I don’t play chess, like math it simply eludes me, as if it bounces of my head, refusing to be understod, to be comprehended.
Another reason why I love movies and series is that you can be privy to a world you would have otherwise not ever have known or appreciated, and this is the case with Netflix’s limited series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ – based on the novel by Walter Tevis, (which I am now definitely interested in reading) has won raves and praises from both fans and critics alike, even one of my favorite authors Stephen King calling it “the best of the best” and “utterly thrilling.”
The series stars Anya Taylor-Joy, whom I absolutely adore (if you’ve been following me, you probabbly know that already) as Beth Harmon, an orphan who is taught how to play by chess by Mr. Sheibel the orphanage’s custodian (janitor). She becomes obsessed with the game and quickly shows great skill and potential alongside this passion for chess, she also develops a dependence on mood stabilizers (which the orphanage would give to the children to keep them docile).
Beth grows up into a teenager and is soon adopted by a couple, struggling in their marriage. Beth pursues her passion in chess, entering a tournament and winning, which catches the attention of her adoptive mother when she realizes that there is potential money to be made in the many chess tournaments across the country (and eventually abroad).
Last update – November 6, continuing this now on December 20. Which is why it’s important to keep all your drafts. So why am I still continuing with this review/write up even if its already been weeks since the release of ‘Queen’s Gambit?’ -one thing, relevance. Yep, until now with tons of new content coming out, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is still making buzz, it was number one in rankings among many countries, staying in the top ten Netflix titles for weeks after its release. So if you will indulge me, dear reader and allow me to continue talking about –
The Queen’s Gambit and the Netflix Effect
*Continuing from where I last left off, (yes, I know that I’m probabbly breaking a lot of rules on writing here, but hey, it’s our blog, it’s my rules.) So from my last sentence, written last November 6, 2020 –
What follows is Beth’s obsession to be the best, along the way she makes friends and enemies, her worst? Ironically not the Older Russian chess champion but herself. Along with her skill and penchant for chess, comes her self destructive behavior and addiction to drugs and alcohol. The former she picked up from her time in the orphanage and the latter she picked up from her adoptive mother. Not that her adoptive mother Alma Wheatley (played by Marielle Heller) was a bad influece, it’s just that she too had her own demons to deal with, loneliness, an unhappy marriage and basically being left to her own devices by an absent husband. I actually liked the relationship between Beth and her adoptive mother. It wasn’t the textbook adoptive moms-are-the-evil type but rather it was of two troubled women trying to deal with their demons and coming together to share an unorthodox support system.
There are a number of interesting characters, which Beth surrounds herself with on her quest to become the best chess player in the world, a drive which is unheard of in the 70s – a woman chess champion? Unimaginable. Which makes watching her beat her competitors and looking absolutely fabolous in 70s fashion even more satisfying. As if being fashionable, stylish and just dressing damn good and a good chess player at the same time is an unthinkable concept.
With the success of ‘Queen’s Gambit’ – literally all over the world the popularity of chess has soared, with record high purchases and online activity. Not to mention the many hilariuos memes that are circulating social media, you know the tasteful kind of memes that put Beth in her impecable fighting from in-chess poses playing other games, from beloved children’s games like ‘jackstones’ and even local carnival games.
What’s next?
In a time of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ may just be a limited series, and there’s nothing wrong with that, I personally don’t mind limited series, especially when the story calls for it. ‘The Night Manager’ is one example. The author of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Walter Tevis passed away in 1984, one year after the publication of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. And while fans may mourn this, they may find that Anya Taylor-Joy is reuniting with ‘Gambit’ showrunner Scott Frank to take one another novel – Vladimir Nabokov’s (of ‘Lolita’ fame) 1932 novel ‘Laughter in the Dark’. And while ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ left a big mark in a year when we all needed a good distraction, its good to leave it at that, a limited series, one and done. A great work that should not be muddled with the possibility of a sophomore slump second season. I’m just glad that I got to take a peak into the world of chess, albeit a few decades earlier, it sure has made a cultural shift and made the mental sport even more popular today. Chess Masters like Wesley So, who chose to compete representing the United States due to lack of support from the Phlippine governement became relevant again, which again raises the glaring issue of the lack of support for our athletes.
At this moment in time, the success of the series, can certainly be considered as check and mate. Now whether there will be a next game, is still something that is left to be seen, but you already know my feelings and opinions on that. I just want to leave this post with a grateful nod to the whole team behind ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ and to remind everyone to have the same passion in life as Beth does for chess and as she says before the camera closes in the last scene – “Let’s play”.