Beef star Carey Mulligan on season 2's "gross" revenge scenes: 'I'm disappointed, but I'll do it'
April 16, 2026
The lesson: never accept a drink from someone you're beefing with.
The highly anticipated second season of the anthology series "Beef" arrived this week, presenting a new cast and a fresh feud simmering with passive-aggressive tension. Carey Mulligan, who stars as one of the new leads, has shed light on some of the more visceral "revenge" moments in the series, including a scene she described as "gross." The new installment, which premiered on April 16, 2026, shifts its focus to a rivalry between two couples entangled in the elitist world of a country club.
In the new season, Mulligan plays Lindsay, who, along with her husband Josh, played by Oscar Isaac, finds her life intertwined with a younger couple, Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton). The central conflict ignites when Ashley and Austin witness a volatile argument between Lindsay and Josh. This sets off a chain of blackmail, manipulation, and retaliatory acts. One such act of vengeance involves Mulligan's character stooping to a shocking low. In an interview, Mulligan detailed a scene where Lindsay contaminates a drink in an airplane toilet to get back at Ashley.
Mulligan revealed that this particularly unpleasant scene was a late addition to the script by creator Lee Sung Jin. "We'd been shooting for a while when Sonny told me that he'd written that," she recalled, adding, "and I said 'Oh Sonny, I'm really disappointed in you – but I'll do it!'". The actress also noted the unpleasantness of filming the sequence, explaining that the director kept wanting to make the scene visually more disgusting. "It was honestly really unpleasant to even shoot because Sonny kept trying to make it worse," Mulligan stated.
The second season of "Beef" moves away from the direct, road-rage-fueled conflict of its Emmy-winning predecessor, which starred Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. Instead, it delves into a more subtle, psychological warfare between the two couples, who are also separated by a generational and class divide. The plot escalates as both pairs vie for the approval of the country club's billionaire owner, leading to a complex web of lies and coercion. The initial confrontation between Lindsay and Josh sets the stage for a season of simmering resentments that boil over in unexpected and often unsettling ways.
The series is already gaining attention for its dark humor and the performances of its star-studded cast, which also includes Korean cinema veterans Youn Yuh-jung and Song Kang-ho. As the characters' lives become more enmeshed, the retaliatory actions escalate, promising a season filled with jaw-dropping moments. Mulligan's commentary suggests that the show will continue to explore the messy and uncomfortable aspects of human conflict, pushing its characters—and the actors who portray them—into challenging territory. The ultimate fallout from these "gross" revenge tactics and the intricate power plays will unfold as viewers dive into the new season.
Source: radiotimes