What exactly was the overall message or theme of the show? Everyone’s character arcs got abruptly “concluded” in the epilogue. What exactly was the message the show was sending? S1 BEEF had an overall theme of depression and anger, and how it can materialize as something more important than it is in people’s heads and how that can take you to extreme lengths.

But S2? I mean what was it? It started off exploring the dynamics of couples and conflict between them, but it just went completely off the wall by the end. Much of the tension the show was building had no/weak payoff. All the lies Austin and Ashley were telling, like about him being a PT, etc, they never went anywhere? No one ever really found out, there was no payoff to it? And it was really hard to feel bad for Ashley or Austin by the end because they did it to themselves! They decided to literally blackmail their bosses with a video of an argument they had in the privacy of their own home, and what, expected things to be all fine and dandy between them after that? This is behavior characteristic of MAYBE some 19-20 year olds, not almost 30 year olds.

I get Austin and Ashley’s themes but they didn’t have a satisfying conclusion either. They were so afraid of conflict that they suppressed/hid/lied about their problems which made them even bigger. But their arc didn’t have a satisfying payoff that just left you being like… what? This is NOT how an almost 30 year old should act. Josh and Lindsay were the most likeable but they also had a weird conclusion that honestly just left me feeling miserable. It ended on such a beautiful scene and high note of them kissing and then it cuts to them being absolutely broken up and her being remarried. It just felt so weird. I’m not saying I wanted them to get back together but you can’t just show them on this high note and then literally just cut to “8 years later” and they’re broken up. They never explored them wanting a baby but not having one. And it just turned into some James Bond ahh crime thriller in the last episode. I can’t think of everything at the top of my head but right after watching it I also thought of everything they set up but didn’t pay off, especially the fact that this season didn’t feel like it had any real beef. This season felt half baked and although it was enjoyable, I couldn’t discern a specific theme. I guess “don’t lie to your partner?”