The Expression Hub

Genre: Historical Drama/fiction

No. of episodes: 7

Presented by: Filtcraft Ltd., Wonderful Films

“Chess is a war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent’s mind.

Bobby Fischer

In life, you do encounter some people who just blow your mind away or just make you put in awe of them. There have been many such people who have made a name for themselves in some or the other field. Be it the field of art, literature, sports, music or cinema- you will find people whose stories will just inspire you. They live their lives in such a manner that you always try to enter into their shoes and think how would they have dealt with life if they were in your situation. I don’t know about others but I often do this exercise whenever I find someone or something empowering. I always try to think deeply in order to come up with answers to questions which might be too overwhelming in nature. Questions which might appear to be unsettling but are actually there to channelize your growth or maybe turn you into a better person. Questions which one avoids but needs to face if ever he or she wants to experience a deep change from within. This week’s pick made me fall in awe of one such person.

I am grateful for the fact that she made me feel good about my own skin and helped me look past my insecurities as regards to life which do crop up sometimes thanks to human nature. But I guess, if you want to grow in life with your own beliefs and ideals, you do need inspiration and the ability to inculcate the good traits of others like a sponge. That keeps you humbled and at the same time push you to be your best versions by helping to overcome our shortcomings.

This week’s pick revolves around a young woman who is supposedly to be a prodigy in the game of chess and who despite the curve balls thrown to her by life emerges stronger each and every time and proves that she is not the one to be messed with but is a person who wants to be looked upon as one of the greatest despite her shortcomings. Though she has her flaws but she never lets her define her. Read on to find out more about this personality who screams aloud through her actions ‘I am flawsome.’

Synopsis: The Queen’s Gambit revolves around the life of an orphan chess prodigy, Elizabeth Harmon, during her quest to become an elite player while struggling with emotional problems, drugs and alcohol dependency. The story is set in the mid-1950s and 1960s. When she is 8 years old, she loses her mother in a car crash. As, a result she is taken to an orphanage where she is taught chess by the building custodian, Mr. Shaibel. The pills which the orphanage offers to the girls to balance their disposition daily becomes an addiction to Beth. However, her strong visualization skills makes her a strong player in chess. After a few years, she is adopted by a couple . And from that time, her tryst with chess tournaments begins. However, the road to fame makes her dependency on drugs and alcohol worse. Will she be able to overcome her addictions? Will she be able to rise up to the top and be able to make a name for herself in the good sense? Or will she go down the drain as a person who could have been one of the greatest but is not ? What are the obstacles that she faces as she traverses her path to the top?Watch the series to find out.

Assessment: A gripping tale about a girl who has a lot of obstacles thrown to her by life. Firstly, she loses her mother whom she was close to. Then, she loses the mother who had adopted her while rising up as a prominent chess player. But it is her belief in self and determination to make things work which helps her traverse her journey. Though she is proud of the achievements she has , but she ensures that she never goads on them . Instead she works hard and comes up with ways to improve her game. This apart from the fact that she has the willingness to learn from people is what makes the character of Elizabeth Harmon flawsome. Yes, she has her problems, but she doesn’t let them deter her from achieving her objectives. Instead, she finds a way to overcome those even though it means to put her ego aside. Apart from that, the precision with which she plays her moves which just brings her opponents to their knees made me fall in love with the game. Though to be honest, personally I am a person who does not know much about playing chess and had never given much thought . However, after watching Elizabeth play, she did give me some inspiration. So, if you do find me rambling about the game passionately in the near future, you might know where the inspiration comes from:p

Another interesting aspect about the series is the time period within which it is set. The series as mentioned above is set in the time period of 1950s-60s . A period where very few women dared to make a name for themselves. Most of the women were either devoted wives and were supposed to conform to the gender roles. Yet, this lady made herself an exception. That is another striking feature about her why you will find her to be an inspiration. A woman who was unapologetic about herself and stood for what she believed was right. A woman who believed in challenging the status quo and making the world a bit progressive through her actions. A woman who was supposed to be an inspiration to other girls to pursue their love for the game. As far as the negatives are concerned, though you will find the occasional use of slangs and a few scenes which might be a bit offensive. But as such they do not affect the flow of the story which is important. Although, parental discretion is required for this one is how I would love to put it.

The view: An inspiring tale about a flawsome girl who tries to carve a name for herself by challenging the status quo. In a field which was primarily dominated by males, she tries to break the glass ceiling by setting an example. Extremely unapologetic and firm on her beliefs is what sets her apart. Excellent performances by all the actors, very attention oriented and a story line which is not at all boring is how I would like to sum up my experience. No wonder, it has won the Grammy Awards and a lot of awards. Do include it in your watch list . Highly recommended . Don’t forget to share your experiences for the same. Would love to hear your views as well. And if you want me to cover a particular book, web series or movie which I have not covered, do put in your recommendations for the same in the comments. I will, with time cover the same. Till then, do keep sharing the love .Meet you next week with another pick.

Lots of Love,

Roshani P

Rating: *** and a half stars

Quote-Unquote: “It takes a strong woman to stay by herself in a world where people will settle for anything, just to say they have something.”- Alice Harmon to Elizabeth Harmon.

Que: At what age does Vasily Borgov starts playing chess?

a. 5 years

b. 8 years

c. 12 years

d. 4 years