EPISODE 1.1
23 October 2020
Openings
The Queen's Gambit: Season 1
Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma.) leads this mini-series adaptation of Walter Tevis' 1950s-set novel as teenage chess genius Beth Harmon. Turning to the game after being orphaned, young Beth also takes a liking to the tranquilisers handed out at the orphanage where she learns her way around the board. As Beth's abilities attract attention she begins to rise up the ranks of the chess world, but her struggles with addiction and loneliness will prove every bit as challenging as the human opponents she seeks to vanquish.
2020USANetflix
DramaSportHistorical
The Queen's Gambit: Season 1 / Reviews
Rolling Stone
As with Godless, a lot of this story’s flaws and superficiality only become obvious because of how long it lingers, while the parts that are excellent (Taylor-Joy’s performance, the technical mastery) wouldn’t be diminished in a more abridged version of the tale.
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The New York Times
“Gambit” never quite gets back to the charm of its Dickensian opening chapter, though, and it gets thinner as it goes along. Frank pulls off his combination of themes with a lot of old-Hollywood-style skill, but in the mix, neither the sports nor the personal-demons story line hits the levels of visceral excitement or emotional payoff that you might want. In the end, it was an admirable package that I wanted to love more than I did.
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Entertainment Weekly
It's a stylish period piece with the rambling-years momentum of a John Irving novel. Luscious production design and a darkly fascinating lead performance duel against mawkish sentiment and a messy final act. It's always fun to watch, even when it's playing emotional checkers.
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Variety
“The Queen’s Gambit” becomes very shrewd about its choices and keeps the narrative going at an impressively fast clip — making it a sharp, welcome contrast to the all too many lethargic streaming dramas out there.
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Hollywood Reporter
Taylor-Joy's tour de force performance — one that deserves awards recognition over the months to come — is integral to the success of The Queen's Gambit, but it's far from the seven-episode saga's only asset.
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Wall Street Journal
It absorbs the viewer into the rarefied realm of world-class competition and acquaints the nonplayer with enough of the mechanics to make the outcomes accessible and meaningful. ... If there are awards to be had, Ms. Heller and Ms. Taylor-Joy should get them. ... Ms. Taylor-Joy is really the beginning and endgame of “The Queen’s Gambit,” and gives a performance that is as precisely physical as it is emotional.
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Time Magazine
At this point, any hour-long drama that forsakes intellectual property, narrative histrionics and expensive special effects in favor of psychological realism represents a welcome change of pace. And one as excellent as The Queen’s Gambit feels very rare indeed. ... A transcendent performance by Anya Taylor-Joy. ... One of the year’s most fascinating TV characters.
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