This was the first time that I have ever watched the series. I thought the series used lighting in a really captivating way. The lighting always felt somehow dull and gloomy, which I think reflected the nature of the institution and how they demoralized the girls. The episode presented dark aspects of the institution in a manner that was impactful but not forceful. I think the comedic relief that they added throughout the episode was really important for keeping the audience’s engagement and to prevent the episodes from becoming too heaving. However, the ending of the episode where Beth overdoses prevented the light humor from taking away from the serious issues of the institution.

This semester I took a course, HD 1170, which explores human development during the adolescent stage. In a lot of ways, I noticed patterns in Beth’s childhood story that may give me clues about what she is like in her adulthood. The series starts with Beth running late and dousing a couple of tranquilizer pills. From this first episode, we start to understand Beth’s dependency on pills in her adulthood. At the orphanage she is given the pills for the first time to control the orphans but Beth realizes its abilities to get her mind focused on chess and away from the pain of losing her mother. One of the main themes in HD 1170 was that every little aspect of our environment during childhood and adolescence have the ability to shape us as adults. I think this look into Beth’s childhood thus did a great job of portraying this idea to watchers.

I was surprised watching the first episode of the series. Many of my friends and siblings have suggested the show to me, but I never personally got around to watching it. From the description that my friends gave me, I was expecting something completely different so I was happy I gave the show a try, in order to make my own judgments on the series. The show really wasn’t anything I was expecting. A memorable thing that happened during the episode was learning about Beth’s adjustment to the orphanage. At the end, when Beth takes too many tranquilizers and gets caught by Helen, that was a major cliff-hanger to me. I can’t wait to watch next week’s episode.

I had heard a lot of good things about this show, but prior to seeing it through Rose Scholars, I hadn’t got the chance to give it a try. My only prior knowledge of the show’s premise was a female chess prodigy main character, and the first episode alone really piqued my interest and surpassed my expectations. This episode was a great opener to Beth’s character, showcasing her childhood hardships and leading up to how she sought to escape from these troubles through chess. It was interesting to see how her growing dependency on the pills given to her at her orphanage combined with her growing fascination with chess both hindered and helped her leave the orphanage. She became caught in a cycle of wanting to improve at chess, using the pills to help her visualize the chessboard, and then gaining a reliance on both as a means of escapism. The cinematography of the episode as well was very interesting, and the climax of the episode with her collapsing from taking too many pills helped signify to the audience just how unsustainable this coping mechanism was and revealed a hidden impulsive nature to her seemingly serious character.

Before watching this show, I didn’t know anything about chess and after watching the first episode, I can confidently say that I still know nothing about chess except that there is a strategy called “The Queen’s Gambit.” I do know, however, that this was a super interesting episode. I didn’t know much about the show before watching it and I was surprised to find out about the varying hardships Beth went through as a child, from losing her parents, ending up in an orphanage, and developing a pill addiction as a child in a place that is supposed to care for her, the first episode was darker than I expected. Although Beth was going through a lot of troubles at the time, when she first started playing chess, she picked it up very quickly and it became a source of joy and clarity for her. It was interesting to see how her chess abilities and addiction grew throughout the episode. She was able to easily beat experienced chess players and her skill grew rapidly, but at the same time, she was abusing the pills given to her and even went to the point to steal the pills once she wasn’t given them anymore. I think there was also a correlation between how the pills helped her visualize the game and play better and how she wanted to keep that up, which drew her back to the pills because those both served as an escape for her from the sadness of her life. Overall, it was a good episode and maybe I’ll give chess a go.

I had the pleasure of watching The Queen’s Gambit over Thanksgiving break with my family. It was a very interesting and engaging show that seems very unique in comparison to other Netflix originals released around the same time. Watching the show definitely inspired me to pick up the hobby of playing chess, which I had not done in a very long time. Despite the entertaining and sometimes frustrating chess matches, this show deals with other important topics regarding family dynamics, gender roles, and substance abuse. Being able to rewatch this first episode during this week’s Friday Film allowed me to pay attention to the smaller details that I was not able to catch the first time around. I was also able to understand the importance of the portrayal of Beth’s childhood for the development of her character later on, especially her relationship with chess, drug consumption, and independence. 

In the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit, we get a look at the troubled past of the protagonist, Beth Harmon. The very beginning of the episode starts with Beth waking up late, appearing to be hungover, and rushing down to her chess match. This is not the behavior one would typically expect from a world-class chess player. The rest of the episode is the beginning of the explanation for this: her difficult childhood. After surviving a car crash and being sent to an orphanage, Beth is given pills (tranquilizers) which starts her addiction and substance abuse.

She also first learns to play chess from the janitor, Mr. Shaibel, and it quickly becomes clear that she is naturally curious and talented, insisting that he teach her more. One point that I really enjoyed in this episode was when Beth snuck out of the movie showing to steal more of the pills after they stopped giving them to her. During this scene, the music perfectly aligns with the events transpiring and it built up the suspension until she is caught and collapses from taking too many pills. This dramatic ending after also highlighting her natural abilities when first learning chess defines the talented yet chaotic character that is Beth Harmon.

Like with the previous Friday Film, I entered knowing nothing about the showing content. While I had previously heard of the Queen’s Gambit, I had no idea what the show was about, so I was watching the episode with a bit of confusion at first. Then, as the episode progressed and Beth’s journey with chess began it made me really wish I had known the basics of the game in order to truly appreciate her skills. However, I still enjoyed other aspects of the show such as the exploration of themes and topics such as early addiction, sexism, and coming of age all through a young girl’s perspective within a historical context.  

In terms of the technical aspects of the show, I really enjoyed the overall cinematography. When Beth initially arrived at the orphanage, I was set on the idea that the show was a horror one. Specifically, because of the controlling character of the orphanage’s director paired with the overall gray cast lighting, the show gave me an eerie vibe. Eventually, I realized I was wrong in my initial assumptions, but still, the settings, lighting, and overall technical composition shown in the first episode worked well with the themes touched upon. I admit I was frustrated that the episode ended with that cliffhanger, but it definitely has me drawn to watch the next episode!

Despite how popular it is on Netflix, I never had the chance of watch the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. So I grabbed this opportunity to watch it with other Rose Scholar. What stood out the most to me was the music. The music added a sensational impact that kept you holding your breath as you hung tight for what planned to occur. I liked the instrumental music just as the vocals added in to make a considerably more strange impact. I’m anticipating proceeding with the arrangement and I would give it a good review.

I attended the viewing of the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit last Friday. I had watched the series last semester and really enjoyed it so I thought it would be fun to watch the show again and discuss it with peers. During my second viewing, I definitely caught on to more aspects than my first time maybe due to my foreknowledge of the plot allowing me to focus on things that were not the main ideas. Notably, I found the sound effect and music in the episode very interesting. When Beth was playing chess the echo added in every time a piece hit the board was fascinating as it added a sense of urgency to the scene that was out of the ordinary considering she was only learning the game in the basement of the orphanage. The suspense made the viewer feel as if something would happen to Beth soon, but nothing related to chess affected her for the rest of the episode. 

The critically acclaimed and highly popular show, The Queen’s Gambit has been on my to-watch list for a long time. I was very intrigued by everyone’s reviews but was always too busy to watch. I’m really glad I got the chance to watch it! The first episode was really good and reeled me in. The main character, Beth Harmon interested me and I wanted to know more about her character. At first, I was a bit wary because I knew the main focus of the show was chess and I wasn’t really sure how they would incorporate the game without it being boring, but I was pleasantly surprised. The visuals and the way we watched Beth learn and advance in the game were really cool to see. Admittedly, I spent most of the episode really anxious for Beth and her addiction to tranquilizers, so the cliffhanger at the end of the episode makes me want to continue to watch. I’m very excited to learn more about her character and see how the writers use chess to help us do so. Overall, the episode was very entertaining and enjoyable!

I’ve played chess before but never in a competitive way, so I thought it would be interesting to check out The Queen’s Gambit based on the description. There uh, wasn’t as much of a focus on chess as I had expected going into it but not in a bad way, although maybe at least a basic primer could have been included as setup. I thought the way they set the atmosphere using music and long pauses/nonverbal scenes made the episode engaging. I’m excited for the next episode especially after the way episode one ended.

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!

Going into watching the show, all I had heard was that the show was:

1. Very well done
2. About chess

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from a show about chess, and I myself have only played extremely casually. Regardless, I found the first episode to be incredibly engaging! The show so far is incredibly well done (as I was told), and music/sound design helped to punctuate important events throughout, which resulted in an added dimension to the experience. Something that I found to be kind of funny was the significant lack of explanation on how to play chess as Beth began to learn. The show put forth a lot of effort to showcase her incredible observational powers, allowing her to absorb the rules of the game, but key concepts (such as how to win) were not emphasized explicitly, making it unclear how she derived such rules. This particular point does nothing to detract from my experience however, as the show was fantastic and I look forward to watching more!

This was my first time watching “The Queen’s Gambit”. I wanted to read the book before watching the show, but that didn’t happen. After watching during the event, I started reading the book and, of course, there are differences between the book and what the show portrays. I will try not to get into too much detail because the book is quite explicit, but Beth endures much more than is shown in the show. Jolene plays a much more sinister role in the book. She is a significant cause of suffering for Beth as she s*xually assaults and bullies her. I think that the show chose to omit this part of the storyline because it is a huge trigger (and rightfully, unfortunately so) for several people (Jolene and Beth become friends again a bit after, but a child can never forget a scarring experience like that). However, in the book, it is one of the pushes that causes Beth to become who she becomes. Chess is her escape from all the tension she feels in her life. 

This sort of makes me wonder about people who are truly remarkable, like Beth. Sometimes, people are born remarkable. Others are forced into it through their experiences, positive or negative, like how villains are born. I haven’t watched or read enough of The Queen’s Gambit to know if Beth’s experiences cause her to take a dark, evil turn (besides her substance addictions). As I continue to discover more of the storyline, I’m curious to see how Beth’s life will continue to shape her relationship with chess and her character. 

After hearing so many positive reviews about this show, I thought it would be a great opportunity to watch it. I was captivated by the story and how it revolved around chess. I already knew the rules of chess, but my knowledge of strategy is limited. After watching this episode, I immediately played a game of chess with some of my roommates, and we cannot wait to continue practicing and watching the rest of the series.

I have been very interested in watching this series as I saw how acclaimed it had gotten on Netflix. I had watched the trailer before the event so I had an idea regarding what the show was about but I was pleasantly surprised as to how they filmed the series (first episode). What stuck out the most to me was the music. The music added a dramatic effect that kept you holding your breath as you waited for what was going to happen. I appreciated the instrumental music as well as the vocals added in to create an even more mysterious effect. I am looking forward to continuing the series and I would give it a good review so far. I enjoy playing chess myself and it i snice to see it turned into a popular concept.

The first episode of The Queen’s Gambit definitely sets the stage for the remainder of the season. I’ve watched the show before, but watching the first episode again allowed me to notice things I didn’t before. I definitely noticed a lot more foreshadowing this time around and this is significant because it really portrayed how Beth’s time at the orphanage influences her teenage and adult life. We see her beginning her addiction at the young age of nine, but while addiction is a huge problem with severe consequences, in the first episode, her fight against addiction is portrayed in a comical manner; the episode ends with Beth stealing a large jar of tranquilizers. It’s clear that her initial success with chess was dependent on her taking the tranquilizers, but it’s unclear if she was actually gifted or if the tranquilizers gave her the state of mind to block distractions and understand chess. Although Beth doesn’t really interact with many people, I loved her relationships with Jolene and Mr. Shaibel. Both of these relationships were cliche tropes (two orphans bonding with each other and a man only teaching her because she was gifted), but as the show develops we see how the lack of Jolene and Mr. Shaibel’s presences later affects Beth. There were also a lot of cinematography details that I thought were very effective. Beth is someone who doesn’t want to stand out, but her bright red hair actually makes her stand out and I think this is symbolic and especially critical when she formally begins her journey in chess championships. The music that plays while Beth imagines the chess board on the ceiling was also a good choice as it adds suspense and perfectly describes the mood/tone.

I didn’t think I would enjoy The Queen’s Gambit, but its complex themes and the fabulous portrayal of Beth pulled me in and I would recommend it to everyone!

Netflix’s drama miniseries The Queen’s Gambit displays brilliant cinematography that perfectly  compliments the storyline. The entire first episode uses a color palette that looks mild and faded, mimicking the feel of vintage films. Although the series lacks vibrant colors, it is still stunning to behold with beautiful contrasts of light and dark (as in the basement) and clever use of complementary colors (e.g. red hair of Elizabeth and green backgrounds). The artistic effects of its color scheme is augmented by the piano and choral music in the background. Soft piano music allows the audience to focus on visual details while choral music elevates the emotion and draws viewers in. It is especially dramatic that the orchestral music gets louder and louder in the end of the film as Elizabeth falls down in front of the astonished crowd, making viewers wonder what will happen in the next episode. Other cinematography details worth noticing include the zoom-in on chess board and panning as chess pieces move, and smooth transformation of shadows into a chess board on the ceiling. Netflix has become so good at cinematography as shown in shows like Bridgerton that we sometimes take it for granted. But after all, each show is distinct and cinematography still plays a vital role in the production of every show.

The first episode of Queen’s Gambit depicted tranquilizers being given to orphans, some as young as elementary students. The main character, Beth Harmon, quickly became addicted to them at the age of only 9. Though this practice was common for the time period and there likely wasn’t enough scientific research about the negative developmental effects of drugs, I was still surprised at this reality. The Queen’s Gambit adds some humor to Beth’s serious and terrible addiction to drugs by having her comically steal tranquilizers from the medicine cabinet. However, in a way, the Queen’s Gambit also mentions positives of drug use. Beth finds that taking tranquilizers helps her stay up at night and “see” a chessboard on the ceiling, allowing her to improve her chess skills. While Beth has a natural ability for chess, it is not clear whether she is able to see this chessboard without the use of tranquilizers (she hasn’t yet tried), which may be a problem for her later in the series if she can’t get the drugs. Overall, I like how the Queen’s Gambit manages to combine two distinct themes, chess and drug addiction, into a cohesive story that highlights the many obstacles Beth faces, both as a woman in the male-dominated field of chess and as an orphan struggling with drug addiction, with no family to help her.

Today was my first time watching the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit. Out of everything in the episode, what stood out to me the most was the contrast between Beth and her environment. Although Beth’s character could be considered part of the “child prodigy” trope, the environment in which she grows makes her character much more interesting than the average protagonist. As with many other child prodigy protagonists, Beth’s otherworldly skill lulls the audience into a false sense of security, making us feel, at times, that because she is so talented, there are no obstacles that she cannot overcome. However, the show frequently jolts the audience back into reality, showing us that Beth is really still a vulnerable young girl who is facing a multitude of problems in her environment, some of which cannot be solved through chess skill alone.

After watching the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit I noticed that the young girl, Beth Harmon, is exceptionally smart. She utilizes her talent to learn how to play chess which is a popular game and mainly seen as a highly sophisticated game. I also saw how the show portrayed that chess was not regularly played by females in the mid-twentieth century, in this episode the headmistress of the house stated that when Beth played chess it was rare behavior that she had not seen before from the others. In addition, the high-school teacher who went to visit Beth believed that Beth was like all other girls and gave her a doll as a gift, not considering that she was only interested in chess. One important group observation was that while Beth played chess there was suspenseful background music which conveyed to the audience that chess is meant to be taken seriously.  Many of the societal norms of the mid-twentieth century can be seen in this first episode, however, this show adds a powerful protagonist who aims to inspire others to never give up.

Tonight I got the opportunity to watch the first episode of “The Queen’s Gambit” with the other Rose Scholars.  Despite all the hype surrounding this show, I somehow have never watched it, so I was very excited about this event.  Going into this, I knew little about the show’s plot other than the general premise.  Upon watching, I was surprised about the intense themes that it dealt with, in addition to how well done it was in terms of storyline and general cinematography.  While I was not expecting the entire first episode to be a flashback to her childhood, it did not seem forced but instead was really illuminating in understanding her character.  It was also crazy to see that an orphanage was getting children addicted to pills, and just to see the general bad environment that she was forced into.  In terms of plot, while there were some clichés with the “gifted child is taught by reluctant teacher” trope, I really enjoyed seeing her character development.  I also loved how the episode was put together, from the music, to the alternating shots between action and flashback, to the visualization of chess pieces on the ceiling.  This all came together to make it a really immersive and interesting first episode, and now I will definitely watch more!