TVLine named Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan as Performers of the Week for their portrayals of Josh and Lindsay in the sixth episode of Netflix's BEEF Season 2. The episode, titled 'Those Blue Remembered Hills' and aired on April 16, showcased the couple's escalating divorce tensions. Their raw performances humanized the flawed characters amid personal revelations.
In 'Those Blue Remembered Hills,' Josh and Lindsay, played by Isaac and Mulligan, navigate a crumbling marriage marked by disputes over social media posts and finances. Tensions peak when Josh learns Lindsay consulted an attorney and refuses to sign a contract extension before the divorce. Lindsay responds with fury, insulting him and threatening liaisons at a club, as depicted in Mulligan's explosive portrayal blending desperation, hurt, and rage. TVLine praised how the actors captured the shift from amicable split to outright conflict. Later scenes deliver emotional depth. Josh, tripping on bufo during a hangout with Austin, hallucinates past lovers and his deceased mother. Isaac conveys pure love turning to terror, culminating in a heartbroken monologue: he 'didn't even know how to stand anymore,' revealing life's toll on his vulnerabilities. Mulligan shines as Lindsay confides in Ashley over champagne, admitting their marriage—a source of her life's meaning—was a sham. Her dejected expression underscores the line: 'Because then what? You're 40 years old without the faintest idea of who you are.' TVLine noted the performances make the 'bougie, emotionally manipulative' characters sympathetic and human. An honorable mention went to Ramón Rodríguez for his subdued yet powerful portrayal of Will Trent grieving mentor Amanda Wagner's death in Will Trent, conveying internalized loss and rising anger toward a potential successor.
