Netflix's Queen's Gambit drew record numbers of viewers since its release thanks to its engrossing storytelling, rich visuals, and compelling characters. Even characters who only appeared briefly in a few episodes left a clear impact on the limited series, a testament to its strong writing. One of these characters is Alice Harmon (Chloe Pirrie), the biological mother of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy).
The Queen's Gambit follows Beth through her rise to stardom in the male-dominated world of chess during the Cold War. Orphaned at a young age, Beth is adopted by Alma Wheatley, a flawed yet caring new mother figure; after Alma's untimely death, Beth is forced to reckon with her own substance abuse issues and tendency to keep people who care about her at a distance. The show incorporates flashbacks of Beth's biological mother Alice throughout, showing how she is constantly dealing with her mother's death and the traumatic accident that caused it.
Even though the show often leaves information about their mother-daughter relationship ambiguous, Alice's death clearly continues to influence Beth as she grows up. These short flashbacks help provide insight into why Beth is the way she is. Here are all the scenes that feature Alice Harmon, as well as what they might mean for Beth.
Beth's Dad Visits Alice - "Openings"
On her first night at the Methuen Home, Beth re the night when her father came to visit her and her mother at their trailer. He says he'd been trying to find them for a month and that Alice hasn't been taking care of herself. He even tries to give Alice medicine - the same tranquilizers Beth becomes dependent on. When Alice refuses to let him come inside or see Beth, he leaves, telling her that once he goes he won't come back.
This flashback introduces Alice's mental health struggles as well as how she has isolated Beth. Based on the fact that Beth's father hasn't been able to find them for a while, it seems like Alice is trying to escape and stay hidden, which means she's also trying to keep Beth hidden. By isolating Beth from the world, she is keeping her accustomed to being alone, something that carries through to Beth's behavior throughout the rest of the series, such as when she isolates herself after her loss to Russian chess champion Borgov in Paris. The tranquilizers are another interesting detail: they link Alice's mental state to Beth's and pose the question of whether Beth will face the same mental illness as her mother.
Alice Burns Her Belongings - "Openings"
This memory is interspersed between Beth's memories of her father's last visit. Beth recalls how her mother frantically burned several of her belongings from their home and how this act seemed to comfort her. While Alice watches the fire, Beth picks up a book written by her mother, who received her PhD in mathematics from Cornell University.
It's clear from Alice's doctorate that she is highly analytical and educated. Beth is gifted at chess in The Queen's Gambit, meaning that this memory once again draws a parallel between Beth and her mother's natural intelligence. This scene establishes one of the main questions of The Queen's Gambit, which is the potential relationship between genius and madness and whether Beth can overcome her demons. While the show never explicitly explains why Alice was burning her belongings, it could be that this was part of an attempt to further isolate herself and Beth from the world by leaving their home again.
Swimming - "Doubled Pawns"
Beth watches her mother go for a swim in this next scene. Alice leaves Beth alone on a beach and disappears under the water. As she stays under for more and more time, Beth gets increasingly worried. Finally, Alice resurfaces and returns to shore, where she and Beth embrace.
An undercurrent of unease and anxiety runs through this scene, accompanied by the ominous sounds of a ticking clock. There's a genuine worry that Alice will not come back up, and it's clear that this possibility terrifies Beth. The whole scene establishes Beth's worries about being abandoned, seeing as Alice is the only person in her world. Even though this worry is clear, it's also clear that there's genuine love and affection between the two, as evidenced by their hug at the end. It seems from this that Beth grew up in a constant state of oscillation between her mother's distance and closeness — only made worse by her mother's suicide — which may explain her reluctance to get too close to others when she grows up.
'Take Care Of Yourself' - "Fork"
In this intimate scene, Alice tells Beth, "someday you're gonna be all alone, so you need to figure out how to take care of yourself." She also tells Beth that "the strongest person is the person who isn't scared to be alone." The camera remains focused on Alice throughout, as the viewers take on Beth's point of view. Based on the closeness of this scene, it's clear that these words stayed with Beth.
This scene opens the first episode of after Alma's death, highlighting the fact that Beth is alone and will need to take care of herself. However, her loneliness doesn't last long: former rival Harry Beltik arrives to help Beth hone her chess skills, and Benny Watts later offers to do the same. It's a nice subversion of her mother's statement that "other people will tell you what to do, how to feel." In Beth's case, other people genuinely seem to want to help her. However, Beth still keeps Harry and Benny at a distance, likely based on her mother's insistence on isolation.
'Men Are Gonna Come Along' - "Adjournment"
"Men are gonna come along and wanna teach you things," Alice tells Beth as she mends one of her dresses. "You just let them blow by and do whatever the hell you feel like." Alice continues her pattern of teaching her daughter to isolate herself, especially from men. Ironically, the episode immediately shifts to Beth going to New York with Benny to accept his help.
This episode sees Beth's loss to Borgov in Paris and subsequent downward spiral. She is at her worst when she is alone, which makes her mother's advice the worst thing possible for her. Throughout The Queen's Gambit, Beth forms relationships with people like Alma, Jolene, Benny, and Harry, who all genuinely want to help her — and Beth needs them to. In fact, their help gets her to the tournament in Russia. This is in direct conflict with the worldview she gained from her mother. While Alice's insistence on independence is important, Beth needs people who care about her, and she needs to care about them too in order to be well.
Visiting Beth's Father And The Car Crash - "End Game"
In the opening to the finale of The Queen's Gambit, Beth and Alice visit Beth's father. Alice wants him to take Beth in, saying she can't parent her anymore and feels like she's letting her down. However, Beth's father has started a new life with his wife and child, and tells Alice to leave. The accident that took Alice's life follows soon after, along with the realization that she purposefully caused the collision and intended for it to kill both her and Beth. This ties back into the brief flash of Alice's last words in "Openings" - her telling Beth: "close your eyes."
Alice refers to Beth as a "problem" and "rounding error" in the moments leading up to the collision. These words stuck with Beth for the rest of her life as she processed the trauma of the accident and her mother's death. They must have not only devalued her self-worth but also made her think of herself as a problem to others around her, forcing her to isolate herself in trying times like her mother. However, while Beth's father stopped trying to help Alice after many attempts, Beth's friends continue trying to help her, even when she is at her most self-destructive. More importantly, Beth realizes that it's necessary for her well-being to be open to their help. Beth's memories show that, while Alice taught Beth a lot about being independent, her constant need for isolation became unhealthy, and Beth's worldview suffered as a result. The Queen's Gambit shows that Beth's journey to becoming a chess champion is intrinsically linked to her overcoming the trauma she experienced in her childhood.