Explanations about The Queen’s Gambit episode 1
At the beginning of the episode, Beth is shown in the Paris of 1967 just as she wakes up. Although she had an emergency, she slept while she took a bath. She rapidly quit her hotel room to go downstairs. Paparazzi were already there waiting for her. She immediately sat down and began a chess game against a man while many people surrounded them to watch. During this first episode, Beth has some flashbacks about her having a car crash in the past.
How Beth handled being an orphan!
The episode continues with details about how beth grew up as an orphan and how she became used to playing chess and having bad addictions.
Beth lost her mother after the car crash mentioned earlier and since then, she was an orphan. No part of the episode gives details about her father. Beth was presented to the orphanage where she met Jolene for the first time. There, she was asked about the last words her parents told her before they were gone. She has images of her mother telling her to close her eyes in her mind.
A Mother Who Never Settled
This first episode shows some fraction of Beth’s family life. Her parents had problems and didn’t give Beth the stable and loving home she needed. In the episode, it is suggested that chess might have been Beth’s way to properly endure that situation.
In the orphanage, Beth regularly consumed what seems to be vitamins. After each consumption, she has difficulties to walk. Jolene instructed her to take the pills only very late in the night. When Beth is in bed to sleep at night, she remembered some scenes of her parents. In her memories, her father, Paul, attempted to come back in her and her mother’s life. He demanded Alice, Beth’ smother, to give him the chance to see and talk to his daughter. Finally, Paul abandoned because he couldn’t support chasing after his wife and daughter anymore.
Beth Discovers Chess
One day of class in the orphanage, the teacher sent beth to the basement to take care of something. There, a man by the name of Mr. Shaibel played chess alone. That man caught the attention of Beth. The little Beth talked to the man in order to make him explain her what chess was. Mr. Shaibel didn’t want to talk to Beth about Chess thatday. During the night, Beth’s mind is completely full of how the chess board was. She also never forget to take the vitamins like Jolene’s suggested it.
How she began to play chess:
At some point in that first episode, Beth will get the chance to play chess for the first time in her life.
Beth is completely conquered by chess and she approached Mr. Shaibel again with the hope to talk about chess with him. The man isn’t interested at all at first because he thinks that chess is not a girl’s game. Beth is very enthusiasts and begins to talk about whats he learned about chess on her own. Mr. Shaibelis convinced and he decided to play one game with Beth. She was not excellent in this first game as her opponent beats her rapidly with the move “ Scholar’s mate.” Before sleeping, Beth rewinds her first game in her mind and tries to understand the move that made her lose. Beth and Mr. Shaibel play another game the next day and the young girl loses her Queen but don’t want to abandon. She shows disrespect to Mr. Shaibel when he doesn’t want to continue the game and she calls him a “ cck sucker” Beth will later be questioned about what a “cck” is by Jolene.
Beth has chess in her blood
The first episode will rapidly show Beth as the chess genius that she is.
Even if they had a little fight, Beth and Mr. Shaibel plays chess regularly in the basement. Beth manages to have her first win over him in the episode. The man teaches Beth various chess moves so she can elevate her game. He explains her “ Openings” and showed her one whose name is “ Queen’s Gambit.” Beth wins against him again and he’s impressed by how the little girl is playing. It seems that chess has no secret for Beth. Mr. Shaibel offers a book about “Openings” to Beth.
Beth was taken by Mr. Shaibel to meet Mr. Ganz and play a game. She’s no problem beating that man. Mr. Ganzwants to know where Beth plays Chess. The young girl responded: in my head. Mr. Granzgranted Beth with a doll as a present. Shetook on Mr. Shaibel and Mr. Ganz simultaneously and manages to beat the two of them.
Beth getsInvited to the Chess Club
With no surprise, Beth become well known in the locality thanks to her very high chess skills. Mr. Ganz has the idea to make Beth joins some high school’s chess club on Thursdays. Beth is allowed to do that by the head of the orphanage, Helen Deardorff. Also, Helen forbids Beth to continue to play chess in the basement. Beth asks to have some of the “green vitamins” but she doesn’t get any because the orphanage doesn’t give them to kids anymore. Beth is addicted to those pills. It is a plausible explanation of her bad behavior in the beginning of this first episode.
Unbeaten in the Chess Club
Jolene explains to Beth that she’s experiencing symptoms of with withdrawal. Beth attends the chess club the day after that. Jolene manages to get some tranquilizers to Beth and gives a good luck to her. Some boys of the high school make their entrance into the chess club. Beth plays them all simultaneously. Students gather around Beth and the boys as they played. Beth wins against all of her opponents in one hour and twenty minutes’ time. She counted her accomplishment to the first man she played chess with, Mr. Shaibel.
The First Episode’sEnding
The withdrawal symptoms didn’t go away and they still made beth suffering. She took some tools at the basement in order to break the chemist room. She does it on a movie night while she pretexted to go to the bathroom. Beth immediately consumes some tranquilizers and stores plenty of them in herpockets. By the end of the movie night, Beth collapsed because she took too much tranquilizers and Helen Deardorff discovered what she’d done.
The Queen’s Gambit episode 1 details the environment where a greatly talented young girl evolved. It also gives precision about the origins of her flaws and how she became a chess player and a very good one. This episode of great quality and has all the aspect of a great dramatic TV series.
