The Queen’s Gambit Miniseries is a Must-Watch

The Queen’s Gambit is a cerebral drama rarely seen on TV. Good acting, rich sets, and lavish costuming (including a handful of dreadful haircuts) prevail throughout this well-produced show.  

Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the story follows a prodigy girl – Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) – in the 1960s who is orphaned following a car crash with her mother. Upon arriving at the orphanage, she soon discovers a disgruntled janitor in the basement playing chess. Inquisitive, she asks what he is playing, and after a few persistent attempts, he begins to teach her how to play. A quick study, he soon realizes her gift, and introduces her to the local high school chess teacher, where she destroys the all-male club in short order.  For me, this is perhaps one of the most satisfying parts of the show; Beth is consistently underestimated by her male peers and not seen as a credible player. However, they quickly learn the error of their ways following sound defeats, and she rises through the ranks of the national – and eventually world’s – best.

However, it’s not all smooth sailing, as, throughout the show, Beth is also combating addiction, due to drugs that were administered to her in childhood at the orphanage. It kind of reminds me of Flight in that way, in which the main character is incredibly talented, but also hampered by an achilles heel, which may eventually catch up with her.

I highly recommend this show. While episode 1 is a bit of a backstory slow burn, by episode 2 it really picks up and is an incredibly enjoyable watch. It also features the faces of the well-known (formerly) child actors of Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) and the “Let’s get the sh*t kicked out of us by love!” kid  (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) from Love Actually. Give it a go!

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