what i didn't like about the queen's gambit

[@randeeppadda8888]

I also had an issue with Jolene sweeping in to save the day. Like dude, Beth never contacted you to see how you were and whether you got out of that nasty place even though you helped her so much when she came to the orphanage... don't give her your money!

[@cherrybepsi]

omg yeah like i thought beth would try and get jolene out of the orphanage the second she could but she didn't even think about her 😩

[@weneedcriticalthinking]

Beth was the Chess Champion of the USA and a female who was a in a lot of Magazines, a very hot commodity so she could of got the money from somewhere eventually , she chose to take it from Jolene. I don't think Jolene doubted much that about the closest thing to a sister each of them had would not pay her back. I also think Jolene felt some remorse for keeping Mr. SchiebaL book from her. Jolene wanted her back in her life as family and so did Beth.

[@cherrybepsi]

@@weneedcriticalthinking Hm I don't know if i agree, it was pretty clear in the series that Beth had no clear path to the tournament if Jolene hadn't stepped in as a "savior" for her at the last moment :/ And about Jolene keeping the book from Beth, it just further underlined to me how much more Jolene thought about and cared for Beth, whereas Beth wasn't shown to even think about the book after she left the orphanage, much less Jolene 😔 I appreciate you sharing your perspective though!

[@dijonjohn1011]

The token black girl jumping back into the story, just to give the white chess prodigy support/money, was so fucking gross...

[@valeriarossini543]

I agree about Jolene, it pissed me off so much!!!! Also, I've heard Beth is a lesbian in the book and actually has a crush on Jolene, which is fantastic and makes me mad at Netflix for not showing it in the series :/

[@cherrybepsi]

omg she was??? talk about fumbling the bag in a MAJOR way 😩 also now i'm actually kinda interested in reading the book 👀

[@annawojda8264]

@@cherrybepsi Sorry for coming in swooping 2 months later, but: I don’t remember how Jolene’s storyline in the novel ends, but I do remember that it starts from a much more ambiguous place - she’s still friends with Beth in the orphanage, but their relationship is also unhealthy, including a sexual aspect that is dubiously consensual at best. It makes her return to Beth’s life feel more like two damaged women trying to salvage something good from a difficult past, and less like Jolene swooping in to rescue Beth. Also, if I remember correctly, it's Beth that ends up reaching to Jolene, which helps things Overall the novel is a hell of a lot less sentimental than the series (and subsequently, a hell of a lot less hopeful for Beth’s future) (Also her friendship with Benny actually feels like a friendship in the book, huh)

[@cherrybepsi]

@@annawojda8264 I see, ty for this addition!!

[@misanthropicmusings4596]

Well, she is bisexual in the series, isn't she? But, yeah, I see where you're coming from. Celluloid closet is still a thing it appears.

[@WTHnada]

Yeah! I kinda saw that! It felt very “mammy black friend-ish”

[@lucyxu3035]

yes!! totally agree about jolene. i was afraid that they were totally going to forget about her and never bring her back in the show. but when she did come back it made me uncomfortable because it confirmed to me what felt like the typical “POC is only there for the white person’s character development” trope that’s been there since the beginning :-/ also benny and harry were kinda...boring and one dimensional to me? didn’t hate them and didn’t love them, they were just kinda there LOLL. love your videos, keep it up!! 💓

[@cherrybepsi]

i know right, like before i watched the show i thought jolene was gonna be like. integral to the plot and aid in grounding beth throughout the show, but she really did just show up to play savior at the end :/ also thank you so much!

[@adrivoid5376]

I really liked the addiction narrative. I think the point I got is that Beth didnt really need the pills to be talented, but they quelled her anxiety and made it so she didnt have to deal with her emotional issues due to childhood trauma, so the pills became a crutch for her with that so she didnt deal with it. The final episode where she made peace with her past was good, but I think they needed another episode to first make her low moment a bit longer with recovery (no withdrawal?) and making peace better. With Jolene, I loved seeing her again, and I know she was Beth’s crush in the book- but even as they poked at it it was still having Jolene be a savior and sidekick for Beth out of nowhere. Even them running into eachother at a store or when Beth is traveling would have made a bit more sense. And then they reconnect a bit and call on the phone, so when Beth crashes Jolene comes out of concern or whatever I don’t know.

[@dijonjohn1011]

Showing downers as something that can be used to improve cognitive abilities, is not only totally fake, it is is incredibly irresponsible in today's climate. Beth looking like a model while on drinking binges, is also incredibly irresponsible. Not even going to get into the issue with Beth have no real long term consequences from her drinking/drugging. With young girls rapidly increasing the rates that they abuse substances, shows that so unrealistically portray addiction, shouldn't be praised :/

[@thecolorjune]

I feel like the actress didn’t want to portray withdrawl because withdrawl is an ugly, painful, messy process and she was so wrapped up in looking perfect even when at her lowest. Very 2D and glamorized. The narrative could have been good, but instead it was unrealistic and not nearly gritty enough for the issue to be done justice.

[@dijonjohn1011]

@@thecolorjune I agree. You can tell that Joy used to be model..

[@casir.7407]

i didnt watch the whole show, it kind of bored me tbh. what did grab me was beth and her adoptive mothers relationship, and the promise of answers about beths birth mother -and the weird mysterious adoptive father. but each time a new dude appeared i was so, so bored... benny and danny and johnny and i dont know whatshisname, all the relationships beth had with these men felt so hollow and superficial, and it was boring. i loved the costumes, the set, the lighting, and i even liked anya taylor joys strange choices -in which she tried to play an awkward girl who learned to control her public image, when she seemed to always be very aware of how she was perceived. if only she had been shown to be more repressed, more obsessed with being in control, and actually having scenes in which she could be shown losing control and appearing less that flawless on screen (which was border line hilarious when she was supposed to be "the ugly kid" in class because she wore... suposedly unfashionable clothes and a weird fringe, as if that changed the fact she was a model), i think the show could have been vastly improved. also, yes. beth should have always been gay. i think that could have really aided this idea of her trying to be in control, maybe generating conflict with jolene (who could have been the deuteragonist) who doesnt want to be beth's secret and wants to become someone beyond her, actually doing something to lampshade their weird relationship... and also maybe tackle the real issues that "child prodigies" and such face when growing up. all in all, i think this show feels very much written by men? maybe im wrong. it just feels like an average mad-men-style show with the main characters' gender turned to a woman, with some feeble attempts at depicting the hardships a girl would face in the world of competitive chess... without never really delving deep into it. idk. it could have been much better. edit: while watching this, a lot of the time i wished i was watching "russian doll" instead, another netflix original. a story about a smart but troubled redheaded addict... but with a lot more heart and spontaneity. i really recommend russian doll, i wish more people knew bout it.

[@cherrybepsi]

ok yes @ your comment about this being a show about a woman written by men. ESPECIALLY the breakdown scene which was so male-gazey that it almost felt like a parody 😩 also i loved russian doll!!

[@projectmira]

1) I'm so late but I just discovered you channel and I'm in love 2) As someone who just finished the book, the show REALLY suffers from not showing Beth's thought process. I have problems w/ the novel, but it goes so much more into detail about HOW she's so good at chess and her thought process during matches. Because the character is always so reserved, she just kind of comes across as bland on screen but in the novel you see more of her actual personality- how angry she gets at times, how determined she is, and how important chess is to her. The pills were less to make her better at chess and more for her to relax & sleep at night, to the point where later in the novel she thinks super hard about wanting to drink or wanting to take a pill but doesn't because she wants to stop. She reflects on what her substance abuse is doing to her & how heavy the expectations placed on her feel, and there's a good stretch of the book where she's literally friendless with no support system because of how she treats other people. Also the chess is like, actually explained, which makes important matches against better players more exciting. Beth spends a long time going over moves in her head, and what makes her stand out against her other competitors is her unpredictable nature. Instead all you see on screen is O_O or occasionally ._. which is super boring. Also her looking nice makes so much more sense in the novel, because you see her insecurities as she grows up, and in my mind it's another way for her to put up defenses against others. Jolene is still given shitty writing in the novel tho unfortunately, though it's like at least 10% gayer because Beth thinks about how much she just wants to say she loves her, and she like thinks about Jolene a lot when she's in tough situations???? Even her relationships with other people that mentor her & stuff are explored more, where they're helping her both bc of America v. Russia propaganda, being huge chess nerds also, and having respect for her beating them with unorthodox moves. Her reconnecting w Jolene and working to deal with her addiction go hand in hand, with Jolene's strength and intelligence actually being shown (and the bit of them reconnecting just felt more natural I guess?? It wasn't super great but Beth reaching out to Jolene because of the comfort of familiarity at a time where she's got like nothing left makes sense.) TLDR this video is great and the book isn't perfect (esp Jolene) but the series just created a bunch of unnecessary problems from focusing on making Beth such a flat character.

[@benjamins4699]

You! have! put! it! perfectly! ESPECIALLY the whole thing about how the whole series despite being ABOUT chess never actually DISCUSSES chess to the viewer!!!!

[@cherrybepsi]

yeah i literally finished up the last episode and i was like wait so what's the queen's gambit 😳

[@benjamins4699]

@@cherrybepsi the queen's gambit sucks ingame too....i prefer the elephant gambit

[@maddiegallegos9873]

TOTALLY AGREE!! this was my first thought when i was watching this show, i was so ready to learn a few cool chess moves, so bummed we didnt get to!

[@greenxsaleen]

My school (USC) had an interview with Scott Frank, and he basically said the show was built around Beth as a character--so the game of chess, and all the side characters were all just meant to be highlight her character development, which I think really took away from the greater potential of the show (emphasizing her relationship developments and the actual gameplay and strategies). And yes it should've been more gay.

[@cherrybepsi]

Thank you for this! Having the context is actually really helpful

[@reyl6152]

Loved all your thoughts in this and agree with everything 100%.. I used to do a lot of acting and what you point out about the leads acting as if she always knows where the camera is is one of my biggest pet peeves when watching people act, it feels so fake and like you said it takes you out of the story youre being told because youre aware that this person is trying to fix how they look rather than focusing on the character and allowing themselves to commit to emotions entirely. Great video, keep up the good work!! 💛💐

[@cherrybepsi]

Oh thank you so much!! That's so cool to read and I'm glad you agree 💖

[@mariana-ni9wl]

I thought I was the only one who thought that about Anya Taylor Joy's performance. She had the same expressions throughout the whole series (like posing), even in the scene where she starts dancing and then throws up on a trophy, I was like what?! No one makes that face😂. i know the character is meant to be cold or something but it was still something that bothered me.

[@kulsoom7666]

hmm i think her "lack of candidness" could also be because of the male gaze aka the director refusing to let her look anything less than presentable even when shes straight up spiralling and depressive, but idk havent seen a single episode of this show but ive also see this mentioned

[@cherrybepsi]

yeah that's a good point! the show was steeped in Male Gaze(tm) so i wouldn't be surprised if the directors/producers were basically telling her to be as hot as possible at all times and it translated as hyperawareness of the camera

[@august-s1j]

i totally get what you mean with the being too aware of the camera thing. too be an effective actress i think she really needs to leave that behind, it comes across as ingenuine and honestly the first thing that made me not want to watch the show when i saw the trailer dsgjkds. like its so uncomfortable to watch! just relax!!

[@cherrybepsi]

yeah it's just so awkward to watch! i hope she gets past it bc i would love to see her succeed in other stuff in the future

[@dianehan6697]

I love how you threw in all the wishes at the beginning with a deadpan face 🤣

[@kathrynlinkoberstar6250]

Yes! I just kept waiting for them to give me a more compelling story arc and it just never happened. Also - justice for Jolene. They had the opportunity to make that relationship into a compelling story either a relationship like you said or a more tense reunion (why didn't you reach out, etc) but they gave us nothing. I feel like it's the same thing with the addiction arc - they thrown in what should be an "obstacle" but then they conveniently allow her to overcome it with the drop of a hat and no real work

[@kathrynlinkoberstar6250]

Same thing with the adoptive dad

[@cherrybepsi]

omg a more tense reunion wouldve been SO sexy like let beth be afraid of losing someone she actually cares about for once! and yea the dad was such a weird addition bc he legit didn't do anything At All 🙄

[@kathrynlinkoberstar6250]

@@cherrybepsi and like, he tried to kick her out but then she just bought the house and he disappeared? So what was even the point

[@cherrybepsi]

@@kathrynlinkoberstar6250 probably to give her another #girlboss moment where she was like "I'LL buy the house" smh

[@velxes]

hey man no shame bringing in anime, I've seen lots of folks call Queen's Gambit a shounen lol. also when you mentioned that the show could introduce some chess terms, I thought of "March Comes In Like a Lion", and how lost I got in all those shogi terms, but still loved it to bits.

[@diamondcentury21]

I honestly wanted to see more of Jolene which didn’t happen 🙃 I also thought they would expand on Beths adoptive mothers addiction a bit more. Omg! I thought that Anya’s acting was off too, at times you could feel like you knew she was just acting and not “being” Beth if that makes sense. But like you said it was probably the fact that she’s very aware of the camera and knows her angles

[@k.285]

“It just wasn’t gay enough” this convinced me to not watch lol

[@cherrybepsi]

LMAO taste 😌

[@Courior6]

Watched up until the last episode and stopped, then I heard what happened and I was like yea no. Also the comment about her posing for the camera and always looking perfect lol. Saw someone point out at in her "lowest point" scene she was in cute panties a spaghetti strap and open button up lol Great video tho

[@tophadvocate4693]

i was soo hyped to see some dark skinned rep and its sucks that jolene was sidelined :/

[@cherrybepsi]

literally!! like when i saw some of the trailers i thought they were lowkey girlfriends, or at least that Jolene would be in the show longer than like 2 episodes total 😩

[@tophadvocate4693]

@@cherrybepsi like why did jolene just vanish into thin air??

[@dijonjohn1011]

@@tophadvocate4693 The book was written by a white guy in the 80's... And no one at Netflix thought that it might need a bit of modernizing? What a joke :/ I am a white boy in a predominately white town, and even I was deeply offended by Jolene's character.

[@astridgallagher6941]

Yes! I immediate thought of sports anime when I was watching this. Hikaru no Go is a great one that actually explains the rules and strategies of Go really well. With great rivals and a fantastic mentor/student relationship.

[@soniaiboyako4023]

About the acting i was wondering if you've seen The Witch ? i don't think it has her unhinged exactly in the way you described but it's definitely a different role

[@inabacklistmood3124]

Agree with all of this! About ATJ and her angles, I think she lets loose more in The Witch. If you haven't seen it i definitely recommend.

[@misanthropicmusings4596]

I loved the series, and seemed to recall they did drop some chess terms. My daughter had just had a chess camp and I remember her bringing up a term, and I mentioned that came up in Queen's Gambit (which I didn't allow her to see since she was ten at the time) . I will acknowledge that media critics are doing a much deeper analysis than I as a casual fan would, so I definitely appreciate your take. Thanks.

[@snickle1980]

It was watchable, but It was extremely difficult to feel anything for the protagonist. At all. Beth remained emotionless and speechless throughout most of the series. I felt her character had very little depth. She lacked personality or any sort of spark of life throughout most of the series. It all felt very shallow and empty. It's difficult to explain. (The actress who played the adoptive mother did a wonderful job though.)

[@BlackKara]

So like, I saw her biggest things was like, her isolation and her making friends was the triumph. But yeah she doesn't deserve Jolene

[@ceylamb]

oh my god youre so pretty, this is my second video of yours and my first time seeing your face

[@cherrybepsi]

OMG please you're so sweet 😭

[@thecolorjune]

You really hit the nail on the head with all of your critiques. As a hardcore chess girl in my youth whose signature opening was The Queen’s Gambit, this show meant a lot to me, but it also could have been improved. Gosh I miss chess haha.

[@Te3time]

since you mentioned the tennis anime here is a fun fact: the prince of tennis musical adaptation is the longest running musical in Japan. it started in 2003 and is currently in its 4th season

[@panchish]

regarding the acting thing i sort of agree and it was a bit funny at times in my first viewing but she isnt like that in her other projects so maybe it’s more of a director thing and not so much an anya thing? idk i agree sm with the jolene thing too lmao it bothered me a bit when i first watched like i undersand how the point of the series is for beth to learn about asking and receiving help and people being nice to her Just Because, but i wish we got more from why jolene wanted to help her to that extent. the boys, even tho they have no chemistry imo, were attracted to her as a woman and as a chess player and ig wanted to be a part of that. maybe jolene was the same, but they weren’t explicit about it enough to make her give so much for beth, who didn’t even think of her (but ig she didnt even think of mr schaibel?) much to think about.....

[@misanthropicmusings4596]

This was the first Anya Taylor Joy vehicle I've seen. Recently I saw Last Night In SoHo, which I highly recommend. She has the largest eyes I've ever seen that really draw you to her face. I'm still on the fence on how good an actress she is, or whether she just has been cast well in these rows where she comes off as being somewhat inaccessible. I await more.

[@quinsomnia4934]

I like that you mentioned her past as a model bc she definately poses, rather than acts a lot of her scenes - it suits the character quite a bit, as models often have to restrict their expression, and Beth is a very socially avoidant person, though the poses do often make her come off as less of a human person, even if it's framing aesthetic. And yes, a romance with Jolene would truly make her actuons make more sense.

[@ondine3335]

Not gonna lie I was happy when you brought up anime bc my take on queen's gambit is literally just watch Hikaru no go instead

[@cherrybepsi]

i havent seen it but you're the second person to mention it so i might check it out 👀

[@ondine3335]

@@cherrybepsi If you've got the time for it it's really good! It gets into the rules and the particulars of each game the way a good sport anime does. And I guess it's less about winning and more about the love of the game and character development, so the main character loses big sometimes. (there's also a ghost. No other supernatural elements, he's just vibing 👻)

[@forgs4lyf328]

if you're looking for anime about an orphan who is really good at a chess-like game (shogi), watch march comes in like a lion! it's cute and ngl it made me cry at several points

[@cherrybepsi]

ooh i think i've seen that on netflix! i'll check it out 👀

[@nancy4366]

Yes, It was BORING, SLOW - not enough story there to make a story. Just watching this girl flounce around chest first all over the place accompanied by a tedious go no where stare left me waiting for ... anything that didn't happen. Ugh. Her "addiction" didn't seem to have the devastating effects of actual addiction for some reason. She responds to nearly everything in the same flat affect / and look no place stare. Very boring, I only made it to episode 4 before I started to fast forward nearly every scene. So what was the big deal with this? We may never know. Can't sleep? Watch this and off you go.

[@ishmriti524]

I jus didn't like the series in general, i jus liked the child actress noone else,

[@smile--]

Maybe it's just me, but I always found the dialog cringy and the characters unrealistic and annoying

[@floralhoney115]

First comment YAY

[@merloaf0332]

when are you gonna critique the blood of zues and selena the netflix series, those are really bad shows. love yall response. man Anya is so versatile and a really good actress. The thing I disagree with is when you were criticizing Anya's acting, she is so memorizing and a good actress. Bad actress? No. Good actress, well yeah. Firstly she was a "scream queen" for horror movies but she drifted over to drama, you should def watch The VVitch.

[@cherrybepsi]

lol I've seen the vvitch! i actually did like her in it but her acting queen's gambit just fell flat for me :/ i wasn't planning on doing blood of Zeus or Selena but i'll think about it!

[@merloaf0332]

@@cherrybepsi do selena the netflix series first, its kinda sad how her story was portrayed and quite disappointing. for the blood of zues, its more like an anime style show, but so many errors tbh.