The Queen’s Gambit: 10 Major Flaws Of The Show That Fans Chose To Ignore

The Queen’s Gambit made some of the biggest waves of 2020 when it hit Netflix, and it’s viewership and ratings are totally out of this world. From its stellar cast to its unique story, there is so much to love about this limited drama series.

Of course, like every television show, not everything can be absolutely perfect. While this show is pretty impressive, it’s time to get nit-picky, and reflect on all the things that fans thought it could have done better. Or better yet, the major flaws that people chose to look past when this show was dominating the television scene.

10 The Opening Scene

The first scene of the entire series is an older Beth, running through a hotel and rushing to get ready. She is photographed by the press and is carrying her high heels. It seems totally important.

Shockingly enough, it’s actually not. Fans anxiously wait for this scene to come back in real time, and it turns out Beth’s just super hungover for her tough match with Borgov (Marvin Dorocinski), and ended up sleeping with Cleo (Millie Brady). That’s it – and that should be seen as a big flaw.

9 Young Beth

The actress that plays young Beth (Isla Johnston) is very talented, but she’s actually super unconvincing as a young Anya Taylor-Joy. Beyond that, it’s kind of ridiculous that Beth has the exact same hair cut – for the entire show.

Taylor-Joy is peppy and extremely unique, and there’s something to say against the creators for immediately casting just another red-headed young girl.

8 Benny As The Hot Guy

Everyone loves Thomas Brodie-Sangster, but fans really chose to ignore that it was kind of totally outrageous for this actor to be wearing a big hat and a super long coat. Brodie-Sangster is actually old enough, but he doesn’t look it.

The show encourages fans to have a thing for him, just like Beth can’t ignore. However, it really makes no sense. This actor is genius, but it’s a flaw that he’s supposed to be the cool hot guy.

7 Beth Is Actually Really Unlikable

It’s definitely part of the show that Beth grows as a person, and ends up realizing that her friends are what are important. Still, there’s a lot that should make fans hate Beth – and not root for her.

From her total rudeness to Harry to her arrogance with Benny, there are endless reasons that Beth is overrated as a character. Fans seem to overlook all the selfish and hateful parts about Beth.

6 Everything With Townes

Was anyone else confused about Beth’s infatuation with Townes (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), and then just chose to completely ignore it? It was quick, so quick that it was actually easy to miss if fans weren’t paying close attention.

The scene with Beth and Townes in the hotel might have actually had fans rewinding it, yet no one is talking about the weird little love between these two characters. Beth barely knew him, yet claimed she loved him.

5 Beth Practically Never Loses

It’s a big deal when she loses to Borgov, and it’s because she’s literally never lost a match. Even in her first ever tournament, she ties with Benny Watts. It’s a bit unrealistic that this amateur player is that gifted.

She had a lot to learn, and she was learning as she went in the first tournament. Considering she basically never lost, that’s kind of unrealistic, and is a major flaw.

4 Beth’s Aging

If there’s one huge flaw that’s consistent throughout the series, it’s that fans never really know how old Beth is. They throw in Anya Taylor-Joy when Beth turns 12, so it’s pretty hard to keep track after that.

Not only is it totally unbelievable for her to be both 12 and in her early 20s in the same limited series, it’s also just a huge flaw that it’s hard for fans to tell. Fans just let it slide, and apparently just went with it.

3 Alma Was Actually Toxic

Alma (Marielle Heller) is generally seen by fans as Beth’s biggest supporter, but everyone seems to keep missing the biggest point of Alma’s character: her toxic behavior. Besides the fact that she literally uses Beth for her chess money, she also is a large part of the reason that Beth suffers from addiction.

It’s part of her character dynamic, but the show totally drops the ball when it comes to Beth coming to terms with the negative aspects of Alma. To her, Alma is still an angel, and that’s a massive mistake.

2 Beth’s Addiction

The show has a very interesting subplot that involves Beth’s struggle with pills and alcohol. While the show portrays in this in an interesting light, a huge flaw is how the final episode tackles it.

After a series full of addiction, the final episode changes it all with a drop of a hat. Beth has her friends and beats Borgov, and suddenly, is cured. Her sudden change is a bit disappointing for this narrative, and is one flaw that’s impressively overlooked by fans of the show.

1 It’s Literally About Chess

If people were hesitant to watch this show, it’s probably because it’s literally a show about chess. It’s not exactly an interesting game, and most fans definitely don’t know the names of the chess squares and strategies.

So, why is no one talking about it? Fans are all listening intently and eating their popcorn while chess scene after chess scene crosses their screens. While it’s literally the whole show, it’s also probably its biggest flaw.

About The Author

Meah Peers
(631 Articles Published)

I just graduated university with Criminology & Psychology, but have a burning side passion for film! I am an avid reader, writer, and film-goer, and I love learning about movies, actors, directors, and sharing my passion and knowledge with others.
I am a List Writer for ScreenRant, and love being a part of a film community where we all share the same passions.

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