Anya Taylor-Joy's Chess Show (The Queen’s Gambit)

[@Nana-fg3pr]

I honestly was surprised by the LACK of anti communism in this show. At first the Russians where presented as serious and menacing, but they turned out to be the most graceful and respectful opponents she had. They took her seriously and congratulated her when she won. The US agent that was with Beth seemed paranoid and overprotective. Idk, I just dont see the anti socialist propaganda in this one, especially compared to Stranger Things 3 which was...not good?

[@marocat4749]

Which should be, given chess was one o the sports used to bridge ther an establih communication, and the many famous russsian player. Even the cold russian could be a play on the high intelectual russian standards that exist often. And its better than the drunk stereorype.

[@Liu484]

honestly, i felt that by the end she basically decided to not return to america at all and stay in soviet russia? Wasn't it something of the likes that was implied there? They even made the fbi agent remind her she was going to miss her flight. Also considering that there was a juxtaposition extremely unfavorable towards the american gvmnt and culture. While Beth wouldn't be helped financially at all, it was stressed that the Russians were so good because the gvmnt supported them. She was sent some moron FBI agent to shield her from the evil communists, but the Russians seemed to not only not pose any threat whatsoever, but support their own players and her equally. Benny talking abt how their matches aren't having an audience at all despite their being the best of the best in america, while in soviet Russia there was a huge audience for her that treated her with respect and cheerfulness. I don't feel that her sore words in a moment of losing a game was that big of a deal, specially because the first thing Beltik does is remind her that she needs to actually study stuff instead of relying only on improvisation.

[@alexandraolvera5903]

It felt nice to see Soviet citizens being portray as normal human beings, who play the game as any other person.

[@robertbryson398]

yes i was really happy it was anti rocky. the russian wasnt some big evil terminator but a v respectful guy and that was cool.

[@TheBc99]

And yes Beth does have the speech about him being calculating, but she's American and influenced by American culture, so it makes sense coming from her mouth.

[@bm5931]

I really liked that they didn't fill up the whole series with some boring love story.

[@abby4684]

Same, also I liked how all of the love interests were their own people. They didnt exist just to date her they all had personalities and were fun. The main focus was always the chess which is great.

[@zxp3ct3r41]

Say less

[@abby4684]

@@zxp3ct3r41 no

[@thewingedserpent5823]

I like that Jojen reed (he will never not be jojen) tries to look adult with the beard but still looks like he's 12

[@JBOczkus]

I really don't see the show as anti-Communist propaganda at all. The USSR really did take chess extremely seriously in the mid-20th century. But Borgov and the older Grandmaster whose name I forget were both very gracious to Beth when she beats them. The USSR is also portrayed to be clean and well-kept, and I think Beth is literally eating caviar in the hotel in one scene. If anything, the State Department official (CIA?) is shown to be worse, as he seems to be trying to use Beth's trip for the kind of stereotypical propaganda we would expect. Also, thank you for reminding me Cleo literally enters the show with an armful of baguettes.

[@Wuppindalsa]

Taylor fails to grasp just how contentious the Cold War tensions were for anything on the national stage, particularly sports. And yeah, the USSR not only took chess very seriously internationally, but amongst themselves. And it wasn't even that they worked as a team to analyze positions for individual contests, but they actively threw games strategically to push out international players in favor of their own. There were marked cultural and political differences between the US and the USSR, and yeah, I think the show did show how little the CIA would trust the other side. The way the show portrayed the US-USSR divide in the chess world is actually one of the more accurate parts of the show.

[@kalebm6758]

You're like 20. You have a Tom Selick mustache. HOW

[@TheBc99]

As a blonde, I'm always so jealous of swarthier men's facial hair capabilities.

[@FreyaEinde]

It's so glorious he must be very proud of that Tombstone level stache

[@Liu484]

idk man i think that the theme was more abt her overcoming her loneliness, boredom and self isolation than beating borgov. Chess and drugs are ways she was dealing with those problems and both brought other aspects of her life down, although ofc the drugs did way more harm. In a way, the way she dealt with sex was much similar too, distancing herself emotionally always by leaning only on the sexual aspects of her relationship. It's important that she befriended her mates over sustaining sexual relationships with them. Ofc, chess is the thing that made her have a place she belonged and a community, be it in america or in soviet russia, in the end.

[@jeywithane130]

yeah! its like anya said herself: "its not really abt chess, its abt the price of genius." its not just about winning, its abt learning how to let others in, to let them help and love you, and through that winning eventually.

[@jenm1]

imo this is giving the show way too much credit

[@SUD8800]

I think Kleo was supposed to be a Soviet spy sent out specifically to get Beth drunk before the game with Borgov (the Russians even discussed that she had a drinking problem in the elevator scene) but the creators didn't really follow through with it or made it obvious? I think it was sort of suggested but not fully developed. I also think that the reason Beth asked that 16-year old boy about his future was not to shame him or critique communism but because she saw herself in him and at that point was pretty lost about her future too. Another interesting moment for me was the final outfit she had - it was an obvious reference to the white queen in chess. I have an idea that perhaps a lot of characters could also represent other chess figures and their roles during the game, but I don't know enough about chess to know if it could be true. As a Russian I can say that the scenes in Moscow and the portrayal of Russian people were pretty funny to me, though not entirely ungrounded. I didn't see anything completely out of touch with reality or too propagandistic.

[@neutrallynonsensical3477]

I didn’t see that at all with Kleo but that’s really interesting. I thought so too about the 16 year old, I don’t think it had anything to do with communism but just that she saw herself in him, she was giving him the advice she wishes she’d had/ she wishes she’d follow herself

[@itsmj3103]

i too thought that Cleo was gonna purposefully undermine her and was waiting for some kind of reveal lol

[@buffycatnip]

interesting cause cleo did say that she lives in paris from time to time and knew how big deal borgov was in russia and since beth won the speed chess with benny and the 2 guys, she knew beth would've beaten him. if she truly wanted to get a drink, she would've waited until the day after the chess tournament when beth presumably won then take her out drinking to celebrate.

[@PedanticPig]

Cleo is also the only person Beth ever tells about her feelings for Townes, and later he shows up saying he thinks the Soviets gave him an easy visa because he'll be a distraction. How would they know that?

[@SUD8800]

@@PedanticPig that's an extremely good point! I didn't even notice that

[@frisater96]

I really liked how the Beltik plot resolved! It was obvious he had a huge crush on her, and I took his “I don’t love chess anymore” to mean that he finally realized that Beth is never gonna be with him the way he wants. He might as well have said “I realized I don’t love you anymore”.

[@lianep9100]

especially since chess is something so important to beth. the line almost serves as him saying he’ll never be able to relate to her and thus be with her romantically.

[@buffycatnip]

he knew if he was gonna stay with beth, it was gonna be chess 24/7 since he was slowly losing his passion for it

[@goodtaste2185]

Taylor went from “your daughter calls me daddy too” to “you’d better have my daughter home by 7”

[@flawedsanity]

It really bothered me, as a recovering addict, that she didn't go through any withdrawal symptoms. I understand why they didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on it, because, in reality, it would take several years for her brain to even function normally again -let alone win a huge chess match (considering the meds she was taking, along with the alcoholism).

[@Anyutaak]

from what i recall, the show touched on the topic of withdrawal in the earliest episodes, when beth was still at the orphanage. but considering the length of the series, they really could've done a better job. i wonder if it was handled differently in the book

[@Anyutaak]

@@beefar0ni sorry, "done a better job" is quite vague. considering how significant substance abuse is it to the plot of the show, i didn't expect beth to overcome her dependency so quickly. as the total length of the show is just about 7 hours, about 10-15 minutes addressing withdrawl could've been fine. don't get me wrong, i loved the show--i just question the realism of beth suddenly quitting a drug (that she has been abusing since she was a little girl) with so few repercussions

[@morwennaforatenner604]

@@Anyutaak Yes, I agree with you. It felt like she just suddenly decided to not be addicted anymore, and it miraculously worked

[@sleepyghostgirl]

I agree! I honestly expected her drug addiction to hinder her a lot more and to play a bigger role in the plot, but it was almost like it actually helped her? Like how taking the drugs helped her to visualize the chessboard, which almost paints her addiction as a positive...and idk how i feel about that. Seeing beth actually struggle with the addiction more would’ve also amped up the stakes in my opinion. I think it would’ve been interesting to see the drugs negatively affect her and even cause her to lose at least once.

[@user-xb5bz4fu9o]

@@sleepyghostgirl Exactly, it just felt not "romanticized" exactly, since it certainly wasn't always pretty or shown as fun to experience, but it didn't feel like it was given the weight it would have had on a person trying to become a professional chess player

[@KarstenRunquist]

that stache is bold as hell

[@beansfebreeze]

I'm here for the stache. This is what I needed today.

[@zxp3ct3r41]

He better shave that shit

[@TheBc99]

@@zxp3ct3r41 I bet you're just jealous ;)

[@anniezhou4733]

I think there's a lot of truth said about the underdeveloped characters in this show and unresolved tension. But I also think there's a beauty in that. The movie 5 Centimeters per Second carries a similar feeling, where some characters come in and out of one's life, never to be seen again. I appreciated how she never met Mr. Shaibel or that Russian prodigy again. That maybe she was too focused on herself and chess to care or notice things with Beltik. That at different points in her life she felt different internal conflicts, which may never get solved completely but she carries on. I found it easier to forgive unresolved conflicts between characters because sometimes that's how life is. She doesn't break everything down with Beltik nor does she get closure with her dads. But maybe that wasn't even intentional and it's just the sentimentalist in me talking. I think a big part of the show's popularity would be based on how refreshing it is to see an empowering story w/o hyper in your face reminding you how feminist they are being while outlining societal issues present during that time.

[@OpqHMg]

yesssssss

[@daffo595]

What about mad men? I would argue that mad men has a lot of that vague beats of characters walking in and out but they end up serving a lot more of a purpose than the characters in the queen’s gambit.

[@Udontkno7]

@@daffo595 true, but mad men had seven seasons.

[@marahr774]

100% agree. The way characters flitted in and out just felt so very real to me.

[@frankietsunami9566]

It’s funny how you mention the other characters are undeveloped. In almost all media that’s what happens to the female love interest in male lead movies. And women are so used to watching shells of themselves on screen that we barely even notice. So for men when it happens to them it’s a massive criticism but for women it’s the norm.

[@user-xb5bz4fu9o]

hit the nail on the head with that one

[@evansmith2821]

Better to watch a falsely, propped up female lead to give women false hope for a sport they will literally NEVER have a chance at beating the best male players at. Peak cringe.

[@JoeMama-tw6gu]

@@evansmith2821 it’s fiction.. chill out bro

[@mfstarr1]

@@evansmith2821 you sound bitter

[@the_moistest]

Doesn't change the fact that the other characters aren't developed. Two wrongs definitely don't make a right.

[@Goobermentalbody]

8:00 Alma is definitely the best character! This is just going to be my long-winded comment praising that character's arc. To me, she presented a mirror to Beth. Her character's journey of hope, depression, brief freedom, and then death might have shown Beth what happened to women like them - complicated, talented, intelligent women with deep-seated issues - in their time. And the difference between Alma and Beth is that Beth was given a chance to blossom on her own. Alma saw her own long-diminished light in Beth and fostered it before it was too late. It would be easy to say that Alma was just her stepping stone, just her moral support to get her to where she needed to be in her career, and indeed she did, but she was a warning of her future if she didn't seize every chance to grab each opportunity for upward advancement by the throat and forgo the momentary pleasures of sex, drugs, and alcohol. Their relationship was so touching to me, as a woman who is so fucking tired of seeing mothers written terribly. :) (Although, I did text my friends at one point: "Is it impossible for people to write a complicated mother figure without making her an addict of some sort?")

[@saumyasharma3809]

Totally agree with you!! I also felt that Alma and Beth found love in each other through their mother-daughter bond. Beth's mother tried to kill herself and her daughter, and Alma's husband was cold and finally abandoned her. I feel like they gave each other the love that they didn't get

[@Goobermentalbody]

@@saumyasharma3809 Definitely. Their love for each other was one of the most wholesome relationships in the show, despite their personal struggles.

[@tite93]

I call that The Lighthouse look

[@jayantjj]

Perfect

[@ban___anja]

the mic sitting atop a box of dryer sheets, I support it

[@brookelarson9260]

I thought the scene of her seeing the Russians working on plays together was to contrast how Beth was all alone and didn't have anyone. But then her friends call her and she realizes she does have a team and friends that are rooting for her. Also yeah more payoff would be nice, especially with Benny and withdrawal symptoms would be more realistic, but i thought some of the plots were more subtle and I actually enjoyed that because it was really her life and the people that came in and out of it.

[@CyrilAbrahamDennis]

i only watched this for the thing above your lips

[@ryanzerda]

If no one else is gonna say it I will You look like Luigi

[@kunyoruyo]

i swear to god if sam elliot here didnt like the show im gonna be really bummed out EDIT: I saw it as Beth being a very lonely person and wanting to fix everything herself because she felt that ppl where gonna let her down, until the end where she learns that people she didnt even remember were always rooting for her, like Jolene and Mr. Sheibel. IMO the show had a message of how very talented people can feel alienated from others, like her biological mother who pushed her husband away until it was too late. So Beth learning that she needs to be more open and accepting of help its a very fitting ending.

[@neutrallynonsensical3477]

I saw that too. I loved loved loved the show

[@kaseygrace1396]

MintKit facts.

[@kidcat3000]

Imo it was refreshing that the payoff wasn’t “big”. If the stakes were higher stemming from the obvious choices of drugs, withdrawal, or a communist threat it would have brought down the story because it would go against the themes. And I think all the side characters don’t necessarily need to be developed fully, I’d like to clump them all into one. Each of them do something different, be it inadvertenly revealing her flaws (mostly characters from her teenage years), or to helping her grow as a player (mostly characters from the tournaments), they all help her grow as a character. I dont need to see these characters have full on arcs, I honestly believe it wouldn’t help the story at all, especially since with what we got, they got us to care about them and like them. They each got a satisfying conclusion imo.

[@lucillelacroix2735]

Welll I don't know, I feel like the reason why most characters aren't developed that much is because the most important relationship in the show is that between Beth and the pills/alcohol. It's precisely because Beth herself is not in a condition to really care for the people around her, or at least to entertain real and profound relationships with them, that we don't see much of them. She isolates herself, and thus also isolates us as an audience with her. We're trapped in that same self-destructive loop she's put herself in. And that's also why I was satisfied with the happy ending, even if I agree that it does feel a bit easy. She realizes that what she needs is not the pills but to have people around her. And I don't think that all of her problems are magically resolved by the end, but it is the beginning of her recovery. She's finally in a mindset where she can appreciate the game without the fear of being worthless without the pills.

[@MaleTears]

Hey, sing your hit songs "Maneater" and "I Can't Go For That".

[@tracymiller1149]

What, no love for "Kiss is On My List"?

[@nylahbannister399]

loving luigi mario's take on netflix mini series

[@greenergrass4060]

Okay but about Anya Taylor Joy; shes proven herself to be a very talented actress and got herself in a lot of amazing roles, and im so excited what else can she bring us

[@FreyaEinde]

I hope people keep writing good stuff, so many good actresses go wasted.

[@greenergrass4060]

@@FreyaEinde i was thinking Anna Kendrick when you said that lol

[@FreyaEinde]

@@greenergrass4060 I would count her among good actresses just going to waste in bad stuff.

[@premiersportingkc3443]

Did anyone else find Beth's Mom's manner of speech really weird? (I'm talking about her adoptive mom, not her birth mom). Every sentence Alma prefaced with "I think," "I do believe," "I gather," etc, etc. Like, it seemed as if they were wanting to show her as indecisive, so she always declared what she thought, instead of just directly saying what she thought. But, in none of the interviews or reviews of the show does anyone ever mention this??? It made me think I was the only one seeing this pattern, but did the rest of you notice that?

[@Cocoleaf731]

That's an interesting point but I think it's apart of her soft personality

[@Mrturtleyify]

I think the moment Beth saw the chess board in the basement, she was destined to beat Borgov "at some point" , its just the cycle of chess, young prodigy beats the one that comes before her. So the conflict was everything but Borgov imo. Also the side characters not being developed came quite natural to me, we are watching the film through Beth's eyes after all. Everything that came suprising to us because of the lack of development, also comes suprising to Beth since otherwise we would know about it(again, we are watching to film through Beth).

[@emmaeady1899]

I kind of liked that there weren’t huge consequences to the addiction storyline because so much of it is true. You can function as an alcoholic or a drug addict. You can still go about your life almost on autopilot, what happens is that people you’re close to notice and you start ruining relationships. Seemed realistic to me

[@OpqHMg]

Yes yes yes!!! I actually was really relieved that I didn't have to see a disgusting disturbing extreme spiraling story like the "fatigue" you describe was precisely what I felt while anxiously watching the show, waiting for the next "surprise R*pe" or Domestic assaut scene or constant harrassment thrown in my face but heyyyy it was tame! and for that I am so grateful

[@cherries_and_wine]

Yeah, I almost turned the show off, cause I full on expected something fucked up to happen (what's up with creepy orphanage? what's up with creepy basemend dude, what's up with creepy adoptive father?), but once my anxiety wore off, I really enjoyed it

[@laceee67]

i agree with pretty much everything you said, but at the end of the day it was entertaining, to me at least.

[@krloz7493]

I belived this is only about chess, we view this World tru Beth how has no interest in nothing but chess. And the viewer is glue to Beth. Beltik realise that he doesnt love chess as much as beth does so he gets away.

[@izzyanderson3289]

I just finished this show about less then an hour ago and I think it was amazing. I think the biggest takeaway here and I dont know if youve stuggled with drug or alchohl addiction which may be why you didnt really think so but I think the biggest takeaway is that drugs are not apart of your fullest potetial and you do not need them. I think the drugs may have been the biggest threat.

[@misaelsoto2927]

that's a powerful moustache

[@jeywithane130]

im not sure abt the idea that theres no pay off. or that theres not enough conflict. i think there is a lot, just that its internally, instead of outwardedly acted out. i think we are so used to having everything written out for us, that when emotions, pain and development are only subtextually implied, we dont recognise it anymore. take harry, for example, who you say has an unexplained revelation that he doesnt love chess. i didnt feel like it came out of nowhere but that it was well set up. he is a show off (comes late to the first game with beth), wants to be in the spotlight (sushes beth during his game), then shows up at her place and practices with her only to beat himself up when his comments are justified but harsh on a personal level. and when he realises he is in on this whole chess thing (for which he gave up college) only for beth, he also realises he needs tp leave her and chess and move on. she makes him realise that he ll never have what he wants from chess, so he gives up -- different than what happens to beth. its just that this whole arch is not explained out loud, marked with a high light for viewers to go "aha, i see". it just happens on the peripheral vision of beths focus. but its there. benny is the exact opposite, he thinks he s so sexy bc he s better at chess than everyone else. and when beth beats him, finally, at speed chess, he also allows for "love"(/sex). idk, to me its all there, and i enjoyed it. the fact that they let the audience think for themselves and the implications of those characters actions on a micro/macro-level.

[@kaseygrace1396]

I couldn’t agree more. I think one thing to consider about the weak character developments is the emphasis on the development and lure of the female characters in beth’s life over the male, she has much stronger connections with the women in the show and they’re consistently better developed and understood.

[@nigglewiggle4214]

score is the most annoying part. when theres no action on screen the symphony swells to make the viewer feel excited or something. my netflix original pet peeve: main character walking through hallways to fast orchestral music

[@nigglewiggle4214]

and my dad had a lot to say about the cold war implications in the show

[@saintnicole3209]

bro how else were they supposed to make us interested in watching people play chess

[@Senyuno]

I think why I can't stop thinking about it is there actually is so much there but in the form of a mystery. I'm reading the novel and really hone in on how much more sexual it is. But I haven't figured out why yet. It's just Beth from a young age was always trying to figure something out with her chemistry and emotions and I still armchair Psychology it like a Freudian analysis. Why she slept with the model, sabotaging herself. Why she made a move on Beltic but couldn't find the feelings to make him feel needed. Why Benny turned her away at first. What were the Benzos' effect and side effect and how did she replace it. Why did Townes effect her. Why she hated looking at herself. I think there's a fantastic deep dive here nobody's talking about beyond the surface level. So the novel so far has been an even more interesting piece of the puzzle.

[@ceecue5367]

I'm surprised Tyler hasn't done a video on Euphoria. It seems right up his alley.

[@adibchyy]

Not everything in Russia is propaganda. This show actually wasn’t very propagandistic; she refused to say use the anti-communist rhetoric to fund her trip, showed Borgov as very honourable in defeat, and portrayed Russia itself as a very clean and nice place to be. If anything, her security guard was made to look like the moron.

[@drueashton1154]

I believe the reason there’s not too much outside character development has a lot to do with her addiction. We see a lot more of her adoptive mother after she gets her “ tranquilizers” because she fuels her addictions, and the reason why we don’t see every character show up consistently, she’s much more selfish and self centered than we think she is.

[@jamieagnew4044]

you should watch mina le's video on the fashion of this show, if u want,, your videos go well together :) also i could listen to u talk for hours

[@sleepyghostgirl]

Oh i love mina le!!

[@jamieagnew4044]

@@sleepyghostgirl me too!!

[@Wingedmagician]

I feel like in a month or two that mustache will take up at least 50% of the frame.

[@connorT2003]

a 14 minute advert for a Netflix show about chess within a bounce commercial is exactly what i came here for 😎 (the stache helps too)

[@anapaomv7620]

Im glad you're back Taylor! Even if i differ with your opinion on Queens Gambit. Guess we'll have to solve it on the board?

[@frankie8769]

I totally disagree that the male characters are underdeveloped. I feel like they communicated a lot about who they were, what they cared about, what their motivations were, and their lives outside of Beth through both the dialogue, the dramatic tension, and the axting. One thing that really made me love this show was the way they seemed to be able to set stakes, even when in reality it didn't *matter* that much. I cared about beth's pride, about her ability to regain normalcy, about the pain she was going through.

[@maxalserda9127]

Epic Walrus Mustache, the legend is back!

[@vanessadalpiaz6423]

Just finished this yesterday so great to see this come out today!

[@karabokhanyile]

I wish you would review Euphoria,I want to end my 6 month+ obsession and I believe you could do a good job of ruining it for me

[@beatrizgaspar6697]

Its not threatening because it's not about geopolitics, its about her life

[@lotusthemermaid]

That mustache just transported me back in time.

[@randallskimbleton6661]

Wow I’m so glad they invented YT in 1987

[@tsulli]

Hey Taylor nice to see you back

[@thethebest3263]

Nice stache taytay

[@dijonjohn1011]

I liked this review so much more than those suspect reviews calling it a perfect masterpiece. The main issue I had with the show was how it is presented like a true story based on a incredibly gifted/troubled prodigy... But with like no real downside of her drug use, and only a few loses throughout her career... The stepmom is also the only character with any real development/depth. The rest of the characters seem like they are only there to support Beth and/or provide a love interest for Beth. The only point I did not agree with where the points on the portrayal of the Russians of that era. Even if you take away the American/Western lens, the USSR during that era was pretty fucked haha.

[@sedonacheloha3052]

what a perfect piece to inaugurate ur return to normal review videos

[@GarLogan78]

I thought the scene where she is complaining about the unimaginative moves is about her loss to Benny?

[@TaylorJWilliams]

Benny beats her in Vegas, where she complains to Alma over dinner, and Borgov beats her in Mexico City, where she complains to Alma in the hotel room before discovering that Alma’s dead

[@premiersportingkc3443]

It seemed really obvious that they wanted to make a show about Bobby Fisher, because so much of Beth's character is similar to his own. I'm willing to bet they couldn't do that though, due to Bobby's Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denialism

[@GeneTonics]

Yeeeah Bobby is too much of an asshole to be a hero. His biopic would be more of a tragedy than a hero's journey

[@stephpiano2908]

I really loved that they said that the Russians are such good chess players because they work together and then she wins by learning from them. It wasn't too obvious or too subtle.

[@Yetgo]

A like for the mustashe.

[@emilielesage862]

I like your commentary, I didn’t notice those mistakes the first time I watched the series. However I noticed the music was terrible lol you can just listen to the soundtrack and tell it’s a Netflix show, was not satisfied there.

[@noopa5229]

I like the new hair style

[@michaelbell1865]

Can you do a video about what it is like going to film school during COVID-19? I feel like everyone isn’t being honest about what it is actually like right now and I would really appreciate it.

[@aguynamedchad6719]

I can no longer tell which of the Taylors talked about or shown in this video is more attractive

[@johnc1879]

Agree with almost everything you said here. The episodes with Alma and the precarious rise of Beth were definitely my favourite.

[@OpqHMg]

"the baguettes really got to me" same mate .

[@discodetectiive]

the moustache threw me off my rythme. i was not expecting that

[@ChandaurRoshini]

Hey Taylor. Could you tell me what filming equipment and editing software you use? Thank you in advance.

[@TaylorJWilliams]

Canon 5D Mark III 50mm 1.2 lens Rode NT1-A mic Focusrite Scarlett interface and I edit on Premiere If you’re just starting to assemble some gear, invest in audio stuff first, you can shoot on a computer webcam and crisp audio will carry the video

[@ChandaurRoshini]

@@TaylorJWilliams thank you so much!

[@ilanamichelle]

Not to mention that the show makes a half-assed attempt to subvert the Black woman saving the white woman main character trope, yet Jolene ends up doing just that. Comes back into the show with no other objective than to move the plot along and be a literal savior to Beth. Very much a bummer to me

[@jamilabrownie]

I thought I was the only one who noticed that too. I almost wasn’t going to watch the show based off of how Jolene was featured in the trailer but was glad I did.

[@Bamgeutcutiepie]

I don’t care about this show because. Just because. But Taylor is talking. And it’s sweet music to my ears. So I will watch.

[@KaiLuckey]

what a stache

[@hsiza]

Man, you and I know Euphoria deserves a video about is beatifull cinematography ahah Love your stuff keep it up ;)

[@Liu484]

i watched the queen's gambit like i'd watch any drama sports anime and therefore thoroughly enjoyed it

[@chillingsnowflake]

I stan your bounce dryer sheets microphone stand!

[@lyricbot8513]

I think the fact that the ex-chess players don't have anything going on in their lives is central to the point of the narrative, but it's also not really fleshed out enough. There also should have been a note that addiction- a drug dependency which she developed as a child- is something which is going to struggle with for the rest of her life.

[@lyricbot8513]

Having said that i fuckin loved this show. I want to read the book and compare them

[@jaimeerindy4573]

Once again, you perfectly explained all of my feelings. It was a good show, but low stakes & missing resolution stopped it from being a great show.

[@nokocchi1983]

the mustache!! very handsome

[@sadiecoalier961]

I think they purposely didn’t develop the male supporting characters. Beth had lots of problems with abandonment especially by men, her father is never seen in beths flashbacks probably meaning he left them or was very absent in her life, the janitor turned his back on her(even though he didn’t want to), her adoptive father left almost immediately after she was adopted, and then Townes isn’t seen again until much later, Harry leaves her. Beth doesn’t want to see men as real people just characters in her life. Because when is fiction they can’t hurt her. When Harry confesses his love for her she practically ignores him. Benny is the closest thing she gets to a real relationship (not one sided like her and Harry’s) but before he can leave her she leaves him. The female characters are more developed because Beth loves them and wants them to be in her life genuinely. She trusts women. And she’s never been abandoned by women. Besides her mother who died. The men Weren’t treated as important only as side characters. They’re only purpose was to help Beth.

[@mattm2451]

I didn't even notice the baguettes omg. I watched the first 5 episodes 7 months ago, and the last two today. I liked Cleo as a love interest, but it's not really explored and why she thinks French women and models are so vapid is odd considering she is both. Idk, the fact she's not in the final episode at all is weird, or I might of missed her. I always feel I'm blind to French caricatures for some reason despite having a lot of French family and friends and that I love visiting, I'm glad you pointed it out. I don't think I would have minded if they explored the interest in Cleo more, but then again all her other love interests, aside from the one who can't reciprocate her feelings, fall to the side because of chess or drugs. Idk the bisexual hedonist is a French stereotype and I wish Cleo had more time to be more than that and delve deeper into those parts of her character. I enjoyed the subversion of Communist Russia myself and taking the break made me appreciate the show more I think than if I finished it all at once. I found the characters interesting and the biopic feel I actually enjoyed, it's an odd choice but an interesting one. Overall I enjoyed the show.

[@shgh2695]

One thing I found odd was talking about the adjourned game over a hotel telephone. The Soviet government definitely would have monitored the phone lines.

[@kenziewilliams7721]

How'd you land a Bounce sponsorship?

[@linfaler6978]

This was actually very true to the book slot of the things you don’t like were quirks from the book

[@callumbirks]

Subscribed for the mustache

[@isadoragoncalves8492]

She doesn't become the world champion lol, she just beats Borgov at a random tournament

[@ragglock]

Jep was the Moscow inventiontial, since she beat an gm she did win the title as grandmaster, winning the world tournament comes later, maybe 😉

[@isadoragoncalves8492]

@@ragglock Yes, I was hoping we'd get a second season so they can show the Candidates tournament and maybe a World Championship match. I wonder how many people like Taylor who aren't familiar with the chess world assumed that Beth became the World Champion by beating Borgov in that Invitational.

[@ragglock]

@@isadoragoncalves8492 had this wild thaught about what it could be , Harmon defect to soviet, the US government task Benny to get her back, by tracking her father and stage an wild extraction under a chess tournament on island , 😂

[@isadoragoncalves8492]

@@ragglock lol that would be awesome 😂

[@spozzkon]

Why was Moa's little red book so prominent? I understand the era, placing, and subject has to do with a clear depiction of identity struggle in a cold war era, but why Moa? Seems a stretch...

[@fredd3.14]

agree with your take, felt the same

[@gavenjanes8297]

9:58 so when I binge watched the show, and I first came across this scene, it did not cross my mind for a second that Townes was gay until I watched another analysis video on the show that mentioned it, so thanks for confirming

[@KrisKrisKrissy]

I really enjoyed this show while I was watching it, but at the end of the final episode I felt very confused by what the message was supposed to be. So much was made throughout the show about how Beth's whole life is centered around her brilliance in chess and her substance abuse she takes to numb herself, both of which she focused on to some degree to distance herself from the people in her life. She never really learned to be close to people after her mother's death, and the 2 people she got the closest to (Jolene as her friend/sister and her adoptive mother) she was forcibly separated from. Those themes of isolation and never exploring more of the world, on top of the blatant talk with the child prodigy she plays against, I really thought the show was going to end with her finally finding something else in her life besides just chess. I figured she would either win or lose the giant tournament, and then we would see her reaching out to people of her own volition and getting to know what else is out there. I loved when Jolene finally came back and it was clear it was the connection that Beth wasn't getting with any of the men she slept with or just talked chess with. But the tournament was the end of the show, and all the people she left behind reach out to HER to support her over the phone. And the show ends with her just sitting down for another game of chess. So it really is all there is in her life. It felt weird. I still really like the show, but I think the point it was trying to make is muddy and unclear.

[@OpqHMg]

But yes. I did find it odd that these problems never truly and really messed with her abilities at all. :|

[@horseenthusiast9903]

Glad to see you back! Personally, I really enjoyed this show (between Queen's Gambit, Russian Doll, and Anne With An E, I seem to be a sucker for the "Netflix series about a plucky redheaded possibly orphan girl who might have some issues with her mom, who proceeds to get her life in shape and learn some lessons and end on a happy note, also might involve historical costuming" genre of TV). And I mean. I only knew Anya from watching Emma (bc I'm historical film trash bc I'm history trash), and I was just happy to see her in something again (lol, she just makes my little gay heart happy when I look at her, I guess). But I agree, the ending felt kinda. Anticlimactic, I suppose. I especially wanted to see Beth return to America and maybe get some kinda catharsis with her chess friends and Jolene, or at least end the show with an idea of what Beth's going to do now that she's like. Won all of chess. But overall I thought it was a delightful show, and I'd give it an 8 or 9 out of 10.

[@vabylala8504]

Idk if you watch or review animated movies but it would be amazing if you were to review the Children of the sea. That movie felt like an absolute acid trip. It honestly made me weirdly emotional even tho I couldn’t make much sense of it at all. It came out 9 months ago I think but no one is talking about it.

[@Teroyt]

I can't believe someone gave a 6 to the only good thing that happened to me this year and I still think they're neat. Also I think I even like the show more now because the stuff you liked was different than the stuff I did. Anyways, take care and if you ever switch to chess.com we can have a match.

[@thabic2019]

is taylor secretly a cOMmUNIST

[@marshallzane7735]

God I hope so

[@UltimateAwe]

Your mustache (and the show) are awesome.

[@denniswilsonishere]

Man I wish I had a stache like that, or a stache at all lol

[@succulentboi676]

You can do it Dennis Fucking Wilson, you just have to believe. Maybe take some testosterone boosting pills. But please consult a professional before you do, bud. We don’t want you getting prostate cancer from having too much testosterone, especially not in November

[@denniswilsonishere]

@@succulentboi676 I just gotta wait for now. I'm only 21, a lot can happen in the next few years.

[@succulentboi676]

@@denniswilsonishere Salute soldier, stay strong

[@denniswilsonishere]

@@succulentboi676 We all gonna make it bro

[@Matthew-be9zy]

Wake up babe, new Taylor J. Williams video

[@chloekathleen1951]

Finally!! I was beginning to think I was the only one critiquing the show.

[@matt00794]

The show is based off a 300 page book, and I feel like it would have been better served as a 2 hour movie and just cut out some of the people that roughly do the same thing in her life. And you have a rigid Oscar bait film instead the show ends up just being an ok series that I’ve largely forgotten about after watching it. I like chess and I know the original author was a big fan and thus made sure it was realistic and in the show they make sure the game is played correctly and it’s cool to have that be the case and not just move random pieces

[@marocat4749]

Where is the prison chess story(in the vein of the chess novella). Prisons and chess are not only a chanze to humanize prosoners but also really interesting study. It could even be fictional like havin a chess tournament, doin whatever to solve a persons problems. Where is the prison chess show.

[@sleepy0]

is that quotations from chairman mao on your shelf?

[@celestedivinity2178]

This mustache is absolutely a work of magic, Taylor