The Symbolic Cars of Danny and Amy in Beef

The Allegorical Symbolism of Danny and Amy's Cars

The cars that Danny and Amy drive in Beef surprisingly have a deeper meaning than they initially appear to have. Beef, which was celebrated at the 2024 Golden Globes as the Best Limited Series of the year, is jam-packed with allegorical symbolism and existential themes that are at play underneath the surface-level tension between Steven Yeun's Danny and Ali Wong's Amy.

Ali Wong as Amy Lau and Steven Yeun as Danny Cho after driving off a cliff in Beef

Both Yeun and Wong won Best Actor and Best Actress in a Limited Series at the Golden Globes as well, poising the Netflix series for a successful showing at the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards. Beef, released back in April 2023 exclusively on Netflix, was created by Lee Sung Jin, also known as Sonny Lee. The series features an outstanding ensemble cast of Joseph Lee, David Choe, Ashely Park, Maria Bello, and Young Mazino, who was just added to the cast of The Last of Us season 2. The cast is also nominated at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards, with both Yeun and Wong as early frontrunners in their respective categories. While Beef season 2 has yet to be announced, the popularity of the series may encourage Netflix and creator Sonny Lee to team up once more after Beef season 1's cliffhanger ending.

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Danny & Amy's Cars as Reflections of Character Traits

In Beef, Danny drives a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, which appears to be an older model, which would make sense given his financial situation and his employment as a struggling contractor in the series. Meanwhile, Amy drives a brand new Mercedes Benz SUV, indicative of her wealthy status and her seemingly picture-perfect life with her 'dream' husband George. Both Danny's rugged Tacoma and Amy's luxurious Mercedes exemplify the difference between their societal status but also become vehicles that highlight their shared dissatisfaction and inner rage.

Steven Yeun getting in his car in Beef on Netflix

It's also mentioned in Beef that Danny missed some type of upgrade of the Tacoma by one year, meaning that it is probably too old of a model to qualify. Danny certainly bought the right car as far as endurance and reliability go, which is probably why he's been able to drive the same car for so long. Meanwhile, Amy likely upgrades her car every couple of years like an iPhone, and would never drive a used car. It shows how much Amy clings to the material and superficial things in her life as a means of purpose and identity, which turns out to be incredibly hollow.

Beef Netflix Show Ali Wong Amy

The Literary Significance of Amy's White SUV

There is also some literary significance to Amy's white SUV, as it pertains to the white whale in the classic Herman Melville novel Moby Dick (1851). In the novel, the protagonist Ahab is determined to kill the white whale Moby Dick and becomes a symbol of obsession to complete a goal that likely will never happen. Ahab's obsession with Moby Dick ends up destroying his life and those of the people around him, which is similar to how Danny's obsession with getting revenge on Amy in Beef ends up nearly costing him his own life by the series end.

Steven Yeun as Danny in Beef

Amy's white SUV becomes a symbolic representation of her elusive and unattainable nature, mirroring the enigmatic and unreachable nature of Moby Dick. The parallels between Amy's character and the white whale in Moby Dick add a layer of depth to the storyline, showcasing the profound literary connections within the narrative of Beef.

Amy (Ali Wong) looks concerned in her car in Beef