The Queen’s Gambit is a tremendous drama that combines intellectualism, loneliness, addiction, infatuation, sexism, and strategy. The drama follows a 1950s orphan with a painful past who discovers her preternatural ability to play chess. Unfortunately, as she races towards world renown, she also struggles with oppressive addiction and an inability to make healthy human connections. The show is based on a novel of the same name, and stars Anya Taylor-Joy (who recently won an Emmy for her acting in the Queen’s Gambit), playing the damaged protagonist Beth Harmon. Scenes from the orphanage and the Beth’s self-sabatoging drug addiction can be disturbing, but the 7-season program is almost impossible to switch off.
