We're all familiar with the loner genius trope -- but it's remarkably difficult to think of popular examples who aren't men. So The Queen's Gambit stands out for applying the characteristics of this traditionally male archetype to a female protagonist: chess prodigy Beth Harmon. In loner genius narratives like those of Sherlock Holmes or Dr. House, these brilliant individuals tend to be defined mostly by the reactions of the characters that surround them. But can we really buy that the most prominent members of a male-dominated field during the 1960s would come together to selflessly support the woman who publicly bested them? By transplanting traits of a historically male archetype onto a woman, The Queen’s Gambit reveals the limitations of the loner genius trope -- not by subverting them, but by playing into them. Here’s our Take on The Queen’s Gambit and what happens when the loner genius trope takes on a female form.

Support The Take:
Shop our Merch: http://bit.ly/012021TT support our channel and look great doing it with Take t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more!
If you like this video, subscribe to our channel and support us by:
Joining our Patreon:   / thetake   vote on the topic we cover next, gain early access to videos and much more!

Follow The Take:
Facebook:   / thisisthetake  
Instagram:   / thisisthetake  
Snap:   / 8721082935  
Twitter:   / thisisthetake  
Website: https://the-take.com/

We are The Take (formerly ScreenPrism).