Episode 1 of The Queen's Gambit unfolds in the vibrant Paris of 1967, where Beth Harmon, ensconced in her apartment, indulges in a somber ritual of popping pills and sipping from tiny spirit bottles neatly arranged on a chessboard. As she gracefully descends the stairs, a swarm of cameras flashes, capturing her every move with relentless intensity. Seated across her rival, the stage is set for an intellectual duel, Beth's gaze piercing through time, triggering a cascade of memories.
Our narrative rewinds to a haunting moment, where a nine-year-old Beth miraculously survives a devastating car crash on a bridge, her life forever altered. Orphaned and vulnerable, Elizabeth is ushered into an orphanage, its walls echoing with the promise of Miss Deardorff's words—that faith would be her beacon, lifting her to heights unforeseen. This transformation begins with a symbolic gesture: the shearing of her hair, a metaphorical shedding of her past.
Amidst the unfamiliar faces, Beth finds solace in Jolene, a resident with a sharp tongue and a curiosity that mirrors Beth's own. Jolene probes for Beth's parents' last words, and Beth, choosing to veil the truth, feigns ignorance. Swallowing the pills dispensed by Mr. Fergussen, Beth's mind drifts, her bed becoming a portal to darker memories.
Flashbacks paint a bleak picture of Beth's confinement in a trailer, isolated in the vastness of nowhere. Paul, her only ally, pleads with Alice, Beth's mother, to end this isolation, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. A fleeting glance at Beth, heavy with unspoken emotion, is his final goodbye as he drives away, leaving her behind.
Back in the orphanage's dusty basement, Beth finishes her exams with unparalleled speed, only to find her thoughts wandering towards the mesmerizing game of chess being played by Mr. Shaibel. The allure is so strong that a chessboard seemingly materializes in her room, haunting her dreams. Her earnest pleas to learn from him are initially met with indifference, but when she finally demonstrates her innate understanding, Mr. Shaibel relents, inviting her to the board. However, her foray into the world of chess is swiftly punctured by the devastating "Scholar's Mate," a poignant reminder of the vast ocean of knowledge she must navigate.
That fateful evening, Beth's carefully hoarded cache of green pills granted her a surreal vision, revealing the intricate patterns etched upon the ceiling above her. Once again, she underwent a transformative lesson, ultimately emerging victorious over Mr. Shaibel in a decisive match. Recognizing her extraordinary potential, Shaibel intensified his tutelage, introducing her to myriad chess formations and strategies. Beth, meanwhile, meticulously conserved her precious pills for nightly consumption, even mastering the Queen's Gambit—a testament to her uncanny talent that left Shaibel awestruck. As a token of his admiration, he bestowed upon her a tome of chess maneuvers, proclaiming it the pinnacle of her educational journey.
The subsequent day, Beth resumed her customary stance in the basement, only to encounter a new challenge in the form of Mr. Ganz from the prestigious chess club. After dispatching him with ease, Ganz was left in awe, inquiring about her unconventional training regimen. Beth casually replied, "In the recesses of my mind...on the ceiling's canvas," as she simultaneously vanquished both Shaibel and Ganz in a dual match, anticipating their every move with eerie precision.
Despite her meteoric rise, becoming a sought-after figure at the high school chess gatherings on Thursdays, Beth's vital supply of green pills was abruptly cut off. Denied access to both her addiction and the sanctuary of the basement, she initially struggled with the withdrawal's crippling grasp. Yet, Beth's resilience shone through, as she dominated every opponent within the chess club's ranks, stunning even Charles Levy—the class's reigning champion—with a breathtaking defeat in a mere 15 moves.
Driven by her relentless need for those pills, Beth resorted to desperate measures. Armed with a screwdriver and steely determination, she infiltrated the orphanage pharmacy, breaking the lock with brute force and greedily hoarding the medication like a child with a stash of sweets. But her victory was fleeting; as she clutched the jar triumphantly, Beth's world spun out of control, her body succumbing to an overdose as horrified teachers and students bore witness to the tragic scene.
