Queen's Gambit Review

Queen’s Gambit is now playing on Netflix and stars Anya Taylor-Joy who delivered a solid performance.

The most remarkable thing about this seven-episode series is that it kept me riveted to their chess games as if I actually knew what was going on. I did not- at all. Nevertheless, I watched like I was watching game seven of an NBA championship playoff, and my team needed to score in the final 10 seconds for the win. 


I try to avoid taking on new series because I don’t have the time for it and I do not want to get so invested in a show with a ridiculous amount of episodes. Thankfully, Queen’s Gambit only had seven. With that being said, I think I would have gladly watched a few more. 


The story is about an awkward young girl left tragically left an orphan who, against all odds becomes a formidable chess player in a male-dominated sphere during the 1960s. It actually sounds pretty boring, but Anya Taylor-Joy carries off Beth Harmon so well that the audience ends up rooting for her, even through her self-destructive behavior. 


The acting was solid. The costume and set designed seemed to really capture the period. Overall, it was a very well done series. 


SPOILERS


Beth Harmon had a bleak existence, set on a bleak backdrop and still fought to pursue what she loved to the point of addiction. She did not settle because she did not know anything else. There were so many moments in this series that I connected with this awkward little white girl much like Jolene did in the orphanage. Particularly, when she was invited to join the Apple Pis and realizing she had absolutely nothing in common with those girls, she quietly left them. Sometimes you have to remember that you don’t have to be included in certain things that do not fit who you are or what your goals are. 



What I mostly enjoyed was Beth’s laser focus on winning despite the tragedies that plagued her. The reality is that we will always have to deal with the ups and downs of life, some more volatile than others. In the midst of that, we have to figure out how to move on as best as possible. For us, we have family and close friends to help keeps up grounded. Beth had a makeshift support network that saw her potential. Nevertheless, she clung to chess as if it were her liferaft in the middle of a raging storm. She survived but more than that she overcame herself and her circumstances. It is what we all must do on a regular basis. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do Something Different

Image
Do something different. Shake your life up a bit. Our brains are funny little 3 pound masses that can take us for a loop and we are still learning so much about it. As much as I enjoy having a routine in my life because it gives me the illusion of having control, variety is also key for cognitive health. Soomi Lee, PhD, assistant professor in the USF College of Behavior and Community Sciences reports "findings suggest that active and engaged lifestyles with diverse and regular activities are essential for our cognitive health." I am not a regular baker but I wanted to do something different. I have not baked in quite some time and I probably won't even eat all the cake but it was a fun and different activity to do. So even if you do not do something drastic. Shaking things up even a little bit can help change the trajectory of your thought, attitude and day.  Article Source:  Variety and consistency are essential to keep the mind health My related Tiktok below @wandatob
Read more

Redirect Your Focus away from Lizzo

Image
Redirect Your Focus away from Lizzo Scroll down to listen to the podcast here Recently a comedian has been under fire for making hurtful comments toward the artist Lizzo about her weight. Aries Spears in an attempt to be funny mocks Lizzo about her weight and her looks. He also goes on to say that he can get away with being a big dude and women cannot. He then attempts to pivot in a spectacular show of hypocrisy that instead of supporting her expressions of confidence women should be pointing out potential health issues linked with obesity. Sir! What are you doing? I really wanted to take this opportunity to point out that we as a people, as a nation should be less focused on individuals and more on the industry that’s putting crappy overprocessed foods on the shelves. They are appealing to our need for convenience. They are using science and psychology to influence us to buy these crappy foods. And let's face it, who doesn’t love a good sweet or salty snack or fast food that we ca
Read more

Bust Off That Gut With the Insanity Workout

Image
Bust Off That Gut With the Insanity Workout By Carl Barton It can be quite the dizzying experience trying to find the right workout regimen when a person decides to get back into shape. In many cases, it takes a high level of commitment to stay on track with whatever kind physical of activity and/or diet that is chosen. For people who truly desire results and have a high motor, the Insanity Workout could be the right option for a variety of reasons. The Insanity Workout is a high energy workout routine that works on the interval training method. The interval method stresses a period of high activity followed by a period of low activity. This is the key to workout regimen because it warms up muscles, builds them up, and acts as a lactic acid conditioner. By building up a lactic acid tolerance, muscles become stronger while building up someone's endurance. When applying this kind of aerobic training to the human body, the pyramid system is a base model for the workout routine.
Read more