Everyone Should Watch 'Beef'! (Also 'Schmicago!' 'Succession,' And More On Podjiba!)

Is it possible to be relieved that a show is good?

If it is, that might be what I’m feeling about the new Netflix series BEEF. Not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it (as evidenced by the way I binged it over the weekend — not even just for the podcast!), and not that I wasn’t prepared to enjoy it, given the talent involved, but considering how difficult it is to make a show that isn’t just good, but good enough to clear whatever arbitrary expectations bar we set for it, there are a lot of ways that BEEF could have disappointed.

Thankfully, it easily exceeded my own expectations and straight into personal contention for Podjiba show of the year (and if it had premiered in time for the 2023 FFQCC, I would have had a ton of fun yelling at Dustin and Tori over it). But after the show was over, after all the (highly enjoyable) stress, I definitely felt a sense of relief that this show, still one of the few showcases for all the talent that Asian America can bring in front of and behind the camera, is great, and relevant, and of course, highly enjoyable.

Elsewhere in the podcast:

- Yes, we talked about Succession. Many spoilers, obviously!

- There was more AppleTV+ corner, particularly with Ted Lasso and Schmicago!

- We started the show rolling into Yellowjackets!

- We forgot to do an intro! My bad.

Podjiba! Now 175 (!) episodes in, still making very simple, very basic mistakes like not introducing ourselves, can be found more or less wherever podcasts are available, including below.