They say “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.” The saying goes well with nearly everything. Only if studios understood this. Beef is coming back to Netflix for a second season, and this time, Netflix is going all out with the starcast that the show will have. But does beef really need this much starpower to sell it?
Let’s go over the list of heavy hitters Netflix is bringing in. We have Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spain. That is certainly a long list. Makes one wonder, what exactly prompted Netflix to bring them all for an anthology series that already had a very well-received first season?
The first season had a relatively humble cast, with Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and David Choe. And their performance was indeed fabulous. The problem with having big names is that when they are seen in a much more down-to-earth series like Beef, the immersion is gone entirely.
The primary factor that made the audience love beef was, in fact, relatability. Which makes one wonder: why stray away from an established formula? Not just that. When a big star is cast, they can make the budget curve steep. The series might suffer from production issues. Moreover, the stars are often typecast. Which makes it harder for the audience to digest.
The second season will follow a couple who get involved in the drama of the elitist world. The expectations are high, not just because of the eight Emmys it won, but the heavy starcast as well; there is a chance the series will fall to the curse of the standard.