Netflix has been on a roll in 2026 with blockbuster movies like The Rip starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and the sci-fi hit War Machine featuring Alan Ritchson, which has already surpassed 125 million views. But when it comes to TV, the streaming giant's hopes for a White Lotus-style phenomenon may be fading. Beef Season 2, the crime thriller anthology that was expected to fill that void, has seen a dramatic decline in audience interest.
After two weeks on the platform, Beef Season 2 has garnered just 6.5 million views—a staggering 63% drop from Season 1's 17.8 million views in the same timeframe. The show, created by Lee Sung Jin, was one of Netflix's most anticipated returns of the year, but the numbers suggest viewers are checking out in droves. This comes as Netflix also launched the comedy series Running Point with Kate Hudson, which has been overshadowed by Beef's sophomore slump.
A Crime Thriller Anthology That Lost Its Bite
Beef is an anthology series, meaning each season tells a standalone story with no connection to the previous one. Season 2 follows a Gen Z couple, Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton), who work at a country club and get entangled in the unraveling marriage of their boss Josh (Oscar Isaac) and his wife Lindsay (Carey Mulligan). The cast also includes Youn Yuh-jung as the club's billionaire owner and Song Kang-ho as her husband. Despite the star power, the season holds a 87% critics' score and 60% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—both well below Season 1's 98% and 87%.
Lee Sung Jin, who also wrote the script for Marvel's upcoming X-Men reboot, has indicated he's content ending Beef after two seasons. Given the viewership decline, Netflix may agree. The show was seen as a potential replacement for The White Lotus, which has been a critical and ratings juggernaut for HBO, but the numbers tell a different story.
Netflix's 2026 Lineup: Hits and Misses
While Beef struggles, Netflix's movie slate has been thriving. War Machine, starring Alan Ritchson, has become a sci-fi blockbuster, and Apex with Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton has succeeded despite mixed fan reactions. For those looking for a crime thriller fix, Blindspot: The Netflix Crime Thriller That Redefined the Procedural offers a compelling alternative. Meanwhile, Alan Ritchson's Sci-Fi Thriller 'War Machine' Dominates Netflix Into April 2026 continues to draw viewers.
As Netflix looks ahead to April 2026, the question remains whether Beef Season 2 can regain momentum or if the platform will pivot to other projects. With Lee Sung Jin's focus shifting to Marvel, the future of the anthology seems uncertain. For now, both seasons of Beef are available to stream on Netflix.
