Beef Recap: Drifting Apart

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What is Lee Sung Jin doing?! This episode delivers a shocking blow with the death of the sweet, stylish Burberry, and immediately reignites the season’s intense storyline. Burberry’s death isn’t just sad; it dramatically impacts the growing conflict between the characters, and most importantly, reveals a lot about Lindsay. This episode truly focuses on her, and Carey Mulligan gives a stunning performance, portraying Lindsay’s deep loneliness. Despite Lindsay being selfish, unkind, and manipulative, by the end of the episode, you can’t help but feel sympathy for her.

Watching Lindsay search all over Ojai for her dog, Burberry, it’s hard not to wonder why she doesn’t have anyone to lean on during a crisis. The episode “I Am Killing My Flesh” shows she’s very isolated. Like we wanted to know more about Ashley’s history last week, it would be helpful to understand Lindsay’s life – how she went from a privileged upbringing in England to being married to Josh in California. Beyond her sometimes abrasive personality, why does she seem to have no close relationships? Burberry is her only reliable companion, because he depends entirely on her. Lindsay and Josh quickly discover Burberry is missing when they return home, and they find the porch door open.

Josh and Lindsay were desperately searching for Burberry. After struggling to review their elderly neighbor’s security camera footage – repeatedly muttering “devices” as the woman fumbled with her phone – Josh missed a crucial clue: she’d seen a pistachio-colored Miata, close but not the right car. They pulled out all the stops to find Burberry, posting on Nextdoor, contacting the Ojai police and fire departments, and even getting a share on Childish Gambino’s Instagram Story. Finally, the Ojai Valley Animal Shelter called with news of a 12-year-old dachshund who loved to play fetch. Their relief was quickly crushed when they realized it wasn’t Burberry. The shelter volunteer then guilt-tripped them into taking the dog home, hinting it would be euthanized if they didn’t.

Lindsay isn’t thrilled with the new dog, especially since it keeps trying to steal Burberry’s favorite toy. Predictably, this leads to an argument with Josh about who left the door open – a disagreement that started at the animal shelter when Josh suggested they create a plan to keep the doors secure, and Lindsay dismissed any blame for Burberry’s initial escape. Now, they’re just focused on assigning blame. The argument quickly spirals, bringing up old grievances – like Lindsay missing the Top Gun: Maverick premiere because she caught COVID after Josh’s Mescal Night, and the time she forgot his mother’s medication, which Josh subtly blames for her stroke. While the details surrounding Josh’s mother’s health remain unclear, it becomes evident during the fight that his guilt over her passing – which he tries to alleviate by financially supporting his sister, even when he can’t afford it – stems from his tendency to avoid dealing with difficult emotions. “You’ll just bury yourself in work,” Lindsay shouts, “like you did with Mom, because you don’t know how to handle your feelings!”

Josh burst into the club, full of restless energy. Troy and Ava noticed he was struggling and urged him to relax with them over a negroni, knowing he needed a break. Troy even offered to fly Josh away on his private jet that night, with Ava enthusiastically agreeing – she felt they both needed some time together. Josh saw Ava as the opposite of Lindsay: calm, respectful, and openly affectionate. He initially refused the offer, but Troy’s persistent encouragement – subtly reminding Josh of their work relationship – and the difficult situation awaiting him at home convinced him to give in. He quickly finished his drink and decided to go.

Troy surprised Josh with an incredible party at his Utah chalet, complete with a private concert by the band Hot Chip – a group Josh loves and that previously opened for LCD Soundsystem. Josh is amazed Troy managed to pull it off so quickly, realizing it must have been his staff doing the work. He’s touched that Troy would do something so extravagant for him, making him wonder if they’re truly friends. Despite initial worries about his wife, Lindsay, Josh can’t resist going to the party. When Hot Chip’s lead singer, Alexis Taylor, invites him onstage to play the Minimoog, Josh feels a sense of inevitability, and a sense of wrongdoing. As he performs in front of the fashionable crowd, he drifts off into a daze, realizing his marriage is finished.

I’m really following Lindsay’s story, and it’s hitting me hard right now. She’s searching for her dachshund, but she’s also searching for herself, it seems. She went to a home décor store hoping for help with flyers, and the salesperson pretended to be supportive, but Lindsay actually caught her throwing the flyers away! It was so frustrating to read. But then, Lindsay saw this older woman just peacefully enjoying a coffee and a pastry, and it seemed to give her a little moment of clarity. It made her realize she’s already living life on her own, and maybe being without Josh wouldn’t be the end of the world. She even texted him, calling him out! It’s like she finally asked herself what she’s even giving up for him, and realized it doesn’t really matter either way – she’s already navigating life solo.

Okay, so this movie is really starting to dig into some interesting emotional territory. We see Lindsay refusing to give up on finding Burberry, and it’s heartwarming to see Ashley and Austin actually help – they’re clearly genuinely good people. There’s a great moment where you can see the disappointment on Ashley’s face when Lindsay reveals how Burberry escaped, and the tension builds as Lindsay deflects blame. But it’s the dynamic between the characters that’s really compelling. Austin’s concern for Ashley is a stark contrast to Josh’s complete abandonment of Lindsay, and then we get this bizarre text from Josh about being stuck in Utah! Honestly, I was right there with Ashley, thinking, ‘What a jerk!’

But it’s not just about Josh being awful. We start to see a real connection forming between Lindsay and Ashley. They begin to open up – Ashley shares a very personal story about her ovary removal, and Lindsay subtly hints at problems in her marriage. It’s clear she’s searching for more than just her dog. However, Ashley occasionally pushes a little too far with her questions, and you can feel Lindsay pull back. But then Ashley delivers this incredibly insightful line about Lindsay being too strong and independent to let a guy like Josh mess with her head – it’s exactly what Lindsay needed to hear, even if she couldn’t admit it herself. It’s a really powerful moment, and the film smartly follows it up with a touch of humor – Ashley can’t resist complimenting Lindsay’s looks! Overall, it’s a messy, honest, and surprisingly moving portrayal of female connection.

Ashley and Lindsay share a brief moment of understanding, recognizing a shared emptiness in each other – perhaps from unfulfilled dreams or deep loneliness – but they don’t truly connect. It’s hard to, considering they see each other as rivals. However, the conversation highlights how isolated Lindsay feels, as she lacks someone to confide in, unlike Josh who has Troy. On the flight home, Josh watches a video of him and Lindsay with their dog, Burberry. He expresses gratitude to Troy for a much-needed fun time, jokingly comparing it to ‘recharging’ before re-entering the real world. He then asks Troy about his happiness with Ava, hoping for a similar question about his own marriage. Josh admits his marriage to Lindsay has its challenges. Troy surprisingly admits Josh wasn’t very likeable before he met Lindsay, implying he’s improved. While Josh used to be a bit of a womanizer, Troy believes Lindsay has ultimately been good for him, and that he shouldn’t take what he has for granted.

Troy is convinced Josh promoted Ashley because they were having an affair – he can’t imagine any other reason for her quick promotion. However, Josh and Lindsay’s situation is arguably worse than infidelity: they’ve simply given up on each other. Feeling remorseful, Josh texts Lindsay, telling her it’s okay to grieve the loss of their dog, Burberry, in her own way and encouraging her to rest. Lindsay, distraught, is desperately calling for Burberry in the woods. Even Josh’s small gesture of support – suggesting she rest – offers her a bit of comfort. But just as she starts to head back, she hears Burberry bark. She races towards the sound and is horrified to find a coyote attacking Burberry. Lindsay throws her phone at the coyote, which drops the badly injured Burberry. She tries to scare the coyote away, and when it advances on her, she instinctively grabs its legs and slams it against a tree stump, killing it.

The episode is a powerful mix of suspense, humor, and heartbreak. From the beginning, we knew Burberry was in danger, but his death is still shocking and incredibly painful to watch, especially as Lindsay faces it alone. When Josh reaches her at the vet’s office, where Burberry is undergoing surgery with Dr. Kemper, it becomes tragically clear that their relationship will never be the same. Josh wants to comfort Lindsay, but can’t even bring himself to touch her, creating an insurmountable gap between them. Lindsay breaks down, asking for a divorce, and Josh quietly replies, “I know,” his voice filled with emotion. They avoid eye contact and physical touch. It’s a devastating scene – and then we’re reminded that Burberry is gone. Back home, Lindsay immediately lights a cigarette, and Josh starts drinking orange juice directly from the carton, both finding unhealthy ways to cope with their grief.

To Add Insult to Injury

Throughout the season, certain animal images have appeared repeatedly, and this episode brings them into sharper focus. We first saw Austin step on an ant, then Ashley watched ants on her windowsill while recovering, and now Josh crushes one before his argument with Lindsay. These scenes visually represent how those with power can easily harm those who are weaker. This idea is also connected to the recurring image of coyotes. Josh saw a coyote earlier in the season, and Troy later compares Josh’s past relationships to a coyote’s behavior. Ultimately, a coyote is responsible for Burberry’s death. While coyotes are common in the Californian setting, their repeated appearance seems intentional.

While this episode mainly centers on Lindsay, Josh has some standout moments as well. It starts with a humorous scene where he nearly drinks orange juice with blood in it, only to be stopped by Lindsay who points out the high sugar content. He also shares a funny conversation with an older woman while reviewing her security footage. She warns him about a Hispanic man walking by, and he jokingly replies, “Oh, that’s me!” She confidently insists he’s Greek. This amusing exchange, along with his earlier phone call with Dr. Allen, highlights how Josh’s authority is frequently challenged.

• How good is William Fichtner as Troy?!

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2026-04-16 22:59