S01.E07: End Game

[peggy06]

On 11/15/2020 at 8:49 PM, lucindabelle said:

I so wanted to understand more of the backstory.

beth says her mother had money and married into more. And that it was complicated.

so her mom was married?

also, if her mom had a family, how come nobody took her in?

wven if they didn’t learn about her moms death wouldn’t you think they’d find out about her when she starts winning matches?

(also I wondered how her high school kept accepting her sick notes when she’s in the paper for winning tournaments)

what did her mom mean by “a rounding error?”

It was interesting to me that they didn't really delve into the mom's mental illness. It was just there. Perhaps the book does so more thoroughly. I especially wondered after that Life interviewer questioned Beth about a condition in which a person sees patterns that others don't see, and presented it as a mental illness. (THat was cruel IMO.)

The "rounding error" comment, I think, was mathematical lingo for a small mistake. Her mother had a PhD in Mathematics. I assume it was heavily ironic.

I, too wondered why the school accepted all the absences when it was clear she wasn't out sick.

 

Great series, though. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the wardrobe was to die for.

[Jsage]

On 11/13/2020 at 3:31 PM, kieyra said:

We see Beth in all these complicated, nuanced relationships, first with her adopted mom. Then with her male peers who are both helping her with chess and also trying to get her to take care of herself, and she blows them off. I just don’t understand why Jolene showing up and dropping dialogue anvils is what makes the difference.

 

On 11/13/2020 at 3:41 PM, dubbel zout said:

Jolene is her oldest friend and the only one who knows and understands what her time at the orphanage was like. Sometimes that's the person who gets through to you. 

I agree with Dubbel Zout. I also think it's significant that Jolene was the only relationship Beth had left that wasn't formed because of chess. We know Beth's addiction and chess were inextricably intertwined. It may have required a friend completely outside the chess world to break through and truly reach her.

[Anela]

I missed what happened with Townes in the past. Was he not attracted to women? I admit, I'm not usually a shipper, but I was hoping that they would get together. Although it does make a nice change that the end-game for her wasn't getting a man, it was earning her win. 

[kieyra]

3 minutes ago, Anela said:

I missed what happened with Townes in the past. Was he not attracted to women? I admit, I'm not usually a shipper, but I was hoping that they would get together. Although it does make a nice change that the end-game for her wasn't getting a man, it was earning her win. 

He invites Beth to his hotel room. As is typical with this show, a lot of stuff is left unsaid, but in the hotel room things get ... creepy or intimate, depending on your read, without getting particularly physical. 

And at the peak of the creepy and/or intimate tension, a guy in a bathing suit walks into that hotel room, which he is clearly sharing with Townes, side-eyes the two of them, and pointedly reminds Townes about their dinner plans later that night. Some dialogue makes it clear that Townes did not expect the guy to be back at the hotel room so soon. 

Later in the episode, Beth makes a brief, salty remark about (guy’s name) and blows Townes off.

[Anela]

2 hours ago, kieyra said:

He invites Beth to his hotel room. As is typical with this show, a lot of stuff is left unsaid, but in the hotel room things get ... creepy or intimate, depending on your read, without getting particularly physical. 

And at the peak of the creepy and/or intimate tension, a guy in a bathing suit walks into that hotel room, which he is clearly sharing with Townes, side-eyes the two of them, and pointedly reminds Townes about their dinner plans later that night. Some dialogue makes it clear that Townes did not expect the guy to be back at the hotel room so soon. 

Later in the episode, Beth makes a brief, salty remark about (guy’s name) and blows Townes off.

Thank you. 🙂

[dubbel zout]

And when Townes and Beth reunite in the Soviet Union, he tells her he was "confused," which I took to mean he hadn't fully come to terms with being gay when they first met, but now he is.

[khyber]

On 10/30/2020 at 7:49 AM, dubbel zout said:

It was local to Dayton at that point (went national in 1970, per Wiki). I don't know how "big" it was considered at that point, but regionally it was probably important enough for Beth to appear on.

I remember watching it when he was still in Dayton. Yes, I'm old.

[Milburn Stone]

On 11/13/2020 at 11:03 PM, SongbirdHollow said:

We got a symbolic reunion with the street chess man instead. In fact, am I crazy or was he actually the same actor who played Scheibel? 

I wondered the same. I don't think it was Bill Camp, but they definitely cast a guy who they knew would remind us of Scheibel.

[ladle]

Finally finished this wonderful show the other night.  I agree with other posters that the ending was a bit of a letdown -- if only because the rest of the series was so good and in comparison the ending was just...fine.      

I too would have liked more backstory on her birth parents.  When Beth mentioned that they had both come from money it seemed totally out of the blue, and was never followed up on.  What was the point of that line?  

I'm also still wondering if the French woman was some sort of a plant to throw Beth off of her game.  I know it's not really that kind of a show, but she did seem weirdly insistent that Beth meet her for a drink...

[ladle]

I don't know how I feel about the Jolene character.  On one hand, I liked that it wasn't a man who came to "save" Beth from herself and her demons.  On the other hand, the "Black savior" trope is pretty worn too.  And I realize that the show was doing everything in its capacity demonstrate that she's not a Black savior (to the point of having Jolene say almost those exact words), but still...she kind of...was?  On a third hand, if it weren't for Jolene there would have been zero people of color on this show (I get that the chess world is pretty white, but still.).  And I thought the actress was great and I hope she gets some recognition for this.  

All this is to say: I'm conflicted.  And I don't know what the show could have done differently.  Maybe put Jolene in one other interim episode or establish somehow that the women had stayed in touch and helped each other over the years?  Maybe a few lines, after Jolene reappears (which I agree was deus ex machina, but I'm not sure it worked...) in which the two reminisce about other times they've seen each other since Methuen?  

[Haleth]

I love, love this show.  Best show I've seen in years.  Not only was the story engaging and the acting top notch, the whole 60s vibe with fashion and music was interesting.  People are getting sick of listening to me rave about this show.

When Benny called Beth and we saw that all her friends/opponents were there to help coach?  Bawling.  When she cleared her mind and looked up to the ceiling?  (And everyone else looked up too?)  More bawling.  Then Borgov hugged her.  Lovely.  When she sat down at the end to play a game with the man who looked so much like Mr Scheibel?  Even more bawling.

I've had Classical Gas as an earworm for a couple days now.  Adding Venus to that too.  What a fantastic soundtrack!

I kind of agree about the opportune reappearance of Jolene as (Black) savior.  I'm glad she even fought back against that role.  It was nice to see that she was successful in spite of growing up in an orphanage though.  But in the end the character was just a device to bring Beth back to the beginning so she could begin to rebuild herself.

I was surprised when Beth said she had been in love with Townes.  A crush, yeah, but love?  Beth didn't seem to have such strong feelings for anyone.

 

 

[ladle]

38 minutes ago, Haleth said:

I was surprised when Beth said she had been in love with Townes.  A crush, yeah, but love?  Beth didn't seem to have such strong feelings for anyone.

I felt the same way.  Did they even spend that much time together?  They did make the point that Beth likes to win, though.  Maybe she was infatuated by him because he was the only man she couldn't "win," sexually?  

[Milburn Stone]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

But in the end the character was just a device to bring Beth back to the beginning so she could begin to rebuild herself.

I agree this is the best way to see Jolene. The orphan-friend character could have as easily been a white girl from the start, and dramatically it would have worked the same. Beth needed to get back to the beginning to rebuild; that's a great way of saying it, @Haleth. The rebuilding simply wouldn't have happened otherwise. Since the orphan-friend character who catalyzed this return to the beginning could have easily been white, Asian, brown, or black, and dramatically would have served exactly the same purpose, there's nothing "Black Savior" about Jolene. It's simply a matter of color-blind casting, and that's a good thing.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Milburn Stone

[ClareWalks]

1 hour ago, Milburn Stone said:

Since the orphan-friend character who catalyzed this return to the beginning could have easily been white, Asian, brown, or black, and dramatically would have served exactly the same purpose, there's nothing "Black Savior" about Jolene. It's simply a matter of color-blind casting, and that's a good thing.

I agree that Jolene's race wasn't particularly relevant to their friendship, but since Jolene is Black in the book, it wasn't technically colorblind casting.

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I was surprised when Beth said she had been in love with Townes.  A crush, yeah, but love?  Beth didn't seem to have such strong feelings for anyone.

She was a teenager when she met Townes, so I buy that it was love, as far as she knew it. He was one of the first men who accepted her as she was and admired her talent instead of being angered by it. He was also obviously attracted to her, and that's pretty powerful.

[WatchrTina]

Okay I just read something new about this episode that directly responds to a complaint I had about the ending of the episode.  Beth getting out of her car in communist Russia -- ditching her KGB CIA minder in the process -- and wandering around Moscow on foot REALLY bugged the crap out of me.

I completely missed the symbolism, even though it was screaming at me via that all-white coat-and-hat combo.  She's the white queen now.  She is powerful and can move freely on the board like the queen chess piece.

But don't take it from me -- I completely missed it.  Read the Screenrant article below.

https://screenrant.com/queens-gambit-ending-beth-white-outfit-queen-meaning-explained/?utm_source=SR-FB-P&utm_medium=Social-Distribution&utm_campaign=SR-FB-P&fbclid=IwAR1MBBttJEDPA_ZfkOjn-wAcQbcXBUpjGCuaW3uavngH7E96pXBm-1ONqCQ

Edited November 22, 2020 by WatchrTina

[Mabinogia]

14 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

Okay I just read something new about this episode that directly responds to a complaint I had about the ending of the episode.  Beth getting out of her car in communist Russia -- ditching her KGB minder in the process -- and wandering around Moscow on foot REALLY bugged the crap out of me.

I completely missed the symbolism, even though it was screaming at me via that all-white coat-and-hat combo.  She's the white queen now.  She is powerful and can move freely on the board like the queen chess piece.

DAMN! I totally missed that too. But wow, well played show, very well played. That does make me appreciate the ending much more because that was the part that bothered me, she would able to get out of the car and go wandering the street on her own, but seeing it as her becoming the White Queen changes it completely for me. 

[kieyra]

There’s a scene in episode 3 where Beth has come home from the teen girl party, slammed some pills, and is doing her thing of staring at her ceiling in the dark. While that “you’re the one that I love” song is still playing, the shadow/silhouette of a chess piece—also the queen—slowly rises up and engulfs her. 

On 11/21/2020 at 4:49 PM, ladle said:

All this is to say: I'm conflicted.  And I don't know what the show could have done differently.  Maybe put Jolene in one other interim episode or establish somehow that the women had stayed in touch and helped each other over the years?  Maybe a few lines, after Jolene reappears (which I agree was deus ex machina, but I'm not sure it worked...) in which the two reminisce about other times they've seen each other since Methuen?  

I think we’re at the unpopular opinion table, but I agree with you on this. It seems to have worked for a lot of viewers, but I found it jolting. I needed Jolene’s character to have more development on the back end, OR a single mention in the intervening episodes, to understand why she felt compelled to come rescue Beth, who seemingly had never so much as once written Jolene a letter.

(Despite this, this is still the best limited series I’ve seen since Chernobyl. I think I’d argue that it’s better than Chernobyl.)

[Jordan Baker]

On 11/8/2020 at 11:01 AM, KD88 said:

I added Classical Gas to my Spotify account straight after that scene but did anyone else notice the timeline anomaly with Venus by Shocking Blue? It wasn't released until 1969.

I did. I remember Venus from the late '60s, near the end of my high-school years. Yes, I'm old. 

Classical Gas really is one of those songs that takes you back. I was a bit amused that "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" was played in the same episode. And I'm not knocking The Monkees. I was a total fan back in the day.

This was such a good series. Yes, the ending was a tad predictable, but happy endings (especially these days) are not always such a bad thing.

[harperchicago]

4 hours ago, kieyra said:

I think we’re at the unpopular opinion table, but I agree with you on this. It seems to have worked for a lot of viewers, but I found it jolting. I needed Jolene’s character to have more development on the back end, OR a single mention in the intervening episodes, to understand why she felt compelled to come rescue Beth, who seemingly had never so much as once written Jolene a letter.

(Despite this, this is still the best limited series I’ve seen since Chernobyl. I think I’d argue that it’s better than Chernobyl.)

I really enjoyed the series as well.  I knew going in that it would have a hopeful, happier ending based on two friends' recommendations.  I binged it in one day, and the performances, sets, costumes were all top notch.  Enough layers that it will be worth a second watch.

Also agree that the Jolene character treads on the "Magical Negro" trope and it feels like additional scenes would have mitigated that.  I found it interesting (as someone above pointed out) that Jolene's dialog has her specifically disclaiming that that is her role, which leads me to believe that of course the writers were aware that some may label the character as such.  But as others have stated, Moses Ingram is a terrific actress and I look forward to seeing her in other roles.  And wow does the camera love Anya Taylor-Joy.  The only other thing I knew her from was a Hozier music video, ha, so she was pretty new to me.

10 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I completely missed the symbolism, even though it was screaming at me via that all-white coat-and-hat combo.  She's the white queen now.  She is powerful and can move freely on the board like the queen chess piece.

Thanks for this!  Totally missed this.  Again, this is a series worth a second view (for me).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Beth definitely has some impulse control issues, and not just with alcohol. When she told the Jesus ladies that she would pay them back rather than spout their nonsense, she was standing up for her principles but she was also potentially shooting herself in the foot. Her goal was to be the international champion and you can't do that if you can't afford to get to the tournament. I'm not saying she made the wrong decision but she could have destroyed her own dream because she didn't stop to think about the consequences of what she was doing.

[ladle]

15 hours ago, harperchicago said:

I really enjoyed the series as well.  I knew going in that it would have a hopeful, happier ending based on two friends' recommendations. 

I think my issue was that everyone I knew was saying how great it was "and that ending - wow!" so, while I knew the ending would be happy, I expected it to be a bit more...wow?  It was just a fine, predictable ending to cap off a stellar series.  

[ProudMary]

On 11/5/2020 at 8:20 AM, kieyra said:

I'm not old enough to know the songs from the time, but I always enjoy 'vintage' songs from television and movies, and have a collection of them in a playlist. (I also worked at a fifties-themed diner as a teenager, with a lot of jukebox classics).

... and I still had never heard the vast majority of music used in this (aside from obvious stuff like Venus), which was really nice. I'm shocked I'd never heard the song the girls were singing along to at the sleepover, that's the kind of thing that would end up in my "Vintage" playlist immediately. 

It's "You're the One That I Love" by The Vogues.

On 11/8/2020 at 11:01 AM, KD88 said:

I agree, the whole series depicted the 60's so well. 

Loved the beaten up Chevy with the flames and the (Unsafe at any speed) Corvair.  I added Classical Gas to my Spotify account straight after that scene but did anyone else notice the timeline anomaly with Venus by Shocking Blue? It wasn't released until 1969.

"Classical Gas," used to great effect in the 1966 scene, was actually anachronistic as the song wasn't released until 1968. That was a fabulous scene though!

[dubbel zout]

The Vogues are a great vocal group. They also sang "Five O'Clock World," which was used as the theme song for the second season of The Drew Carey Show.

As with many Netflix shows, the music budget has to be a decent chunk of change to get all of these original version. I always appreciate that.

[Mabinogia]

I would love a CD released for this show. Such great music. 

I could just make my own playlist, but I'm lazy lol

[lovinbob]

On 10/26/2020 at 11:43 AM, ClareWalks said:

I appreciated that at the end of the day, the Soviets weren't a bunch of evil boogeymen. I was on edge that they'd have wiretapped her phone or poisoned her food or something, but they did nothing bad and she earned their full respect. It was nice to see a Cold War-era throwdown go so smoothly.

I kept waiting for whoever was going to try to mess her up. I was sure Townes was going to be a spy—his return felt too convenient and too good to be true. 

I agree with those who had that complaint about Jolene. It was pretty amazing, considering what biases and obstacles a Black orphan in Kentucky would face, that she could end up not only with a great job and a sports car but also with enough money to loan her friend enough to travel to Russia! What did paralegals make in 1968?! I know the car was a gift from the boyfriend but money too?

Along the same lines, when the gang got together I thought they were going to reveal that the entire end game was a drug induced hallucination. Everything was turning out so perfectly. I mean, would Harry and the twins really have gone up to NYC to stay with Benny just to help Beth with her match? It really seemed like a dream.

On 11/5/2020 at 4:58 PM, Melina22 said:

I never usually say this, but Anya's extreme, otherworldly beauty was a big part of why this show worked for me. When I got bored by the long chess scenes, I would still be entertained by staring at how beautiful and odd-looking she was, her perfect, graceful posture, wonderful clothes and sad wig. Those never got old. At the same time, I don't think this would have happened if she'd been conventionally attractive. It was a perfect fit. 

Agree on the set design. I adored Beth's flowery, kitschy, humorous home. It was a refreshing change from the stark minimalist interiors we see so much nowadays. 

Completely agree about her unique beauty and how captivating it was. Which made her disaster drunk appearance at the high school even more painful. 

Regarding Benny's get-up—it was utterly distracting to me, but I chalked it up to the goofy oddballs that would be able to succeed at competitive chess. They all had their own gimmick or nerdliness.

[SoWindsor]

Loved it! Incredible series.

I’ve had a hard time focusing on TV and getting into anything. But this hooked me immediately.

Anya was perfection. Thank you for an amazing, enjoyable series!

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 11/22/2020 at 8:46 AM, Milburn Stone said:

I agree this is the best way to see Jolene. The orphan-friend character could have as easily been a white girl from the start, and dramatically it would have worked the same. Beth needed to get back to the beginning to rebuild; that's a great way of saying it, @Haleth. The rebuilding simply wouldn't have happened otherwise. Since the orphan-friend character who catalyzed this return to the beginning could have easily been white, Asian, brown, or black, and dramatically would have served exactly the same purpose, there's nothing "Black Savior" about Jolene. It's simply a matter of color-blind casting, and that's a good thing.

This isn't color blind casting .  A big part of Jolene is that she is Black.  This was casting a Black character with a Black actor.

[Ursula Parrott]

On 11/16/2020 at 9:08 AM, NaughtyKitty said:

Any time I saw Benny on screen, with his floppy blond hair and wispy mustache, all I saw was a young David Spade.  Just me?

That actor played the kid in Love, Actually. And he looked here as if he wasn’t much older. He seemed miscast and the wardrobe didn’t help.

[Milburn Stone]

7 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

This isn't color blind casting .  A big part of Jolene is that she is Black.  This was casting a Black character with a Black actor.

I don't think we disagree. The show writers definitely wrote for a Black character. (And as @ClareWalks said upthread, the character was Black in the novel.) I'm saying that in neither the novel nor the show did the character have to be black in order to perform the function of "friend from orphanage who reconnects Beth with her past in order to help her finally process it." In making the case that the character (in novel and show) could have been any race (had the novelist and/or show runner made such a choice), I'm arguing against the assertion that Jolene is a "Black Savior" trope. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you agree with me that she's not a trope.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I kind of think that she is, personally.  Others here have done a good job of explaining why.  

Edited November 29, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[TV Diva Queen]

On 10/26/2020 at 4:22 PM, Mabinogia said:

Yeah, I wish they hadn't done any of that, from the moment Beth decides she's going to walk (to the airport?!??! I mean, she's taking an int'l flight, so I imagine this is a fairly major airport. Any fairly major airport I've ever been to has been pretty massive itself, so it would be a hike just to get to the terminal from the entrance, let alone from the city!!!!) to her saying "let's play" with her signature chin on folded hands stance. I know what they were going for it just felt really really cheesy in a show that had so far avoided being heavily cheesed. 

On rewatch I will probably just skip the end scene and pretend the show ends with her win. 

but then you'll miss that fabulous outfit she was wearing. 

[TV Diva Queen]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:29 AM, khyber said:

I remember watching it when he was still in Dayton. Yes, I'm old.

nmv.  

Edited November 30, 2020 by TV Diva Queen

[lasu]

OK, so I rewatched the whole thing, and I had in mind how much everyone was bothered by Beth never thanking Shaibel.  I think on rewatch it makes more sense.  Yes, he taught her to play chess, and that was a huge gift.  But, from her point of view, after she got in trouble, she went to Shaibel and basically asked him for help.  She told him she wished they could play more, and he literally just turned away from her.  Now, I totally understand he probably had a lot of reasons for doing so, starting with the fact it could look highly suspect he was spending time alone in a basement with a little girl.  So after that, it's implied they never speak or play chess again.  We saw him come to watch her leave when she was adopted, but she didn't see him.  From her point of view, I can see how she would probably feel abandoned and let down by him, and even though he taught her to play chess, I could see her leaving the orphanage with less than great feelings towards Shaibel.  Yes, he gave her the $5 but no note or anything, so again, no reason to think he really cared (from her point of view; she probably thought to an extent he owed her.  From our point of view, we know $5 was probably a LOT of money to him).  But when she went back, and saw all the clippings, I think that's when she realized he truly did care about her, and that's what made her allow herself to admit she cared about him too.  I think that's why previously she had only said she was upset because she didn't pay him the $10.  It's very difficult to admit you care about someone who you don't believe cares about you back, and releasing that dam helped her let a lot of hurt and anger go.  It was the second gift he gave her.

[Mabinogia]

4 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

but then you'll miss that fabulous outfit she was wearing. 

oooh, good point. But now that I've read the bit about the whole White Queen can move to any square analogy I think I can handle the end better. That was a killer outfit!

[Dobian]

On 10/26/2020 at 2:22 PM, Mabinogia said:

Yeah, I wish they hadn't done any of that, from the moment Beth decides she's going to walk (to the airport?!??! I mean, she's taking an int'l flight, so I imagine this is a fairly major airport. Any fairly major airport I've ever been to has been pretty massive itself, so it would be a hike just to get to the terminal from the entrance, let alone from the city!!!!) to her saying "let's play" with her signature chin on folded hands stance. I know what they were going for it just felt really really cheesy in a show that had so far avoided being heavily cheesed.

Well the "are you going to walk to the airport?" comment was an off-the-cuff remark.  Of course she wouldn't really walk to the airport, she would just get a cab.  The Soviet Union had taxis too.  I enjoyed the final scene, it made the story come full circle with Beth sitting across the table from the old man like she used to with Mr. Shaibel.

The final scene of the Borgov match gave me chills, it was excellently directed.  The moment she shared with the old master two matches prior was special too.

I thought it was a great finale.  Beth came to terms with her past, realized that her special powers didn't come from little green pills, and learned that she did in fact have a family in her life who would help her succeed.  Like Benny said previously, the reason the Russian chess players were so great was because they all helped each other.  Beth was no longer a loner.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Dobian

[Dobian]

On 11/8/2020 at 8:01 AM, KD88 said:

Loved the beaten up Chevy with the flames and the (Unsafe at any speed) Corvair.  I added Classical Gas to my Spotify account straight after that scene but did anyone else notice the timeline anomaly with Venus by Shocking Blue? It wasn't released until 1969.

I didn't catch that because their look and that song is so mid-60s, in 1969 rock music was very different in the sound and style.  They were kind of an anachronism in themselves.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Dobian

[ahpny]

On 10/26/2020 at 11:43 AM, ClareWalks said:

I appreciated that at the end of the day, the Soviets weren't a bunch of evil boogeymen.

This reminded me of the Eurovison movie where Russian character is expected to be evil, but turns out to be a decent guy (and one of the most compelling as well).

[shapeshifter]

Loved the series, bumps and all.

 

I agree that the fairytale ending belied the darkness of all that went before. Very Wizard of Oz, but with even more disconnect between Kentucky and the USSR than there was between Kansas and Oz.
The current 4th season of Fargo had an actual Wizard of Oz scenario that was better integrated into that show’s story arc, IMO, although many viewers would disagree.

 

On 11/13/2020 at 2:31 PM, kieyra said:

I think they either needed to develop Jolene’s character and Beth’s relationship with her more in the beginning

Both in the fairytale ending and early in the series, Jolene's character was such a "magical black character" that it was shockingly inappropriate to me. They couldn't even hang an adequate lantern on the relationship with the “you are my angel” “no I am not your angel” dialogue in the last episode.
The book thread explains aspects of Jolene that were omitted for the series—a choice I support because it was the kind of thing that works in a book and doesn't  translate to screen without taking over the story. But I think the writers should have then provided a bit more reason for Beth and Jolene's bonding in the orphanage, such as all the other girls being much younger (near toddler age), and Jolene being closer in age to Beth.
Then in the final episode, show rather than tell that Jolene had a scrap book of Beth's articles too--even if just a quick glimpse before Jolene gets in her car on her way to Beth's.
Given that this is a story with so much actual chess in it, I am surprised that the writers didn't have smoother moves with the characters. 

 

Speaking of which: What did Townes mean when he said Beth broke his heart?
I did love her running to hug him outside the tournament. The right kind of hug that I've been missing during the pandemic.

 

On 10/25/2020 at 11:03 AM, dubbel zout said:

I was amused when Beth was looking at the ceiling, seeing the pieces move, and they showed everyone else doing the same, wondering what she was doing. That was a nice touch.

Yes, I did love everyone trying to see what Beth was looking at, but even more I loved that she was able to see it without medication or alcohol. That was her first time doing that, right?
Very fairytale without the 12 Steps, but I still loved it.
 

 

On 10/30/2020 at 11:34 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Was it just me, or did anyone else think Borgov was proud of Beth beating him?  

I thought Borgov was mostly happy for Beth because the last time he saw her she was such a mess. I loved the almost fatherly warmth of his embrace even though it was another fantasy moment. 

 

 

On 10/30/2020 at 1:48 PM, Umbelina said:

All rooms were bugged then if Americans were staying in them.  It's a given.  It would be absurd to assume hers was not. 

Pretty sure all rooms in that Soviet era hotel were bugged all the time regardless of who was staying there. Heck, they probably still are.

 

 

On 10/31/2020 at 11:26 AM, truther said:

...did anyone else think Beth is going to defect?  There was a distinct theme through this show about the value of community over American individualism.  The State Department wouldn't even help pay for her trip then sent a CIA guy to tell her what to do and say, and she blew him off.  She blew off the anti-communist Jesus people.  She doesn't care about geopolitics.  She gets to Russia and sees ordinary people on the street playing chess, ordinary people following the chess tournament, ordinary people working together and cheering her on.  I imagined Beth getting out of that car at the end not for a short game on the way to the airport, but because she's finally found her happy place....If she stays in Moscow she plays chess with the best chess players in the world (and looks phenomenal doing it).... 

In this post and your other, lengthier one, @truther, you make a believable case for Beth considering staying in the USSR at that time.
Plus, she was 20. When I was 20 in the 1970s I had dropped out of college with straight As, hitchhiked across North America, and joined a commune. 
Also, although Wikipedia says the series had been in the works since the 90s, the series was only green-lit just last year--at a time when many Americans were talking about going elsewhere. I wonder if that influenced the writing. 

 

On 11/1/2020 at 6:45 PM, ClareWalks said:

On 11/1/2020 at 6:08 PM, Pepper Mostly said:

(because of course her handler would never have let her out of the car to wander unattended through the streets of Moscow.)

He should have said "okay, let's walk" and gotten out of the car WITH her!

He was a terrible handler. In other shows, handlers are right there all the time, parked outside the bathroom door even. 
When the little boy offered her "Vodka?" I was so worried until she said, "Nyet," and thought the handler who had told her not to drink should have been there.

 I loved Beth’s wardrobe. As the series went on, I thought she was styled more and more to look like Jackie O. —also a wealthy but tragic female of the era. 

Edited December 7, 2020 by shapeshifter
Words

[ExplainItAgain]

On 12/5/2020 at 10:11 PM, shapeshifter said:

Speaking of which: What did Townes mean when he said Beth broke his heart?

He said he wanted to be friends with her. When she felt rejected, she basically spurned him and made a sarcastic remark about Roger. It seems like after that, they didn't speak or see each other again so I think he's talking about not having her in his life as a friend.

Also thought it was interesting that Townes said he got his visa so fast thanks to the newspaper and the Russian government - and he speculated it was because they thought he might distract her. This makes me think Cleo WAS trying to sabotage Beth in Paris. Not only was she a distraction, but Beth told Cleo that Townes was the name of the guy she was in love with.

[Cranberry]

The Russians didn't ask Townes to go to Russia... he chose to do so himself; he applied for that visa. It makes sense to me that they'd happily push through any potential distraction for Beth, and an American reporter she'd previously played against would certainly be a distraction regardless of any other history.

Mostly I just feel that if Cleo were a plant, the show would have told us so, even subtly -- we wouldn't have to guess and debate. It's not like they're holding back any big reveals for a second season.

[dubbel zout]

8 hours ago, Cranberry said:

Mostly I just feel that if Cleo were a plant, the show would have told us so, even subtly -- we wouldn't have to guess and debate. It's not like they're holding back any big reveals for a second season.

I agree. The show was pretty straightforward with everyone's motivation. Why would they suddenly get coy with Cleo?

I think Cleo—and Jolene, for that matter—also show Beth different ways of living on her own terms. Cleo is going to get as much as possible out of modeling while she can (money, travel, exposure), and Jolene has created a career that will last. 

[ExplainItAgain]

12 hours ago, Cranberry said:

The Russians didn't ask Townes to go to Russia... he chose to do so himself; he applied for that visa. It makes sense to me that they'd happily push through any potential distraction for Beth, and an American reporter she'd previously played against would certainly be a distraction regardless of any other history.

I didn't say that they asked him. He said that he applied with help from the newspaper and the Russians sped it along. How or why they did isn't really relevant, just thought it was an interesting point that Townes himself made. Whether the writers meant Cleo to seem like sabotage, it's pretty clear some viewers thought it at least.

[lasu]

Definitely everyone can decide for themselves, but for me, if I found out definitively Cleo was a plant, I would remove two of my five stars for this show.  It doesn't fit with the theme (Beth is her own enemy, she doesn't need someone else to be her enemy), and they would have obviously done a piss poor job of fleshing out that character if she was so important to the story.  And if she was a Russian plant, that would make her one of the biggest players in the whole show and they never even mention once about Russian spies or even that her hotel room in Moscow.  The show never implied that the Russians were cheaters (despite what we may know in real life), so I would be extremely disappointed if this particular fan theory turned out to be true.

[ClareWalks]

39 minutes ago, lasu said:

Definitely everyone can decide for themselves, but for me, if I found out definitively Cleo was a plant, I would remove two of my five stars for this show.  It doesn't fit with the theme (Beth is her own enemy, she doesn't need someone else to be her enemy), and they would have obviously done a piss poor job of fleshing out that character if she was so important to the story.  And if she was a Russian plant, that would make her one of the biggest players in the whole show and they never even mention once about Russian spies or even that her hotel room in Moscow.  The show never implied that the Russians were cheaters (despite what we may know in real life), so I would be extremely disappointed if this particular fan theory turned out to be true.

I agree. In Paris when Beth showed up drunk, Borgov looked disappointed. I think he wanted to play Beth at her best. I can't imagine him being involved in sabotage.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I agree. In Paris when Beth showed up drunk, Borgov looked disappointed. I think he wanted to play Beth at her best. I can't imagine him being involved in sabotage.

I don't think any Russian chess players would have been involved in sabotaging the opposition.
That would be handled by those with a different skill set, and I would hope the players wouldn't know about it, but, if it was a common occurrence, the chess players would be smart enough to guess.
Still, the players would only want to win on an even playing field.
But in spy thrillers, the players might be willing to go along with fixing the game in exchange for the safety or well being of their family members.
I don't know if this ever happened IRL.

Edited December 9, 2020 by shapeshifter

[LeGrandElephant]

I really liked this show, but in retrospect it seemed like there were a lot of moments that just never came to anything and I'm mystified as to why they were included. For instance, what was the point of the orphanage lady lying about Beth's age when setting up her adoption? It was never mentioned again and there was never any indication the adoptive mother believed her to be 13 rather than 15; e.g. she immediately enrolled in a high school, not a junior high. Why was that included? 

[dubbel zout]

14 minutes ago, LeGrandElephant said:

what was the point of the orphanage lady lying about Beth's age when setting up her adoption?

Younger children are adopted more easily than older ones.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

3 hours ago, LeGrandElephant said:

what was the point of the orphanage lady lying about Beth's age when setting up her adoption?

Younger children are adopted more easily than older ones.

And doesn't the adoptive mom later reveal to Beth that her daughter died at 13? And Beth replies with something like: So that's why....?

[LeGrandElephant]

39 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

And doesn't the adoptive mom later reveal to Beth that her daughter died at 13? And Beth replies with something like: So that's why....?

I guess I missed that! Still odd that there was never any scene where the adoptive mother found out Beth's real age.