Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Beef’ explores the conflict between two individuals whose lives become intertwined after a road rage incident. In the series, Danny Cho, a construction worker, tries to get revenge on Amy Lau, a small business owner. However, Danny’s brother, Paul Cho, is inadvertently roped into a series of escalating conflicts between the two. Moreover, the climactic confrontation between Danny and Amy in the penultimate episode leaves questions about Paul’s fate and fractures his relationship with his brother. As a result, viewers might wonder if Paul is alive and why he blocked Danny in ‘Beef.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Paul Is Alive
In ‘Beef,’ Paul Cho is the brother of Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), with actor Young Mazino essaying the role. Mazino is arguably best known for playing the role of Alex Wu in the crime drama series ‘Prodigal Son.’ While Danny is a construction worker and struggles to make ends meet, Paul is carefree and does not contribute to the family. He is interested in video games and earns quick cash trading crypto. However, Danny condescends to Paul and disapproves of his behavior. He encourages his brother to work hard. Paul dreams of making millions through crypto. Meanwhile, Amy Lau (Ali Wong) tries to catfish Danny to get revenge for their road rage incident. However, she ends up talking to Paul, and they have an affair.
As the narrative progresses, Paul starts taking work seriously after his affair with Amy Lau ends badly. After Danny turns around his construction business, Paul works with him, and they build a house for their parents. However, after the house burns down, Paul tells Amy’s husband, George, about their affair. Meanwhile, Issac is released from prison and holds Amy’s daughter, June, hostage. Amy offers to help the kidnappers rob Jordan Forster’s house in exchange for her daughter. In the ensuing conflict, Paul and Danny find themselves in Jordan’s mansion while the police raid the place. Paul tries to escape the carnage by scaling a wall. However, a gunshot is heard when he lands on the other side. Danny believes that Paul is shot dead by the police. However, in the season 1 finale, Paul sends a text message to Danny confirming that he is alive.
Paul Cuts Out Danny
Although Paul’s message informs Danny of his safety, the text itself is not very comforting. In the message, Paul reveals that he is blocking Danny, effectively cutting all ties with his brother. Earlier, when Paul and Danny are trying to escape from Jordan’s mansion, Paul refuses to leave Danny behind, as the latter is unable to scale the wall. As a result, Danny tries to convince Paul to leave him and save himself. Therefore, Danny reveals that he threw out all of Paul’s college applications when they were younger. Danny wanted Paul to stay with him as the brothers were already growing distant due to their different interests. However, Danny’s actions lead to Paul believing he is not good enough.
Eventually, Paul’s self-confidence takes a hit, and he stops trying to achieve anything significant in his life. Ultimately, Danny’s revelation causes a rift between the brothers, which seems irreparable. Paul’s choosing to block Danny implies that he wants nothing to do with his brother. Moreover, Danny’s revelation confirms that Danny is holding Paul back, and his disapproval of his brother’s life choices is painted in a new light. Hence, it is understandable why Paul blocks Danny and cuts his brother out of his life. However, with Danny ending up in a coma due to his feud with Amy, it will be interesting to see if Paul and Danny reconcile in the future.
Read More: Is Beef’s KoyoHaus Based on a Real Plant Business? Is Forsters a Real Retail Store?
