Episode 9 concluded with an intense close-up of a crow, its beady eyes fixed on the scene of the accident. Given the show's A24 pedigree, it was evident that the crow's presence was anything but random. Instantly, memories of Danny's childhood story resurfaced. He had once nurtured a crow back to health after its leg was broken, feeding it diligently until it recovered. Amazingly, the crow standing before him was the same one he had helped. What were the odds of such a reunion?
Danny engaged in a conversation with another crow, who revealed that Amy had once frightened its uncle. They hatched a plan to assist Danny if he were ever in trouble... and soon, that trouble materialized. As Danny emerged from his car, Amy stood over him, gun pointed at his chest. She ordered him to stay put while she dialed the police, but before she could finish, the crows attacked, giving Danny the opportunity to flee. He hatched a clever ruse to push Amy down the slope, and it worked. Amy fell, suffering severe injuries.
When Amy awoke, she found herself barely able to walk, her gun missing. Both she and Danny struggled to get a signal on their phones, even though they were fully functional. Despite heading in opposite directions, they ended up standing on adjacent rocks, exchanging curses until Danny mentioned Paul. Amy's concern for him softened her demeanor, and she cautiously approached Danny.
She tried to comfort him, but Danny asked if she knew the way back. She nodded, admitting she couldn't walk and needed his help. He grudgingly hoisted her onto his shoulders. When he refused to share his Skittles, Amy retaliated by pinching his head. He lost his balance, dropping her, and their eyes fell on a gun lying nearby. Both lunged for it, but Amy grasped it first, using it to break Danny's shoulder.
Even in their dire situation, Danny couldn't resist mocking Amy, taunting her that George would never check up on her after all she had put him through. Amy instructed Danny to forage for elderberries, which she claimed were edible and would sustain them. Danny found some, and after Amy confirmed their edibility, they both ate heartily. But soon, their jubilation turned to nausea as they realized they had been poisoned. Amy's plant knowledge was apparently limited to what she could find on Google, and both regretted their hasty decision.
Danny announced his intention to seek help, but Amy, gun in hand, refused to let him leave her alone. Little did she know, the gun was a mere wooden stick, and Danny was no longer even present. Their conversation took a surreal turn, with pointless questions like "What are chemicals?" and "Why are all Asians lactose intolerant?" floating between them, adding a wicked and hilarious undertone to their already bizarre situation.
No assistance has arrived, and the night has fallen upon them. Danny and Amy remain together, thankfully, her hallucinations have subsided, but the grasp of time remains elusive. Unlike the haunting visions of the film "Fall," her illusions were not of a deceased loved one. Danny remains steadfast, not succumbing to nausea, but Amy insists that vomiting would ease his discomfort.
Danny wanders off, speaking about how their parents passed down the byproducts of their struggles - trauma and anguish - to them like a legacy. The rustling of leaves catches his attention, but it's only Amy. Both of them, hallucinating under the silvery moonlight!
With a clearer understanding of time and reality, Amy and Danny delve into the complexities of their generation's role as technological guinea pigs. They suffered the worst of both worlds: addiction and the promise of opportunities. Amy nods in agreement.
When Amy mentions Paul, Danny confesses his guilt for not being honest with him. All he did was try to bring Paul down to his level, a futile attempt at maintaining a false sense of equality. Amy offers her perspective, saying, "In a way, we all want to be seen, but not who they really are." She speaks to the inherent fragility of human existence, acknowledging that we all hide our ugliness from the world, fearing its judgment and the suffering it brings.
Amy and Danny are merely two examples of this inherent brokenness. Amy accepts that she does not appreciate George's vases. In fact, she deliberately broke one and blamed it on June. Her existential dread surfaces as she questions whether "George and June mean home" to her anymore. It's the most visceral display of depression we've witnessed in the series, occurring at a time when the certainty of survival is in doubt.
Finally, Amy confesses that she thought June would complete her, but she didn't. Neither did the business or George's companionship. She even senses that June's love for her is not unconditional, as Amy loves her, prompting Danny to label all babies as "monsters who cannot do anything to get what they want."
Amy and Danny's conversation is a maze, making it excruciatingly challenging for us to disentangle the truth from the falsehood. The moment we witness them speaking as each other, they have truly traversed a threshold, as if they have swapped skins, echoing the transformation in Jennifer's Body. This profound interchange signifies their ultimate achievement of understanding and empathizing with each other's fractured selves.
Watching this scene unfold is like stepping into a dreamlike realm, and kudos to the creators for crafting such a captivating visual narrative. In that fleeting instant, Amy and Danny beheld each other with unwavering authenticity, embracing even the ugliest facets of their respective selves. The world failed to see them in their entirety, and for a prolonged period, they nursed resentment towards themselves for this reality... but not anymore.
As they recounted incidents from each other's lives, it only reaffirmed their mutual understanding. Amy and Danny label themselves as "not normal" and ponder the reasons why God would fashion them differently from others. Their dialogue is intense, philosophical, and unstructured, yet it ceases to matter, as they face the inevitable: they would be no more by the break of dawn.
For one fleeting moment, they found solace in each other's arms, realizing that what they had always desired was companionship, not solitude. Their anger towards each other stemmed from a deeper hatred towards themselves. It was a moment of pure beauty when they apologized and vowed to no longer conceal their authentic selves.
As the sun rose, they miraculously survived the night. Joyfully, they rejoiced before Danny resumed carrying Amy. As they drew nearer to civilization, they embraced the beauty of Los Angeles's untamed nature, finding solace in its vastness. However, the moment their phones picked up a signal, ugliness once again invaded their lives.
Paul, though alive, vowed never to speak to Danny again. George's concern centered on Amy, while Fumi fretted over whether Amy had received the email from George's lawyer. Amy and Danny walked side by side, heading towards civilization, their differences resolved, and mutual respect and admiration growing between them. She offered to cover the cost of his legal defense.
Suddenly, George rushed in, gun in hand. From his perspective, it seemed like Danny was striking Amy. Without hesitation, he fired, and the screen went dark. Danny clung to life, barely, relying on life support, while Amy sat beside him, her face etched with worry.
Her mind drifted back to the day she flipped him the middle finger, remembering the hesitation that preceded it. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at him, and then she climbed into bed with Danny. She embraced him tightly, and the lights around them flickered, signifying the passage of time. The series concluded with Danny wrapping his arm around Amy, leaving a hopeful impression that perhaps they had found their way to each other.
After all the ups and downs, Amy and Danny finally did what viewers had wished for throughout the series: they saw each other. We had always sensed their similarity, and the creators did a magnificent job of guiding the narrative towards this conclusion. In the end, all's well that ends well, and "Beef" reached its happiest ending.
