In this episode we see Beth becoming more comfortable in her explorations of her self, including going to a party and having relations with a man for the first time. At the same time, it seems that she is spiraling into a terrible substance dependency, as she is seen drinking multiple times throughout the beginning of the episode.

I liked how this episode deepens the relationship between Beth and her mother, although it was almost cheapened by the ending. Admittedly the death of Mrs. Wheatley surprised me because I thought there was little build-up, but I do recall the earlier episodes mentioning her frequently failing health. Still, I did like seeing a genuine mother-daughter relationship on screen, as short as it was.

Beth’s match with Georgi was interesting; I am not sure how I feel about Beth using underhanded intimidation tactics to win the match against a young opponent, although she may have been trying to make a point about the mental fortitude alongside strategy and intelligence that is necessary to succeed in competitive chess. The compliment she gave him at the end I thought was sweet.

The match also provided contrast to Beth’s later loss against the Russian, whom she described as entirely predictable and bureaucratic, almost inhuman.