The Queen's Gambit (TV, 2020)
Creator: Scott Frank, Allan Scott
Synopsis: Nine-year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life, she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she's competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis.
Verdict: I'll be honest: when the trailer of the latest Netflix limited series debuted, I wasn't sold on it at all. It looked like your typical overdramatized period piece, executed using a safe narrative structure. Even though I'm never against watching anything chess-related, I was sure that I was going to pass on this one. That is until the favorable reviews started pouring in, pushing me to reconsider my choice and at least give the first couple of episodes a shot.
I ended up finishing the whole thing in 2 sittings. Even though my fears were somewhat confirmed as the show's approach to the fictional (to my disappointment!) story didn't offer anything we haven't experienced multiple times before, I was nonetheless hooked from the first episode to the last. And while the intensity of the chess games, the beautiful cinematography, and the exquisite production design all played a major role in building the absorbing atmosphere, the main ingredient of its success comes with the likeability of the protagonist and her journey. Elizabeth Harmon, played by an Anya Taylor-Joy who's solidifying her place as one of this generation's most exciting actresses, found her passion for the game at a very young age while mourning the death of her mother in the orphanage that took her in. Her playmate, the establishment's janitor, quickly discovered that she was a natural destined for great things in the mental sport and we get to witness her rise in the male-dominated field over the course of seven episodes in which we also see her succumb to the pressures of sacrificing an already difficult childhood to achieve her goals.
"The Queen's Gambit" is a solid watch only diluted by its lack of risk-taking, which ultimately did result in a few moments that could be viewed as cheesy or unsubtle. But that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the show and even downloading a chess app to test my skills in the game. I certainly recommend giving it a try.
FINAL GRADE: 7/10
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