Netflix's The Queen's Gambit-Review

26,975 Views | 180 Replies | Last: 6 mo ago by Stat Monitor Repairman
MookieBlaylock
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aTmAg said:

Is it based on a true story?
No woman has ever won at the highest levels of chess-

the story seems to be loosely based on Bobby Fischer but that def did not have a happy ending
rynning
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Finished it tonight. Yes, a little but not entirely predictable. Good story, well told, very good acting, and fun. Not too long.

The only thing I'd do differently is the Benny character. Just think another actor could have been better. Reminded me of Dana Carvey trying to be Leonardo DiCaprio.
MookieBlaylock
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I thought he was perfect
That is what a "cool" nerd looks like
spanky
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If I had a dollar for every nerd I told, yeah, if anybody can pull that fedora off, it's you...
aTmAg
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I'm about 3 or 4 episodes into it. I think it's pretty good, not great. To me it's easy to write people as super smart if you hide from the viewer the smart stuff they do. For example, anybody could write a show where an awkward 10 year old kid figures out calculus in 5 minutes and everybody around says, "wow that kid is the smartest human to ever live!". This show does some of that.

I have the same sort of complaint about shows that involve superheros or karate. Anybody can write their superhero to be the strongest one of all time. My superhero can lift a bus. Well MINE can lift a ship! Well MINE can lift the entire PLANET!!!


The part of the show I like is the 50s stuff. I find how stuff looked back then to be interesting.
combat wombat™
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So, in episode 2 when she goes to buy cigarettes for her mother... I noticed that when she walks into the store, prominently displayed are the two products below. Malta India is made in Puerto Rico. Cafe is made in the Bronx. I found it curious that either would be carried at s small neighborhood market in Lexingyon KY in the 1960s.




Mikeyshooter
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My 9 yr old daughter is really into chess. Should I let her watch this show?
rynning
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Other than the drugs, drinking, and sex, it's pretty family friendly.
Smokedraw01
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rynning said:

Other than the drugs, drinking, and sex, it's pretty family friendly.


Don't forget the suicide.
"If you run into an ******* in the morning, you ran into an *******. If you run into *******s all day, you're the *******." – Raylan Givens, "Justified."
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Seaaggie1144
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The mother driving the car into the other lane of traffic
MookieBlaylock
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Mikeyshooter said:

My 9 yr old daughter is really into chess. Should I let her watch this show?


Yeah not sure I let my 9 year old watcjh a show where a 9 year old gets high to practice chess

Searching for Bobby Fischer much better for your daughter
Mikeyshooter
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MookieBlaylock said:

Mikeyshooter said:

My 9 yr old daughter is really into chess. Should I let her watch this show?


Yeah not sure I let my 9 year old watcjh a show where a 9 year old gets high to practice chess

Searching for Bobby Fischer much better for your daughter

Lol good call
Star Wars Memes Only
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AstroAg17 said:

I forgot the suicide. When was that?

Mom committed suicide in the car accident.
I Drink Your Milkshake
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Benny is definitely the kid from Love Actually right?
MookieBlaylock
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Yes
aTmAg
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I finished last night. I wish they made it about the real Bobby Fischer. I realize he is not a hot woman and all (which answers why they didn't make it about Fischer), but at least basing it on a real person would make all the moments of genius believable.

Also the alcohol abuse story has been done 100 times. That was the least interesting part of the story.
Ervin Burrell
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freecashflow said:

Benny is definitely the kid from Love Actually right?


And also Jojen Reed, a rather worthless character from GoT.

And Harry Beltik was Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter.
Anagrammatic Nudist
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Thought this video was great that breaks down the actual final game as shown in the show. If you're not a chess player, you can probably ignore.

MookieBlaylock
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Thanks for the video that was a good watch

Glad he finished the end game
HTownAg
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freecashflow said:

Benny is definitely the kid from Love Actually right?
And also Newt from MazeRunner films
boy09
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nm
dreyOO
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oragator said:

Finished it tonight, Can't quite figure out why I liked it as much as I did. It wasn't a unique story at its core, plenty of 60s period pieces are out there, plenty of "child prodigy from rough past makes good" stories etc...but it was just really well constructed. If you look at how they progressed her emotionally in the 7 episodes it was nearly perfect.

And I have to say:

when I found out she never paid Mr. Shaibel or went back to see him, that made me angry and broke my heart.


Agree with all of this. We just finished it and loved it. Wasn't perfect by any means. But I found myself really enjoying ALL of the characters outside of her adopted father. Maybe that had something to do with the overall enjoyment level.
GoAgs92
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Hello Everyone.

The Polgar sisters were very at chess...watched Judit beat Karpov just yesterday on youtube.
Head Ninja In Charge
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aTmAg said:

I finished last night. I wish they made it about the real Bobby Fischer. I realize he is not a hot woman and all (which answers why they didn't make it about Fischer), but at least basing it on a real person would make all the moments of genius believable.

Also the alcohol abuse story has been done 100 times. That was the least interesting part of the story.
I don't get this. It was a work of fiction and should be judged on its own merit. Plus, there have been multiple movies/docs made about Bobby Fischer.
Head Ninja In Charge
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I just finished it last night and I thought it was great. Some holes here and there, but it was terrifically acted, directed, and shot. IMO, a good sign of good direction is when you're not an expert on the subject, but still engaged and invested in what's happening on the screen. Hard to make a board game riveting, but that's where good direction, acting, and writing communicated it well. The matches in the last episode nailed this.

Reminded me of the Chernobyl miniseries in that sense. I'm no expert on nuclear science, but whenever that one dude said 'It's not 3 roentgen, it's 15,000.' - I almost **** my pants.
Brian Earl Spilner
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aTmAg said:

Is it based on a true story?
This was my first question as well. Feels very much like a biopic.

Five episodes in, will probably finish tonight. Enjoying it thus far.
HTownAg
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We really enjoyed it as well
double aught
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Not to get off topic, but you're exactly right about Chernobyl. The way he explains how the meltdown occurred at the trial in the last episode in a way that both is understandable and entertaining is really impressive. Such a great show.
Seaaggie1144
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It is not a true story.



The Queen's Gambit is a fictional story that follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy named Beth Harmon from the age of eight to twenty-two during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional issues and with drug and alcohol dependency.
Brian Earl Spilner
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Great ending.
PeekingDuck
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MookieBlaylock said:


aTmAg said:

Is it based on a true story?
No woman has ever won at the highest levels of chess-

the story seems to be loosely based on Bobby Fischer but that def did not have a happy ending



Judit Polgar competed pretty strongly at the highest levels though I don't know what qualifies as winning. She's beaten GMs and world champions and was ranked top 10 at one point. She's the only one though... even her sisters don't really come close.
TCTTS
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Finally finished the series last night and it's easily one of the top five of the year for me. So good. Between this and landing the title role in the Mad Max Furiosa prequel, Anya Taylor-Joy is going to be a massive star.
aTmAg
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Head Ninja In Charge said:

aTmAg said:

I finished last night. I wish they made it about the real Bobby Fischer. I realize he is not a hot woman and all (which answers why they didn't make it about Fischer), but at least basing it on a real person would make all the moments of genius believable.

Also the alcohol abuse story has been done 100 times. That was the least interesting part of the story.
I don't get this. It was a work of fiction and should be judged on its own merit. Plus, there have been multiple movies/docs made about Bobby Fischer.
I'm judging it on it's own merit: it was lame.

I've already said why.
Brian Earl Spilner
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Quote:

but at least basing it on a real person would make all the moments of genius believable.
How so? What about the show made the Beth Harmon not believable?
 
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