Warning: This article contains The Queen’s Gambit spoilers.
For those who’ve spent the past year addicted to Netflix’s countless offerings—hello, Bling Empire—the obsession with The Queen’s Gambit will surely continue well into 2021.
And while the story of a young orphan’s foray into the world of chess—and the sexism that unfortunately pairs with it—still piques interest, there’s one main question that fans can’t stop asking: What will happen to Beth Harmon?
Reaching an enormous 62 million households, The Queen’s Gambit became Netflix’s most-watched limited series to date, until Bridgerton took out the top spot, of course. However, unlike Bridgerton, the series has also earned itself two Golden Globes nominations—one for best limited series and another for best actress in a limited series.
And thanks to Harmon’s real-life empowering persona—and her enviable wardrobe—it’s only natural that fans are desperately wanting to see more.
Luckily, we’ve done a deep dive to uncover whether Harmon’s signature ’60s flick will grace our screens for a second season.
Has The Queen’s Gambit Been Confirmed For A Season Two?
After the nail-biting season one finale, it comes as no surprise that the world is desperate to know what happens next.
For those who need a refresher, the first season ends with Beth going head-to-head for the second time with her biggest competitor Vasily Borgov, a Russian grand master and the last person standing in the way of her being crowned the best player in the world. And as we know, she wins.
While fans eagerly anticipate what will come next for the world’s best chess player, unfortunately, Netflix is yet to confirm if a second season is on the way.
In the meantime, series star Anya Taylor-Joy has admitted that she’d love to reprise her role as the troubled chess prodigy, if asked of course.
“It’s so surreal and very wonderful that people want a second season, because we never thought about it, there was no discussion about it,” she told Deadline. “That said, never say ‘never’ in Hollywood.”
But what does that mean? We’ll just have to wait and see.
WATCH BELOW: The Queen’s Gambit Season One Trailer
Will Anya Taylor-Joy Be In The Queen’s Gambit Season 2?
Appearing in ELLE U.S., Taylor-Joy explained why she isn’t planning to rule out returning to her role as Beth Harmon, in the Netflix drama.
“It would be silly of me to go, ‘There’s never going to be a second series,'” she said, “and then I’m 40, and Scott [Frank]’s like, ‘Yo, how do you feel about this? You want to go back?'”
In fact, Taylor-Joy revealed that she already has dreams of what’s next for her character, Beth. She continued, “I hope she starts doing things for her own enjoyment. I’d like Beth to pick up Benny and spend some time with him in Russia, just the two of them being snobby intellectuals together, and I hope she has a Bowie phase.”
What Is Going To Happen In The Queen’s Gambit‘s Second Season?
Having premiered in October 2020, The Queen’s Gambit is based on the novel of the same name, written by Walter Tevis.
As we know, the story follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon as she achieves champion status in a male-dominated Cold-War era competitive chess circuit. Beth, who has been the victim of several tragedies in her early life, also struggles with substance abuse issues along the way.
But alas, the show’s novel does not have a sequel, meaning that it would require the show’s creators to go off-book to continue the show, a road that has been taken before, for hit-shows like Game of Thrones.
While fans can already envision a second round on the board with Beth, Taylor-Joy thinks otherwise.
“The last scene feels like a beautiful note to end the show on, so I’m not sure if we want to go on and answer that question. Maybe we can just let the audience imagine what comes next,” the Golden Globe nominee told Town & Country.
However, the idea of Beth’s future isn’t lost on her, in her interview with Deadline, she mused: “It would be very interesting to see how Beth would be as a mother, now that she’s sober and more cognisant of the demons that pull her down.”
Which Cast Members Will Be Returning For Season Two?
Clearly, there would be no Queen’s Gambit without the queen herself, meaning that if there is a future for Anya Taylor-Joy’s chess prodigy, we can expect to see her familiar face on our screen.
Alongside Taylor-Joy, a new season could see the return of Harry Melling and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Beth’s leading men, Harry Beltik and Benny Watts, as well as Moses Ingram returning to her role as Beth’s close friend, Jolene.
But while we beg the universe to throw us a bone—or a chess piece—there’s nothing more that fans can do besides wait and see what else Netflix has in store.
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