The Queen's Gambit

[viole]

Any fans here of that show?

I have, at the time of this post, watched it, end-to-end, 36 times. According to hubby. I suppose that is due to my slight neuro- divergence to focus obsessively on something particular that I find interesting. Maybe my love for chess also played a role.

Nevertheless, that is a really marvel, and I might have watched the best show of my life. Demoting "2001 a space odyssey" and "The silence of the lambs", to number 2 and 3 respectively, in the list of shows I would take with me on a desert island.

Thoughts?

Ciao

- viole

 

[Brickjectivity]

Any fans here of that show?

I watched and enjoyed it. It was very entertaining, but I didn't read the book. Since I didn't read the book I think I can't count myself a fan. I'm an admirer.

I heard about it from jayhawker soule.

 

[Nakosis]

Any fans here of that show?

I have, at the time of this post, watched it, end-to-end, 36 times. According to hubby. I suppose that is due to my slight neuro- divergence to focus obsessively on something particular that I find interesting. Maybe my love for chess also played a role.

Nevertheless, that is a really marvel, and I might have watched the best show of my life. Demoting "2001 a space odyssey" and "The silence of the lambs", to number 2 and 3 respectively, in the list of shows I would take with me on a desert island.

Thoughts?

Ciao

- viole

I liked it, the one time I watched it.

 

[Quagmire]

Haven't seen it yet but it sounds interesting:

the Queen's Gambit - Google Search

 

[ImmortalFlame]

I didn't really like it. I thought it was exceptionally pretty and equally exceptionally acted, but as an English student and a massive storytelling/writing nerd, I felt the actual writing was really amateurish. The protagonist didn't really have an arc as much as a... slightly lumpy upward trajectory?

It's a shame, because I think the sexism within the professional chess world is actually a very interesting subject, but I hardly ever felt like the series delved into it with any sincerity or depth. She basically is treated patronizingly by the odd player, then inevitably beats them because she's better at chess. And that's... basically every episode. She encounters a problem, then overcomes it by being better at chess. Even her drug addiction, which is a fixture from the very first episode, is overcome totally with seemingly no insight or sacrifice. While I think she is brilliantly acted and a fascinating character, I just found her story and development really boring. It's basically "the story of a woman who became addicted to winning, but in the end, she learns... she can just keep winning?"

I think part of the problem is the way the series largely glosses over the game itself. It goes into detail about various chess mechanics and uses and references real games and strategies, but, when it comes to the actual games we see, we only ever know who is winning/won by the characters literally just saying they are. So when a character goes "I played terribly" or "What a surprising move", we largely just have to take their word for it. Chess just isn't a game that lends itself to much drama, but I feel the series hobbled itself without even trying.

I don't know if any of these things really matter to anybody other than story nerds like me, though. If you loved the show, great. It just doesn't have the kind of polish and writing required to grip me, personally.

 

[Yerda]

Yep, I enjoyed it. The notion that hallucinogenic drugs will make you good at chess is a total fib though. I can barely remember which bits go where...

 

[Windwalker]

Any fans here of that show?

I have, at the time of this post, watched it, end-to-end, 36 times. According to hubby. I suppose that is due to my slight neuro- divergence to focus obsessively on something particular that I find interesting. Maybe my love for chess also played a role.

Nevertheless, that is a really marvel, and I might have watched the best show of my life. Demoting "2001 a space odyssey" and "The silence of the lambs", to number 2 and 3 respectively, in the list of shows I would take with me on a desert island.

Thoughts?

Ciao

- viole

It's funny you should say that. I just started rewatching it again, for only my 2nd time, a few nights ago. I'm particularly interested as well in the music score. I write music like this, and he is using one of the sound libraries I use on this, sampled strings and woodwinds from Spitfire Audio. Fantastic movie. Really great watching a 2nd time seeing the more subtle things you miss the first time around.

 

[viole]

It's funny you should say that. I just started rewatching it again, for only my 2nd time, a few nights ago. I'm particularly interested as well in the music score. I write music like this, and he is using one of the sound libraries I use on this, sampled strings and woodwinds from Spitfire Audio. Fantastic movie. Really great watching a 2nd time seeing the more subtle things you miss the first time around.

Well. I now have a collection of mild errors in the series. Like when she is supposed to buy three packets of cigarettes, and she buys one at the shop, and bring three at home, on episode 2. Or when Laev stands on a chessboard in a Hotel in Moscow during an adjournment, and sits down in one millisecond, in episode 7.

but i wonder why people are usually tired after watching great shows after a few times. For me it is like Music. I could listen what I love millions of times, without getting tired.

so, apart from my slight neuro divergence, what is different? Why do we listen to the same beautiful piece of music all the time, but watch a great movie only a few times?

ciao

- viole