someone else in the incident. However, Fumi tells Naomi there is no connection, which leads Amy to call off the deal with Danny. Isaac is arrested because the road-rage episode becomes public and the police believe he was the one driving his truck.

"I Am a Cage"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 7
• Directed by: Jake Schreier
• Written by: Lee Sung Jin & Kevin Rosen
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Eight months later, Amy has finalized the sale of her business. She and George have bought a vacation home, and have hired a nanny to help care for their daughter, June. Danny has become a praise leader and built his parents a house using cash Isaac hid in the church. Edwin asks to get involved in Danny's business, but Danny denies any illegal activity and rejects him. After George admits to an affair with Amy's former assistant, Amy expresses her doubts about her marriage to their couples counselor. George invites Danny to a party celebrating his art, where he realizes Amy was the woman Paul had been seeing. After arguing with Danny, Amy asks George about moving out of the city. Paul goes through the business accounts and becomes suspicious, but Danny diverts him by revealing Amy used Paul to further their feud. Paul impulsively tells George about his affair with Amy. Danny picks his parents up from the airport and drives them to the house he built for them. When they arrive, they find that the house has burned down.

"The Great Fabricator"

• Season: 1
• Episode: 9
• Directed by: Jake Schreier
• Written by: Lee Sung Jin
• Premiere: April 6, 2023

Isaac is released from prison. Amy visits Jordan at her house when George calls, telling her that Danny has kidnapped June. Danny brings June back to the motel, where Isaac assaults him and demands his money. An Amber alert is issued for June, prompting Isaac to kidnap her, restraining Danny and Paul. He demands a $500,000 ransom from Amy. Amy encourages him to rob valuable artifacts from Jordan's home instead. Amy calls George to collect June, but asks him not to call the police. Isaac and Michael break into Jordan's home, holding Jordan, Naomi, and Amy at gunpoint. The police arrive, panicking Isaac and Michael. Danny and Paul escape their restraints but are held at gunpoint and brought into the house by Michael. Jordan and Naomi attempt to escape to a panic room, but Jordan is killed by the automatic door. Danny convinces Paul to escape over a garden wall as a firefight breaks out, but he is seemingly shot by the police on the other side. Michael is killed and Isaac is arrested. Amy learns that George has taken June home without her and that she will be denied custody. Danny escapes Jordan's house through a drain and leaves in a stolen truck. He encounters Amy by the road and they enter another car chase, but they both lose control of their vehicles and drive off a cliff.