The Queen's Gambit: A TV show where a woman is celebrated for her genius
The Queen's Gambit
There’s a surprising scene near the end of the second episode of “The Queen’s Gambit” when things take a disorienting turn for the better. Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), an eerily stoic orphan recently adopted by a lonely, alcoholic housewife, has just won the Kentucky State Chess Championship, and Alma (Marielle Heller), her new adoptive mother, struggles to process the information.
She’d had no idea how serious Beth was, or how gifted. For a moment, it’s unclear how she’ll take it. Alma is herself a talented pianist who never had the courage to play in public. It’s intimated that she lost a child. Her husband has just abandoned her.
