The Queen's Gambit

Mademoiselle?

Mademoiselle Harmon, vous êtes là?

Mademoiselle?

Mademoiselle?

I'm coming.

Jesus.

Shit!

Je descends, tout de suite.

Yeah.

Fuck!

Je vous en prie.

Ne regarde pas.

Thank you.

Fuck!

I'm sorry.

What are we supposed to do with her?

They're sending someone.

There's hardly a scratch on her.

It's a goddamn miracle.

I doubt she'll see it that way.

You understand, dear, your mother's passed on?

You know what that means, don't you?

"Passed on"?

Well…

I'm sure she's gone on to a better place,

and, someday, you'll get to see her again.

"Orphaned by yesterday's collision on New Circle Road,

Elizabeth Harmon surveys a troubled future."

"Elizabeth, nine years old, was left without family by the crash."

"Her mother, Alice Harmon, was pronounced dead at the scene."

And the father?

Doesn't say.

I would guess that, like most men who live around there,

he was yet another victim of a carefree life.

Poor dear.

Let's welcome her, shall we?

Welcome, Elizabeth.

Good luck to you, dear.

Here we are.

This is our chapel, the domain of Miss Lonsdale.

How do you do, Elizabeth?

I also teach etiquette to the young ladies.

Mr. Fergussen, this is Elizabeth Harmon.

You're all a bunch of fucking cocksuckers!

Jolene.

I got it.

Jolene, that mouth will be the death of you!

- Oh, fuck you, you cocksucker. - You can't yell like that.

In there is our classroom. You'll meet your teachers on Monday.

Two times six.

And this is our day room, where you will have all your meals,

and enjoy daily socialization.

Good morning, Mrs. Deardorff.

Good morning, girls.

Home sweet home.

Come on, let's get you settled.

We have 21 girls here, and they are all just as sweet as you.

And here is your special place.

- Shoo! Go, go, go. - Okay.

You can put your clothes down here.

And your toothbrush can go right here.

And any other personal items, there.

Oh!

Show her to me.

Come on, sit.

I know that, at this moment, all you're feeling is loss.

But after grief brings you low, prayer and faith will lift you high.

High enough for you to see a new path for yourself.

I think, Elizabeth,

you're going to find a much different life here.

A better one than you might have had.

And I'm sure that you and I are going to be good friends.

Hmm.

That should do nicely.

Mm-hmm.

I think we'll burn this one.

Get dressed.

We have one more stop.

Mr. Fergussen will take good care of you. I'll see you at dinner.

The green ones are the best.

What are they?

Vitamins.

Magic vitamins.

I were you, I'd save the green ones up for the night time.

Otherwise, they turn off right when you need them to turn on.

If you know what I mean.

Hey, what's your name, girl?

- Beth. - Jolene.

Your mama and daddy dead?

What's the last thing they said to you before they died?

I ask everybody that. We get some really fun answers.

Close your eyes.

I don't remember.

Someday, you might. If you do, you let me know.

Green's to even your disposition.

Orange and brown is for building a strong body. Take 'em both.

I thought I told you to wait and take those vitamins at bedtime.

What is this?

Fish.

Far as we know.

We eat it every Friday.

You gotta eat every bite,

or they'll tell Mrs. Deardorff about you, and you won't get adopted.

Alice, come on, open the door.

- It's taken me a whole month to find you. - Good reason.

Whatever this is, whatever you're doing,

it's nuts, even for you.

- I don't expect you to understand... - What I understand

is you're not taking care of yourself.

So, we'll take…

Isn't it beautiful?

Let me come in and talk to Lizzie. Make sure she's okay.

Oh, you think I'd hurt her?

She's happy here. This is where she belongs.

You honestly believe our daughter belongs in a trailer

in the middle of nowhere?

Who says she's ours?

- Don't do that, Alice. - And she doesn't like being called Lizzie.

All right, Alice, you win.

I can't fight with you anymore.

And I can't keep chasing you around everywhere,

if all you do is run away again.

I'm sorry, Paul.

Once I drive away, I'm not coming back.

Miss Harmon, finished already?

Why don't you take the erasers down to the basement and clean them?

You're all fucking cocksuckers, and you're the biggest one of them all.

Never met anyone who liked the taste of soap as much as you do.

Where you going, Harmon?

Good morning, girls.

Good morning, Mrs. Deardorff.

Mary-Sue, aren't you a lucky girl?

You really impressed the Spellmans.

I heard their house is so big.

Let's get your suitcase and pack up. Nicely, like I taught you.

Yeah, the socks first, remember.

Hmm.

That is not fair. She got here after you.

Most of us are lifers.

- Been here a long time. - Don't forget your headband.

Nobody's gonna come for us now. We're too old.

And don't dawdle.

- I wish it was me. - Or too Black.

- Maybe someone will come through. - Someday.

What do you want, child? You should be in chapel.

What's that game called?

You should be upstairs with the others.

I don't wanna be with the others.

I wanna know what that is you're playing.

It's called chess.

Will you teach me?

I don't play strangers.

- Sweet dreams, ladies. - Good night, Fergussen.

"Good night, good night!"

"Parting is such sweet sorrow,

so I shall say good night till it be morrow."

You were right.

The vitamins work better at night.

How many you take?

I don't know.

Sometimes I skip a day, or a bunch of days,

then take two or three.

I like the way it feels.

I bet you do.

You just be careful you don't get too used to that feeling.

I'm not a stranger.

I live here.

I already know some of it…

From watching.

Girls do not play chess.

That one moves up and down, or back and forth,

all the way, if there's space to move in.

But that one can only go up.

That tall one can go any way it wants.

And this one?

On the diagonals.

One square diagonal, plus one square straight.

Let's play a game.

I play White.

Now or never.

That's called the Scholar's Mate.

- How do you do it? - Not today.

- Show me. - Not today.

That's called the Scholar's Mate.

How do you do it?

That's called the Scholar's Mate.

You resign now.

Resign?

That's right, child. When you lose the queen that way…

You resign.

- No. - Yes, you have resigned the game.

- You didn't tell me that in the rules. - It's not a rule, it's sportsmanship.

- I wanna finish. - No.

- You've got to finish. - No.

You lost.

- Please! - The game is over.

You cocksucker.

Get out.

Check.

Mate.