In this episode the show’s pendulum makes a full swing to darkness, defeat, and death. In their commitment to fleshing out an honest character, they must allow light into the other side of genius that is crippling insecurity and where being outdone is an identity assault, as well as the resurfacing of childhood trauma in destructive forms when its been bottled up for too long and pacified by past success. Beth’s overwhelming chain of mistakes and devastation, some of her own doing, render this episode the most humanizing of all as we witness a relatable tug-of-war with addiction and cognitive work-in-progress for dealing with failure. Psychological hardships don’t discriminate and intelligence is no replacement for mental fortitude; these experiences serve to set up a path forward where she won’t rely solely on her chess brilliance anymore.