Beef

• Creator: Lee Sun Jin
• Starring: Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Young Mazino, David Choe, Joseph Lee, Patty Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min
• Ten episodes watched for review

Grade: B+

It all starts in a parking lot between a 20-year old pickup truck and a shiny, new Mercedes. In spite of the specific circumstances, it’s a scenario we can all relate to: a minor incident occurs and touches a nerve that allows it to fester for an incomprehensible amount of time. Unfortunately for the characters in Beef, the newest limited series from Netflix and A24, it’s a moment that begins the unraveling of two lives and virtually everyone else they know and love.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special

• Creators: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey
• Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, James Adomian, Casey Wilson, Michael Ironside, Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams
• One-off episode watched for review

Grade: A-

DC’s animated Harley Quinn show skewers the personalities of its most popular characters – plus Kite Man – as filtered through the bizarre mind of creators Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, offering a fresh take on the animated superhero show. For as much as some of the movies and live-action shows feel beholden to their IP overlords, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a show take a baseball bat to those rigorous structures.