He's serving more 'Beef'

Creator Lee Sung Jin breaks down the cycles of entitlement and petty revenge he created for Season 2 of Netflix's anthology series. (Spoiler: Don't drink the OJ.)

- BY YVONNE VILLARREAL

I THOUGHT the idea of juxtaposing these couples at different stages felt like ripe ground, says Lee of the season, set in Montecito.

(CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times)

There's a couple somewhere in Los Angeles who unknowingly inspired the second season of “Beef.”

Lee Sung Jin, the creator of Netflix's anthology drama that swirls in the consequences of class struggles, resentment and the absurdity of life's curveballs, once again found himself inspired by a tense interaction playing out before him. A road rage incident at a stoplight in Hollywood a few years ago, triggered by Lee's delayed response to a green light, became the catalyst for the first season. An early idea to write about a men's doubles partnership gone awry lost its luster after “Challengers,” Luca Guadagnino’s drama about a love triangle among tennis pros, came out. But a heated argument coming from a house in Lee's neighborhood became the next spark that lit a narrative fuse.

“I told the story to people — it caused a little stir in the neighborhood,” he says. “And what I found fascinating was the different reactions. When I told younger folks, I'd get, ‘Did you call the police? Should you go check on them again?’ Very concerned, having an ideological view on relationships. When I told the story to older friends and couples, they were just kind of like, ‘Who among us hasn't?’ I thought the idea of juxtaposing these couples at different stages felt like ripe ground.”

The overheard in L.A. moment inspired the eight-episode season, now streaming, which follows the messy aftermath of a volatile fight that sends two California couples from different socioeconomic backgrounds — though both are struggling — spiraling into a high-stakes feud.