The Queen’s Gambit debuted on October 23, 2020, and quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched limited series. The Queen’s Gambit joined the growing list of miniseries based on books, as it was adapted from Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name. The show was created by Allan Scott (who owns the rights to the novel) and Scott Frank, who also wrote and directed the series.
The Queen’s Gambit follows Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), a chess prodigy as she climbs to the top of the chess world while dealing with dependency issues. The series is beautiful to watch and will keep you engaged throughout the seven episodes. So it was no surprise that the show won 11 Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes, including Best Actress for Taylor-Joy’s performance.
This article may contain spoilers for The Queen’s Gambit
The Beauty of The Queen’s Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit begins in the mid-1950s with eight-year-old Beth (Isla Johnston) living in an orphanage after she lost her mother in a car accident. A common practice in orphanages at the time was the use of sedatives as mood stabilizers for the children, quickly causing dependence. For Beth, this turns into an addiction, which she has to deal with throughout the series.
Beth befriends the building’s custodian, Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp), who teaches her to play chess, which she quickly excels at. Ultimately, the chess prodigy is adopted by Alma Wheatley, played by A beautiful day in the neighborhood director Marielle Heller, who switched to acting for The Queen’s Gambit, and her husband Allston (Patrick Kennedy). Alma, though initially resistant, supports Beth as she enters the competitive world of chess and begins her climb to the top.
Steven Meizler’s cinematography is absolutely beautiful and acclaimed, as is the costume and set design. The story has been praised by critics and chess players alike for its accurate portrayal of the competitive chess world. The title, The Queen’s Gambit, is even taken from an opening move. With such a successful series, many people have wondered if there will be a season two. But really, the important question is: is that necessary?
No talk about season two
There is currently no announcement of a season two for one of Netflix’s best original series. While fans are begging for it, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of development for season two either, like The Queen’s Gambit was only billed as a limited series on Netflix. The executive producer of The Queen’s Gambit, William Horberg, told Deadline:
“It’s great to know that people loved the show where they want to spend more time with these characters; we never envisioned it that way. We felt that the series had a satisfying ending and we would give the public space about what happens next for Beth Harmon. Nothing has changed, despite fans demanding more from my Twitter feed. Scott and I are very happy with the completeness of Beth’s story.”
Does The Queen’s Gambit need another season?
At the end of The Queen’s Gambit, Beth gets her win. She reaches the top of the chess world, eventually beating her main challenge, the Soviet world champion, Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński). The Queen’s Gambit was so well written that fans wondered if it was a true story, even though it is completely fictional and based on a single novel. The series adapts the entire book fairly accurately, so it’s hard to imagine where season two would go. Plus, Anya Taylor-Joy has become quite a big star and may not commit to a full series.
Since there is no source material, the writers would have free rein with Beth’s story. She could be a traveling champion, a chess instructor, or even a mother. They could go anywhere they wanted with the story, but it’s more questionable whether they should. The Queen’s Gambit had a wonderful perfect ending to a wonderful series. To continue the story can feel cheap and fall into the curse of shark jumping. It would be a shame to see a series that ended ruined itself perfectly by coming back for nothing but to please fans. if The Queen’s GambiaIf the story were to come back, it should be organic and natural to Beth’s journey. But with the way the series ended, that feels really hard to do.
As we’ve learned, you can never say never when it comes to Hollywood. So while there’s no talk of a season two, that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential. With such stunning visuals and dedication to accuracy, the creators can guarantee that if they decide to proceed The Queen’s Gambit fans would welcome it with open arms. The Queen’s Gambit is available on Netflix.