Beef season 2 suffers big ratings drop compared to hit first run of acclaimed Netflix anthology

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After a long hiatus, the new episodes of Netflix’s show Beef aren’t attracting as many viewers as before, suggesting audiences have lost some interest.

The story centers on Josh and Lindsay, managers of a country club, who find themselves in a bitter conflict with two of their employees, Ashley and Austin, who are having a hard time making ends meet.

Season 2 of Beef features a completely new story, separate from the first season which followed Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as they engaged in an escalating feud that began with a road rage incident. While there are some shared themes, the two seasons are otherwise unconnected.

Look, I really admired Lee Sung Jin’s ambition with Beef. He wanted to shift the show into an anthology format, like The White Lotus or American Horror Story, giving each season a new story. But honestly, judging by the initial response, it doesn’t seem to have worked. The early ratings are telling us this change hasn’t resonated with audiences, and it’s a bit of a disappointment.

Netflix data reveals that season 2 of ‘Beef’ only just made it into the top 10 most-watched English-language shows worldwide, which is unusual for a popular, original series.

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The show barely made it into the top 10, earning 14.1 million viewing hours globally on Netflix. This represents a significant drop of nearly 60% compared to its first week of release, when it garnered 34.1 million hours viewed.

It’s hard to say for sure why viewers didn’t return for another season of Beef, despite the show winning major awards like Emmys, Golden Globes, and an Actor Award initially.

Reviews for the latest season of Beef, including our own, were still mostly good, though not as overwhelmingly positive as before. This slight dip in excitement might mean fewer people are rushing to watch it.

The first season of Beef also benefited from the unexpected nature of its casting. Steven Yeun surprised audiences by playing a very different role after being recognized for his work in Minari, and Ali Wong shocked fans with her dramatic performance.

As a fan, I really think the latest season would have benefited from tying up a few loose ends from the first one. Look at The White Lotus – bringing back characters like Tanya, Greg, and Belinda was brilliant! It would’ve been great to get even a little update on what happened to Amy and Danny, just to feel more connected to the whole story.

Honestly, I think the biggest issue was the long wait between seasons – almost three years! It felt like forever. A lot of that was due to the Hollywood strikes that took up most of 2023, and I also heard the director, Jake Schreier, was busy with the Thunderbolts movie. Plus, it sounds like the creators really wanted to do something totally different with season 2 of Beef, which probably added to the delay.

Netflix hasn’t announced if ‘Beef’ will get another season, and it seems unlikely unless viewership increases soon. The good news is the show doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, so even without a season three, the story feels complete.

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Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV dramas and comedies for TopMob, focusing on the newest and most popular shows on television and streaming platforms. Before joining TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine and hosted The Winter King Podcast for ITVX. He also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-04-22 14:38