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.

The Queen’s Gambit continues to be interesting, if not a little cliché.

At first I was annoyed at the lighting and drab colors in the beginning of the episode, although I later realized this was actually a good directorial decision. By making the orphanage bleak and dim visually and metaphorically, the contrast is more apparent when Beth goes to the new home and the walls are suddenly bright and colorful. I think it is a good indicator of her life taking a turn for the better and her mood lightening.

I was upset that Jolene is gone; she had a very fun personality and offered some diversity in the show. Although I think the show was trying to make a statement about period racism by showing her being left behind at the orphanage, the show also falls into its own trap by getting rid of an interesting black character.

I like how they demonstrate how Beth is starting to engage more with the world around her in positive and negative ways, by growing into her sexuality and being tempted to fuel her drug addiction while also becoming more serious about chess.

I thought this week’s episode was a little strange in terms of plot, although it was still entertaining. At first I was convinced that Beth’s adoptive mother was trying to use Beth’s talents to her own benefit, although I believe later it is made apparent that she just wants to become closer to her daughter by becoming more involved in her chess life and doing “girly things” with her, which I was relieved by. I like how Beth is presented as a bit overconfident at times, as she easily beats most opponents she goes up against; it makes it that when an opponent sees through her, like Benny Watts, she becomes that much more flustered. I believe this is a useful device in setting up a future loss for her, which will surely bother her a seemingly disproportionate amount. There was a strange scene that confused me in which Townes invited Beth to come back to his room to take photos for a journal. At first I thought Beth agreed out of naivety or the writers didn’t realize how cautious a female would be in that situation. I finally concluded that Beth may have been interested in him and exploring her sexuality, despite the fact that Townes is much older than her, because she seemed disappointed when she returned later and nothing happened. There was another scene which bothered me in which Beth was invited to a party by some of the popular girls at her school. The scene falls back on the trope of the special, loner, out-of-place protagonist, presenting the popular girls as undesirable because what they enjoy is “common.” Despite this, I suppose the scene does get the message of Beth’s unique interests across.

In all, like the other episodes, I feel this is an entertaining show that sometimes falls back on overused plot devices.

I was interested by the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit. Firstly the cinematography was, in my opinion, very impressive. I loved the scenes where Elizabeth played out her chess games on the ceiling and the choral music swelled, almost as if it was biblical. In a few other instances the show seemed to be utilizing religious symbolism, such as when Elizabeth takes the pills at the end of the episode and falls as the music from the movie rises. I also like how the show brings up some social issues that Elizabeth would have faced at the time, such as sexism–when the janitor insists girls don’t play chess and later when Mr. Ganz gifts her a doll– and racism–as Joleyne reveals she is well aware she will not be adopted because of her skin color. I do feel this first episode was especially grim, and while I don’t have an issue with that, I hope to see the tone change over time. It seems almost none of the characters smile throughout the show, even as the janitor and her play or when she defeats the high school students. Despite this, I do like the comparison of the orphanage to a prison; the girls must all wear the same uniforms, get the same haircuts, and sleep in a crowded room of small beds. It leaves an opportunity for Elizabeth to subvert expectations and break free of the conformity she has been forced into. I am looking forward to the future episodes of this show!