Netflix's hit series Beef has returned for its second season, created by Lee Sung Jin, taking viewers to a completely different country club setting. With all eight episodes now released, director Jake Schreier shared his thoughts on the finale, the themes and messages of season 2, as well as his insights on the show's final scenes.

This season, Beef comes back with an entirely new cast. At a luxurious country club, newly engaged Gen-Z couple Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton) accidentally witness a troubling fight between their millionaire boss Joshua (Oscar Isaac) and his wife Lindsay (Carey Mulligan). As the young couple becomes entangled in their boss's crumbling marriage and oppressive behavior, the quartet strives to win the approval of billionaire businesswoman Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung). The season's cast also includes Mikaela Hoover (Superman), William Fichtner (Talamasca: The Secret Order), Seoyeon Jang (Butterfly), and Song Kang-ho (Parasite).

According to Schreier, the true message of season 2 is not the idea that the rich always win, but revolves around the concept of samsara. A closer look at the finale reveals that every character, even Chairwoman Park, is trapped in this cycle. While it may seem that there are "winners" and "losers" in the vertical hierarchy, from a realistic perspective, the ending of the series carries a slight sadness.

The idea of samsara, which production designer Grace Yun and Schreier intensely discussed throughout the season, is a fundamental element framing the symbolic meaning of all characters being stuck in this vicious cycle. While questions about who lives, who dies, or who is in a superior position are answered in a traditional sense, these inquiries offer an unsatisfying result on a deeper philosophical level.

The director also announced that after successfully directing Thunderbolts* last year, he will be directing Marvel's upcoming untitled X-Men film and will collaborate again with Beef's creators Lee and Joanna Calo on this project. He noted that the team is working to take a less conventional approach in the X-Men film.