Beef: Netflix Series With 16 Nominations Is An Easy One-Night Binge Before The Emmys

Published Sep 13, 2026, 5:52 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. Netflix's critically acclaimed series with 16 nominations and 3 wins at the 2026 Emmys is a perfect one-night binge before the awards on Monday, September 14. Featuring a star-studded cast led by Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton, William Fichtner, and more, this series is a major contender in several Limited/Anthology categories. This includes multiple individual acting nominations and Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, which the Netflix show previously won in 2023 for its breakout first season. Beef is one of the best shows to binge-watch before the 2026 Emmys take place. After its remarkable debut season took home eight Emmy wins three years ago, Beef is once again poised to have another big Emmy night thanks to its stellar second season, which earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%. While it has some stiff competition for the top Limited or Anthology prize, particularly HBO Max's dark comedy DTF St. Louis, which has already won 6 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, Beef season 2 is one new show that can't be missed. Beef Season 2 Heads Into The Emmys With 16 Nominations & 3 Wins Beef season 2 has a whopping 16 nominations and is the perfect Netflix show to watch in one night before the 2026 Emmys on Monday, September 14. Considering how well Beef season 1 did at the 2023 Emmys, raking in 8 wins including Lead Actor for Steven Yeun and Lead Actress for Ali Wong, Beef season 2 is expected to be a top contender in several Limited/Anthology Series categories, such as Lead Actor for Isaac and Lead Actress for Mulligan. Other notable nominations include Supporting Actor for Charles Melton, Supporting Actress for Youn Yuh-jung, and Writing and Directing for series creator Lee Sung Jin. While Beef season 1 chronicles the unlikely connection between two strangers who meet during a road rage incident, Beef season 2 features an entirely new cast and story while still maintaining the show's core themes of materialism, identity formation, and conflict between social/wealth classes. Beef season 2 is set at the fictional elite Monte Vista Point Country Club in Southern California, where the general manager Joshua (Isaac) and his wife Lindsay (Mulligan) are caught in a blackmailing scheme after two employees, Austin (Melton) and Ashley (Spaeny), record them fighting. Austin and Ashley initially use the video in a desperate attempt to blackmail Joshua and achieve financial stability. Ashley, who is drowning in medical debt, is given a promotion at the country club which she is completely unqualified for. This sets in motion several power plays and other manipulative acts between the characters, which ultimately reveals a secret cover-up involving the club's owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung). The series combines dark comedy with psychological drama, allowing viewers to feel a wide range of emotions. Beef Season 2’s 8 Short Episodes Make It An Easy One-Night Binge With just 8 episodes and a total runtime of 5 hours 49 minutes, Beef season 2 is easy to start and finish the day before the 2026 Emmys. Each episode is between 31 and 54 minutes long, and viewers can breeze through the first five episodes in just 3 hours and 23 minutes. Thanks to its polished visuals, great performances, and standout storytelling, Beef season 2 is easy to get hooked on the moment you press play. In fact, Beef season 2 leads all Netflix series in 2026 Emmy nominations by a long shot, with The Beast in Me's nine nominations trailing in second and Black Rabbit (7 nominations) in third. Critics also gave Beef season 2 high praise even though it was not as celebrated as the masterful first season. IndieWire gave the series an A-, noting in their review, "The most beautiful moments of Lee’s epic tale appear at times when all the noise has been stripped away, and each character has to face a truth they’ve been fighting so hard to ignore." ScreenRant gave the series 7/10 stars, writing, "Though it sometimes seems like a bug rather than a feature this time around, Beef season 2 still maintains the electric unpredictability that is becoming a hallmark of the show." If there's only one Netflix series you can binge before the 2026 Emmys, make it Beef season 2. Beef Release Date April 6, 2023 Network Netflix