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Funny / The Queen's Gambit

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  • In Episode 1, Beth, upset when Mr. Shaibel makes her resign after she loses her queen early, calls him a cocksucker and gets herself booted from the basement...and then we find out that she doesn't even know what a cocksucker IS, having just picked the word up from Jolene. In the same episode, a health teacher mentions that he likes to inspect his stool.
  • In episode 2, Margaret and her Girl Posse are taking up the whole hallway as they walk, forcing other people to step aside for them. Beth just bulldozes through them without breaking her stride.
    Margaret: Excuse you, Harmon.
    Beth: [not looking back] Fuck you, Margaret.
  • In Episode 2, having beaten Townes, who she's quickly developed a crush on, Beth manages to make him laugh.
    Townes: How old are you? Never mind, don't answer that, it'll just depress me.
    Beth: I'm 36.
    [Townes chuckles]
  • On the second scene in Episode 3, Beth celebrates Alma's satisfaction with their room by instantly snapping out of her steady posture and intense stares by smiling and jumping into her bed. It's so out of character and ridiculously endearing that it catches Alma as well as the viewers off their guard.
  • Beth's reputation begins to precede her, as seen when she is introducing herself to an unnamed player, whose only response is "Shit". It then smash cuts to her dropping off her form at registration, indicating it did not take very long for her to win.
  • In Episode 4, when Matt and Mike note Alma's new attachment to Manuel, Beth sardonically notes all the changes that have come over her mother, and comes to a logical conclusion.
    Beth: She came in at three o'clock this morning, 2:30 the day before. He's got a green Dodge that always seems to be at her disposal, and they've had lunch and dinner every day this week. (Beat) I'm pretty sure they're fucking.
    • In the same episode, Alma is startled when Beth reveals she's slept with a boy, but admits that it's good that Beth isn't making chess her entire life. That said, she does have at least one reservation about it...
      Beth: I won't get pregnant.
      Alma: [dry chuckle] Famous last words.
  • In Episode 6, Beth goes on a drinking binge at home, spins around while dancing to Shocking Blue's "Venus" and throws up in one of her trophies.
  • In Episode 7, Townes shows up in Moscow to cover Beth's match against Borgov, and he notes that the Moscow Embassy helped him get a visa, speculating that they thought he might distract Beth.

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