Beef is the television–show equivalent of a tiny snowball rolling down a cliff and becoming a full–on avalanche. It’s the kind of show that makes you wonder what the creator could possibly be thinking while writing it because it’s simply that creative. After the show’s insane run as the awards–show darling of 2023, its highly anticipated second season dropped April 16 on Netflix, this time following an entirely new “beef,” so to speak. To celebrate its release, creator Lee Sung Jin (C ’03) visited Penn on Friday at an event run by Wharton Undergraduate Media and Entertainment. Audience members had the privilege to hear about Lee’s creative process in a discussion moderated by Street’s own Film and TV beat Élan Martin–Prashad.
Lee is a prime example of the “write what you know” philosophy so often evangelized by any writing teacher. The first season, famously, was inspired by a road rage incident that Lee himself experienced, and the second season’s inspiration was no different. As he described it to the audience, Season 2 of Beef came about by a couple’s argument that he overheard while on a walk in his neighborhood. When he described this incident to his friends and family, he noticed that members of Gen Z were completely horrified, whereas older millennials and Gen X viewed it as a normal part of being in a relationship. To Lee, that’s the basis of a TV show: how do two perspectives collide? That question became the core of this season’s conflict—a Gen Z couple versus a Gen X couple.
By far the best part of the event was watching clips from the show’s second season and hearing, in real time, what Lee was thinking as he wrote each scene. Lee’s process is unique in that he doesn’t always utilize a writer’s room, preferring himself to write as much as he can to keep the tone consistent. When examining a scene in episode four, in which the show’s Gen Z couple is in an emergency room, he explained how the entire episode was inspired by an incident when Lee had to take his partner to the ER. He revealed that every character and beat in the episode was based on someone he noticed or interacted with during that day. It’s a perfect example of one of his best pieces of advice: write everything down—every funny line, every strange interaction, every small detail that might feel insignificant in the moment.
That attention to detail is what makes the scene work. In the clip shown, Beef’s now–classic dark, humorous tone comes through in a way that feels both specific and universal—Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) asks a question many people have probably had but never said out loud: Why is it called an insurance deductible if you’re the one paying money?
One of the most interesting aspects of the event was Lee discussing the path he took to arrive where he is today. After graduating in 2003 (and getting his diploma stolen shortly after), he discussed how, despite writing on hits like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he didn’t “hit it big” until the release of Beef Season 1. He described how overwhelming it was to gain so much influence so quickly and being courted by executives high up in the Korean entertainment industry, exacerbated when he directed a music video for RM of BTS.
Season 2 features Korean acting legends Song Kang–Ho and Youn Yuh–jung, whose characters bring a baby–boomer perspective to the recurring theme of relationship dynamics, and Lee discussed how surreal it was to work with these actors. For those unfamiliar, Yuh–jung is widely considered the greatest Korean actress of all time, garnering international recognition for her role in 2020’s Minari. And any film fan worth their salt should recognize Kang–ho for his role in 2020 Best Picture winner Parasite. Despite having several film industry connections due to Beef season one’s success, Lee described the difficulties he faced in securing this level of talent for Season 2. Although Yuh–jung was immediately on board, Kang–Ho took some convincing from her to eventually step into the role. And thank goodness it worked out, as the relationship between the discerning Chairwoman Park (Yuh–jung) and her plastic surgeon husband (Kang–Ho) is one of the most entertaining parts of the season.
The beauty of hearing from such an accomplished filmmaker didn’t come from his stories about rubbing elbows with people as cool as multi–Oscar award winner Bong Joon Ho. Instead, much like the saying goes, learning about the destination wasn’t what stood out, rather, it was the journey. Lee, a person who once found himself in the same situation as the audience, actually made it. Events like this give us students hope that we, too, can make it in an industry that takes so much from so many people. And it was simply fascinating to learn about the thought process of such a master storyteller—his expertly written stories are some of the best things on television right now. Season 2 of Beef is yet another masterpiece–the snowball may be different, but the avalanche comes all the same.
