Beef Creator Lee Sung Jin Has Planned Three Seasons

These days, if you want to create an original show for streaming, it's probably best not to bank on a second season to tell the story you really had in mind. For every "Poker Face" that takes off through word of mouth, there are countless non-IP streaming series that quietly die after a single installment, regardless of quality. (Forgive me for pausing to shed a tear for “Reboot.”) Speaking to Rolling Stone, Lee Sung Jin said he kept this in mind while developing “Beef,” while taking care to avoid completely closing the door on future seasons. He explained:

“I wanted it to have a conclusive feel just in case, but there are a lot of ideas on my side to continue this story. I think if we were lucky enough to have a season 2, it There's a lot of ways for Danny and Amy to go on. I have a really big overall idea that I can't quite say yet, but I have three seasons mapped out in my head right now."

Maybe it's because streamers have a habit of limiting even their most successful non-IP shows to no more than three seasons for financial reasons (except for monster hits like "Stranger Things"), but Lee isn't the only one drawing a three-part story arc for his series ahead of time. Longtime TV veteran Bill Lawrence also talked about entering his current shows, “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinked,” with three-season streaks, and even then he tends to end. each new episode in a place that could (mostly) suffice as a series conclusion if need be. Lee, it seems, took an identical approach - though hopefully Amy and Danny's "Beef" might still go on.

"Beef" is streaming on Netflix.