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.

The Queen’s Gambit is one of my favorite television series. I am fortunate to have been introduced to it during the Rose Scholars Program. After watching the second episode, we were able to discuss what chess means to Beth and what playing chess symbolizes for the writers in the show. Beth clearly uses chess as a form of escape, a way to distract herself from the uncertainties in her life. She also uses chess as a form of control. Beth can control her actions in a game, as everything is familiar. This is unlike her real life, where she cannot control dead and change.

I relate to Beth by wanting to control aspects of my life. I wish I had a grounding mechanism like she does, as I have recently gone through a lot of changes academically and personally. This episode made me more aware of healthy outlets in my life.

After seeing episode 2 of Queen’s Gambit I learnt that women never had it easy back then. First Beth did not have the money to enter the tournament and was told only “coloured” girls get jobs. This was shocking to me as it made me reflect on how prominent racism was back then. Even when she enters the tournament she is told there is no women’s section again showing the sexist nature of chess back then. In fact this episode made me reflect on the learnings in one of my social studies classes where we learnt how hard it was for coloured people and women to achieve success in the US.

Episode 5 of The Queen’s Gambit is all about how Beth deals with and comes back from her defeat against Borgov. The episode opens with a flashback to when she was a young child with her biological mother, and it serves to show us how far she has come and that she has continued to push forward in other parts of her life outside of chess, something we could all use a reminder of from time to time.

Much of the episode is spent with Beth learning and improving with help from her friends. Harry Beltik spends several days helping to train her before eventually insisting he is no longer able to help her. Then Benny humiliates Beth in a number of rounds of speed chess before later losing to her in the tournament. Beth’s repeated losses against Benny is really important because it drives home the point that she can lose when she so often talks as if she can’t. Though it is a tough pill for her to swallow, it is crucial if she wants to defeat Borgov. This is also a great lesson for anyone: if you’re overconfident about something, the only way to improve is for someone to show you you’re wrong first.

In this week, we watched Beth move in with Harry, and also break up with him due to her obsession with chess. In this episode, I realized how often alcoholism is portrayed in the 60s. I didn’t watch Mad Men, but I’ve seen clips of the show. In Made Men, almost every episode is accompanied by some discussion of drinking scotch and smoking cigarettes. I’ve noticed a similar trend in Queen’s Gambit. In every episode, there is at least one character shown drinking to the point of alcoholism. It’s interesting to me because most modern day shows don’t portray alcohol consumption in the same way. It almost seems like alcohol was a part of the 60s. Even shows like Stranger Things, set in the 80s, don’t show alcohol in quite the same way. It could be argued that it’s because Beth is mature, but I’d say it actually points to an evolution in the American culture. I think people are a lot more careful in how and when they drink. It’s almost like after that period of time, drinking became more of a shameful activity in certain circles.

In this episode,  Beth not only loses a game but loses her mother as well. I was very shocked when Beth found Alma this episode. At this point in the story, their relationship had evolved so much, and I was excited for Alma to continue supporting Beth as she climbed the ranks. I think the shock of Alma’s death was even more hard-hitting because the car crash that killed Beth’s birth mother is the opening of the series. Although this is a real person’s life story, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Harry Potter and Sirius Black’s death in the series. From the beginning of the Harry Potter series, we know the circumstances of Harry’s parents’ deaths. However, when we meet Sirius, we have hope that Harry can finally be happy. I think this is what made both Sirius and Alma’s deaths so hard hitting. I think through this episode I realized that tragedies are always strong when there was added hope in the beginning.

In this episode, Beth wins the tournament in Cincinnati and goes on to win even more tournaments. In the show, Beth learns how to dress stylishly and is able to do so as a result of her winnings. I think it’s interesting how transformations of the underdog is such a huge recurring theme in many movies and shows. For example, one of the pinnacle moments of the Princess Diaries or Hairspray is the main character’s transformation. That being said, I think the actual importance of the transformation is its effect on the main character’s confidence. For Beth, Mia, and Tracey, their transformations gave them a sense of confidence that they never felt before. And for all three characters, they also experienced a falling action in the third act that complicated this confidence that they originally felt. I think this is reflective of real life. When we find ourselves feeling especially confident, we normally have to then face situations that make us question ourselves. I think that’s why we like stories that have these elements. They remind us that these moments are normal, and that we have what we need to get through our challenges.

The primary focus of this episode was “Russian.” The episode opens with Beth attending a college class to learn to speak Russian. Most of the episode also revolves around Beth preparing to play against Borgov, the Russian champion (and the only player who she’s afraid of). Also, in the middle of the episode, Beth plays Georgi, a (very) young Russian boy. After playing for several hours, they decide to continue the game the following day.

They briefly chat about American drive-in movies, which really helps to humanize Georgi since he is so young. This is also important in showing that the Russians have a human side, and aren’t complete robots like Borgov has been described up until this point. The next day, although Beth did end up winning, she also admits that he is the best player she has ever played, continuing the theme that the Russians are her biggest threat.

Beth does finally play Borgov but is forced to resign to him finally showing the audience what Beth had been afraid of the whole time: Borgov is better.

I think the most important thing to gather from this is not that Beth was right, and Borgov could beat her, but seeing the different sides of your opponent. Up until this episode the Russians had more or less been described as being extraordinary and a threat to Beth if she plays them, but this episode really helped to show that there are other sides to her opponent. Using a young kid also helped bring out these other sides, in particular empathy, so as not to continue to frame the Russians as the ultimate threat, but show they are also human and do make mistakes.

This episode really showcased Beth’s abilities as she quickly shot up through the ranks. From regional matches, all the way to the tournament in Las Vegas it initially appears as though Beth is unstoppable. She wins all of her games, many of them with a laughable amount of ease. She also develops a much stronger relationship with Townes in this episode. In a particular moment, it teeters on becoming something more romantic but is interrupted and then quickly devolves back into being focused on the business at hand: chess.

While everything up until this point has been easy sailing, the latter half of the episode really showcased that Beth is still vulnerable, both romantically and in chess. There are three main events that slowly revealed that she wasn’t the perfect chess player. 1) Admitting she is afraid of Borgov 2) Benny catching a mistake 3) Losing the game to Benny. Each one progressively reveals more, like ripping a bandaid off.

This episode played a really important role in helping to humanize Beth. It showed more of her personal/romantic life, while also showing that she still has much to learn in chess despite most of her games up until now being a piece of cake.

In episode 2 of The Queens Gambit, we see Beth get adopted from the orphanage and meet her new parents. While I’m sure it’s never easy to get a new family and move into a new house with people you barely know, it was particularly difficult for Beth. Her parents only seemed vaguely interested in her, with the father seeming downright annoyed at her presence, and the mother, while not seeming annoyed, wasn’t entirely enthusiastic either. This episode also continued to show Beth’s resilience though. She was able to deal with whatever came her way, whether it be a new family, starting at a new school, or trying to play chess despite the strict lack of support for it. Her determination though proved itself. After successfully entering, and winning, the tournament with a cash prize, her mother’s attitude quickly changed. Although it was unclear whether she was simply interested in the money, or because she was genuinely impressed with Beth’s talent is yet to be seen though. Either way, Beth’s determination allowed her to gain support for her chess ambitions.

For this week’s discussion on episode 5 of “The Queen’s Gambit”, we discussed what the significance of the word “fork,” which was the title of the episode. One thing that was revealed to me was that the word can mean many things depending on the context. first, the word “fork” in terms of chess, means to attack two pieces at the same time, meaning one can be saved but the other cannot. In terms of life, a fork can mean two different life choices, as in a “fork in the road” which can be both literal and figurative. In the episode, both forms of the word “fork” were used. When Beth was playing speed chess, a fork was played in one of the matches, and she was also presented with two different forks in her life. First, she had to choose between two men. It was shown that she was attracted to two different men in the episode, so she had to choose wo to be with. The other fork was that she had to choose between a normal life and a life of chess. The episode focuses around Beth’s obsession with chess, and reveals that she is so obsessed with it that she pushes everyone around her away in an effort to keep learning, so she can’t make any meaningful connections. She must choose for herself whether she wants to pursue this career in chess and have her entire life dedicated to chess, or to have some fun while doing it.

This week’s episode of the Queen’s Gambit can be viewed as an extension of the plot twist established at the end of the previous one. Dealing with her adoptive mother’s death was no easy feat for Beth. Throughout the episode, we were able to observe her different coping strategies as well as contrast the version of herself that she shows to the public vs her actual emotional state. One of the discussion questions presented at the session was about Beth taking Alice’s advice about being alone and how she copes with her own loneliness. I believe her reliance on substances and other people throughout the whole episode depicts the fact that she is strongly fighting or even ignoring this loneliness as much as she can. The main takeaways from this episode, in my opinion, were the fine line between the definitions of independence and loneliness. In some ways, Beth was independent in the sense that she owned her own home and did not have to economically rely on other people (husband or family). However, her invisible ties to those around her were strengthening even more throughout the episode.

After watching the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit some weeks before this event, it was very interesting to pick up the show at a point where the plot had already been established and developed. This episode was action-filled and entertaining overall. There was an unexpected plot twist at the end dealing with Alma’s passing (Beth’s adoptive mother). Some important life lessons were offered by showing how Beth deals with loss and the idea that not everyone copes with death in the same way. At the end of the session, our breakout room had very insightful discussions about one specific scene of the show where Beth plays a chess match with a younger player. I personally disliked this scene the first time I watched the show because it showed Beth’s immature and dishonest behavior. However, after the group discussion, I was able to comprehend the reasoning behind her attitude, which was the fact that she was no longer the only child prodigy. For this reason, she let her younger and immature side take over by playing tactics that she never used before to distract the younger player. This point of the show could then be contrasted with how Beth deals with Alma’s death at the end of the episode and is basically forced to grow up. This Rose Scholars event reminded me of how entertaining and how perceptive it is to rewatch shows and movies, given that you are able to pay much more attention to detail and engage in deeper reflections about the plot.

I was super excited to watch episode 5 of Queen’s Gambit as I really enjoyed watching the fourth episode a couple of week ago. For this episode, I think the theme of this week’s episode is related to relationships. More specifically, we see that Beth reconnects with old classmates and, even at some point, both were in a relationship. I think Beth is particularly upset in that it seems as if for those who she cares about, they seem to turn their backs/leave her. For example, Benny, to a certain degree, gave Beth an ultimatum in that Beth’s passion and competitive drive in being a great chess player will always come first before him. For this reason, Benny decides to leave her although his opinion seems to be one-side and he did not seem to care about her reaction to their breakup. Overall, I hope Beth becomes comfortable with who she and surrounds herself by people who love her back by the end of the series.

As this was my first time joining this event, I was really looking forward to finally watch Queen’s Gambit as many of my friends last semester raved about how good this miniseries is. Although I did not personally get the chance to watch the first three episodes, one of my close friends was kind enough to fill in the details for those three episodes. While watching the episode, I could not help but be amazed by Beth’s chess playing skills and the intense atmosphere the miniseries was able to exemplify during the tournaments. In this particular episode, I could sense that Vasily Borgov and Beth show their lack of self-confidence in their skills. For Vasily Borgov, the fact that he is trying to find Beth’s weakness to distract her so that he could win the competition reflects how he feels the need to use these low tactics in order to win Beth (as he does not think his skills are enough). As for Beth, I think her belief of how she needs to take tranquilizers in order to win is a placebo effect and reflects how she also lacks confidence in being able to win a match through her skills rather than relying on the drug.

Last Saturday, I watched Episode 5 of the Queen’s Gambit.  To be completely honest, this was my first time attending one of the Queen’s Gambit’s showings, and jumping in halfway through, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  However, I was still able to understand most of what was going on, and I still found it very interesting.  Maybe it’s time for me to go catch up on the other four episodes before the showing of Episode 6, so I can enjoy it even more!

I thought the short discussion after the showing was a good idea.  It wasn’t too long to feel intrusive; it was just short enough to make sure everyone was on the same page about what was going on in that episode.  We also clarified a few concepts during that time such as what a fork in chess is, which was pretty relevant considering it was the name of the episode.  Since it appeared in both a metaphorical and a literal sense during the episode, this clarification was very helpful.

(Originally posted 4/9/21 on the Fall 2020 blog)

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.

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.

The speed chess matches reminded me of the Rose speed chess meet. Going to that event made it make more sense why it would’ve been frustrating for Beth and why she kept losing, even though she was a great chess player and won the next day. The different approach to the game plus the pressures she was under could have made it more difficult for her. It surprised me that Beth kept asking to play again and again though. She is very insistent in wanting to keep playing despite having a match the next day and losing a lot of money. It’s possible that she just wanted to see Benny’s strategies in chess, but if she didn’t intend to lose, then it shows her persistence in wanting to prove her chess skills.

This episode of the Queen’s Gambit focused on Beth reacting to Alma’s death. It was really sad watching her come home to an empty house. She felt so lonely that she invited Beltik, who was very rude and dismissive when they first met, over to her home. She even asked him to stay for a while. Their relationship was really awkward in my opinion. There was no chemistry and I don’t think Beth really liked him. I think she just wanted to fill the emptiness. The relationship fell apart really quickly when Beltik realizes that Beth will always prioritize chess. However, his little speel when they broke up was uncalled for in my opinion. He could have encouraged her to get help, but he basically told her that she was doomed. I did not like Beltik at all; he was always very condescending. The episode got better when Beth is reunited with Benny at a tournament. It was really funny to see Benny challenge Beth to a series of rounds and beat her, making her run out of money. However, ultimately, Beth beats Benny in the championship and becomes the U.S. champion. The episode ends with the two of them talking and Benny noticing how much Beth drinks. I’m glad someone noticed and showed concern. He then offers to then train her for the big tournament and she agrees. I am so excited to see their relationship develop and to see Beth grow as a chess player.

Episode 4 of the Queen’s Gambit was a rollercoaster of emotions. The episode begins by further highlighting Alma’s shortcomings as a mother. It is definitely important to allow your children to have some freedom and flexibility, but Alma did not set a single boundary and allowed Beth, who is a minor, to party with college students. Not only that, Alma saw how much Beth drank and was still clueless about Beth’s growing addiction to drugs and alcohol. It was really sad to see. Not only that, but when Beth goes to a tournament in New Mexico, Alma spends the entirety of the tournament with her lover. She constantly missed Beth’s competitions and showed very little support. The interesting part of the episode was when Beth competed against the child prodigy. It was also really cool to see Beth finally meet Borgov, who she was afraid of. I expected her to lose, which she did, but I think this loss was important for her in the long run. What made it worse was that after losing, Beth finds Alma dead. This was somewhat expected since Alma drank a lot, but I did not expect it to happen so soon. Although I am very critical of Alma, she did seem to love Beth and Beth loved her. It was so sad to see Beth lose another person. The emotions and sadness she must have felt are inconceivable. Near the end of the episode, I got really angry though because of how indifferent and cruel the father was. He not only abandoned them but didn’t even respect Alma enough to give her a proper burial. And so, Beth who was still very young was forced to take upon so much responsibility. I feel really bad for her and I hope she finds happiness.

This episode of the Queen’s Gambit was really good, but I felt really bad for Beth. Throughout the episode, Alma is seen signing Beth up for countless tournaments, causing her to skip school. Beth probably believed this was Alma’s way of showing her love and encouraging her passion, but in reality, it showed Alma’s greediness and lack of responsibility. The only reason Alma showed interest in Beth’s passions was because of the profit and she was unable to set boundaries and be a proper mother to Beth. Additionally, Beth’s scene with Townes was incredibly uncomfortable. Beth was still a child and Townes was a college student. The fact that he would put her in such a situation was really gross to me. The best part of the episode was probably meeting Benny. Many of my friends told me that they love his character and I am very excited to see more of him. I will say the ending was very surprising since Beth lost for the first time. But losses are just as important as wins. I wonder how Beth will develop from this.

This episode of the Queen’s Gambit was really intriguing. It was interesting to see how Beth became accustomed to her new family and new school. It was sad to see her return to using tranquilizers and it really scares me because she’s very young. However, the progression of the tournament Beth entered was really fun to watch. I loved seeing her prove everyone wrong, especially in that final match against Beltik. He made me so angry with how dismissive he was, so I’m glad Beth crushed him. I will say the progression in terms of her family life was completely unexpected. I had initially thought it wouldn’t be the best, but I did not expect the father to abandon the mom and Beth. What was even more surprising was that the father was the one who thought to adopt Beth. The mother was a very interesting character in my opinion. She seemed neglectful and discouraged Beth’s interest in chess until she saw how much money Beth could make. I don’t really like how she showed immediate interest because of profit. I really hope that she doesn’t exploit and take advantage of Beth. Overall, this was a really good episode! I’m excited to see how the show progresses.