‘Beef’ Review: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun Lead One of the Best Shows of 2023

The Netflix dramedy from Lee Sung Jin is possibly the most unselfconsciously Asian American series in mainstream television

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Steven Yeun as Danny (left) and Ali Wong as Amy in a still from "Beef."

Halfway through the seventh episode of “Beef,” the new Netflix dramedy starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, an eerie motif begins popping up for the first time. At a lunch where Danny (Yeun) is characteristically lying to dig his way out of another hole, he opens up earnestly about an inexplicable feeling that has always been chasing him.

“I’ve been hustling my whole life, you know? Like, even just for the basics,” Danny says. “And I always thought the hustle was the cause of this feeling, but now I’m just starting to wonder if it’s just always there.” Following this admission, the scene cuts to a split-second of some nondescript section of dirt in the ground, the camera zooming in over a chilling score.

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