The Queens Gambit : Is love enough?
ANYA TAYLOR_JOY as BETH HARMON Photo Credit. NETFLIX 2020
RESEMBLING A SECRET LOVE AFFAIR I DEVOURED EVERY MOMENT WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT, ONLY AFTERWARDS THINKING ABOUT POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.
The celebrated Netflix mini-series ‘The Queens Gambit’ has everything you wish for in light entertainment. A masterclass in all elements needed for compulsive viewing, a highly stylised, visually stimulating and produced piece of television that captivated me and 62 million others, offering something for everyone. A fashionable orphaned child genius overcomes tragedy and addiction, becoming world-class in a sexist sport by beating men at their own game.... what's not to like?
In appealing to the masses, the messiness of alcoholism, addiction and recovery felt replaced by an episode including a rebellious makeover and a missed chess game. So engrossed in the story, and only on reflection; I explore the realities of addiction versus what it takes for a show to be popular, being such a complex condition I question if it’s futile to expect both.