Beef – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Such Inward Secret Creatures

Danny decides to pursue his plan to take revenge on Amy as episode 5 of Beef kicks off. Does his next move involve getting to know George? Well, it seems to be that way as he introduces himself as Zane.

Meanwhile, Isaac has been placed on house arrest and is facing another term in jail for breaking the terms of his parole. His friends, Bobby and Michael, keep him company. When Danny comes to visit Isaac he asks his friends to be unwelcoming. Danny reveals to Isaac that he dived into Amy’s personal life and questions her claim that she is a self-made woman.

He proposes to Isaac that he steal George’s paintings and sell them for exorbitant prices. Isaac slaps Danny across the face and blames him for his predicament. He asks Danny to begin his work at the church and says that Isaac will be the one cashing the cheques. He will keep doing it to pay the lawyers who will keep him out of jail.

Danny, Bobby, and Michael start working to renovate the church. Danny initiates the dissing on Isaac and the other two soon join in. This is most probably an attempt to turn Isaac’s friends against him. He discusses how he broke into Amy’s house before and urinated all over the bathroom.

Bobby and Michael do seem interested in the plan but the trio do not have a clear one yet. We see Danny visiting George as Zane and he invites Danny into the house. June recognises Danny from the time he tried to put Amy’s car on fire and she was in the car. Danny’s plan is revealed in the next scene when we see him visit the washroom and point out to George that he heard trickling behind the tiles. He said that there might be a leak in the plumbing.

George is about to call Amy but Danny stops him and looks up plumbers in the vicinity. The plumbers, of course, will be Michael and Bobby. Danny texts a list of things for them to create the façade. George shows Danny the room where he keeps all his father’s artefacts and the ones that he has created himself . Danny pretends not to know the real value of George’s father’s work and instead focuses on George’s work to flatter him. Although he is only pretending, Danny is actually quite insightful about what the work evokes in him.

George is touched and confides in Danny that he always has a feeling of inadequacy. When his father died the first thing George wondered was if he died disappointed. George also expresses his gratefulness to Danny for giving him company. He has been feeling lonely since Amy does not get the time to spend with him and does not involve him in big life decisions that affect both of them. He even calls Danny a good person which makes him question his plan. He cancels the plan and asks Boby and Michael not to come.

They come anyway and mention to George they think there’s a water leak. George does not suspect them at first but is reluctant to let them inside. Michael and Bobby’s act is so bad and shallow that George does not let them in. He does the repair works himself and it is revealed that he is actually having an affair with Mia. He asks her to meet at an Airbnb where Amy will join them later. He also says that he loves her, which might mean the end for Amy and his marriage.

At the store, Mia has an uncomfortable conversation with Fumi about a prospective job but she doesn’t seem interested. In fact, Fumi walks in on Amy taking a photo of her private parts. Fumi sits alone in a restaurant and longs for human connection. None of her friends pick up her calls, although she does receive one from her accountant, Tom. It is revealed that Fumi was asked to get a loan and she is having money problems. Haru’s estate isn’t solvent and Fumi’s credit card bill is running high. She indicates she will go to George’s house and sell some of Haru’s pieces there.

After some flirtatious texts, Amy invites Paul over to the house. Even though she says she can’t get physical, they proceed to have sex anyway. Afterwards, Paul asks Amy for some money. He wants to start on his own but Amy believes Paul doesn’t have a clear plan. Paul insults Amy when she rejects his request, while she dismisses him and it seems the affair is over. Amy breaks down crying as a result.

Naomi calls her and asks Amy for help in writing a letter of recommendation for an award that Naomi is nominated for. Amy cuts her off and says that she cannot talk. Naomi is getting more and more nervous about Amy’s attitude towards her, and it seems like she has severe social anxiety.

We see it manifest when she zips herself in a suit cover like small children create a space for themselves when they are scared. She watches the road rage video again and contacts the person who uploaded it. The person’s name is Firouz. Naomi doesn’t have conclusive proof and Firouz has received other tips about white SUVs in the area.

Naomi’s upcoming award nomination for the Calabassas magazine comes up and Firouz flatters her with praise. She feels recognised and is instantly seen sporting a smile.

Amy leaves the house and Fumi enters, looking for things to steal. She plans to sell the Tamago but just then, she hears robbers come in. It is Bobby and Michael who are able to enter because Fumi has disarmed the security system. Fumi starts shooting at them using Amy’s gun. She maybe gets a hit in on Bobby but she loses her balance at the top of the stairs and falls, severely injuring herself.

The Episode Review

Michael and Bobby are such smart tools for storytelling in Beef. It shows how efficient the creators are in making creative decisions. Not only do they bring a comedic element but the writing only seems to get better with each episode in this series.

Each character has been written with patience and a clear idea of how they fit into the jugular. In episode 5, it was George’s turn to bare his bones to the viewer, although also revealing how dumb he is. Amy is the one “wearing the pants” in the relationship. Naomi was another such character whose “secret creature” came out in the form of her need for approval and severe social anxiety.

Amy is an extremely complex character. The moment we think we have figured her out and she is a step away from being happy, the tables turn. She just cannot catch a break. Her combative personality hides a very broken and psychotic person underneath, even more so than Danny. That is why Ali Wong will get more attention for her role as her emotional spectrum is so expansive, as this episode showed.