The acclaimed anthology series Beef is serving up a new conflict with a completely different recipe. The second season, premiering on April 16, 2026, on Netflix, trades the road rage of Season 1 for the passive-aggressive tensions of an elite country club . This new chapter features an award-winning ensemble cast, with the story centered on two couples whose lives collide in a battle for status and power.
Creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jin returns, alongside production company A24, to explore a fresh “beef” rooted in workplace repression and generational divides . The first season, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, concluded its story, cementing Beef‘s format as an anthology where each season introduces new characters and conflicts .
The Complete Cast of Beef Season 2
The new season is built around four central characters, two couples from different generations whose clash sets the plot in motion . They are supported by a roster of powerful figures and staff who populate the show’s exclusive setting.
- Oscar Isaac plays Joshua “Josh” Martรญn, the General Manager of the elite country club. His position gives him authority but also puts him under immense pressure from the club’s wealthy owner.
- Carey Mulligan plays Lindsay Crane-Martรญn, Josh’s wife. Their long-term marriage is strained, and a heated fight between them sets the season’s events in motion.
- Charles Melton plays Austin Davis, a younger, lower-level employee at the club and an aspiring personal trainer. He represents a Gen Z perspective navigating a world of established power.
- Cailee Spaeny plays Ashley Miller, Austin’s fiancรฉe and co-worker at the club. Together, they are pulled into a complex web of favors after witnessing their boss’s marital fight.
- Youn Yuh-jung plays Chairwoman Park, the formidable billionaire owner of the country club. Both central couples find themselves vying for her approval to secure their futures.
- Song Kang-ho plays Dr. Kim, Chairwoman Park’s private physician and second husband. Their relationship adds another layer of scandal to the club’s elite world.
- Seoyeon Jang plays Eunice, a main cast member in a role that has not yet been publicly detailed.
- William Fichtner plays Troy, a recurring character.
- Mikaela Hoover plays Ava, a recurring character.
- BM (K-pop musician) makes his acting debut as Woosh, another recurring character.
Character Guide: Who’s Who in the New Feud
The Millennial Couple: Josh and Lindsay
Joshua “Josh” Martรญn (Oscar Isaac) is the General Manager of the upscale country club where the drama unfolds . He holds a position of authority but is ultimately answerable to the club’s wealthy owner. His heated fight with his wife is the incident that sparks the season’s chain of events .
Lindsay Crane-Martรญn (Carey Mulligan) is Josh’s wife . Their long-term marriage is showing signs of strain and unraveling . Creator Lee Sung Jin notes that unlike the first season’s strangers, this couple has a deep, shared history. “Josh and Lindsay, on the other hand, have been together for years,” he said, highlighting a different kind of resentment .
The Gen Z Couple: Austin and Ashley
Austin Davis (Charles Melton) is a lower-level employee at the country club, working alongside his fiancรฉe . An aspiring personal trainer and former athlete, he represents a Gen Z perspective entering a world of established power .
Ashley Miller (Cailee Spaeny) is Austin’s fiancรฉe . Together, they witness the shocking fight between their boss, Josh, and his wife, Lindsay. This decision pulls them into a complicated web of favors and manipulation . Lee Sung Jin describes them as a couple who “have never been tested” and are thrust into their “first real struggles” .
The Power Players: Chairwoman Park and Dr. Kim
Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung) is the formidable billionaire owner of the country club . She sits at the top of the social and power hierarchy, and both central couples find themselves vying for her approval, which could secure their futures .
Dr. Kim (Song Kang-ho) is Chairwoman Park’s private doctor and also her second husband . Their relationship is entangled in its own personal scandal, which adds another layer of complexity to the club’s elite world .
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The Story and Setting for Season 2
The plot for Beef Season 2 moves the action from the public roads of Los Angeles to the private, manicured grounds of an exclusive country club . The official story description states: “A young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife, triggering chess moves of favors and coercion in the elitist world of a country club and its Korean billionaire owner” .
This season’s conflict is deliberately more contained and psychological. Lee Sung Jin explained the shift in tone, saying, “We wanted the feeling of this season’s beef to be a bit more passive-aggressive. Itโs more about the internal repression of rage that you see in the workplace” . The season will consist of eight 30-minute episodes .
While stars from the first season, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, are not expected to appear on screen, they return as executive producers alongside Lee Sung Jin . Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny also hold executive producer credits for the new season .
