The Queen's Gambit

I’ve decided to finally write reviews for the tv shows that are featured on letterboxd. I watched this show during the summer of the year which I reviewed this, so a couple months have passed by. I’ve had some experience with chess, but I’ve experienced nothing compared to what’s on the show, so I don’t have as much knowledge on the specifics.  The Queen’s Gambit is a limited series about a woman who becomes interested in chess and studies to become better, eventually becoming a top-tier chess player. The story never quite appealed to me as there wasn’t really any way for me to connect with the characters. In addition, the acting wasn’t too spectacular either, although Ingram and Brodie-Sangster were phenomenal.  In a thematical perspective, the show focuses a lot on drugs and the repercussions of them. Despite this, I felt like the show gave me the wrong vibe, as the show kind of suggests that doing drugs will make you smarter, as shown with the chess pieces on the ceiling in the orphanage.  In terms of the episodes, I thought that it started perfectly. The first episode was by far my favorite in the entire show. And the ending of that episode too with the pills; pure perfection. However, after the first episode it began to wane in quality. Sure, the overall tone felt the same, but the story just got less and less interesting.  It’s not a bad show by any means and I can’t deny that it’s gotten many people interested in chess, but the Queen’s Gambit doesn’t feel as perfected, and it doesn’t reach the extra mile.