‘Lessons In Chemistry’ Limited Series Review – A Satisfying And Meaningful Throwback

There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than immersing itself in the aesthetics and style of the 50s and 60s. That brings us to the Apple TV+ adaptation of the Bonnie Garmus novel Lessons in Chemistry, published in 2022. Developed for television by Lee Eisenberg (The Office, Jury Duty), it is a fine-looking program. From the nostalgic costume design, art direction, and flawless photography, there may not be a better-looking series on streaming.

Brie Larson stars as Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant lab technician at the Hastings Institute. Even though she is light-years ahead of her fellow male peers and bosses, she is stuck in a job where she’s expected to make the men coffee. When the lab is freed, Elizabeth often stays late to work on her research, attempting to prove that DNA, through deoxynucleotide synthesis, is the basis of all life.

The problem is, one night, she uses the institute’s most profitable employee, Dr. Calvin Evans’s (Top Gun: Maverick’s Lewis Pullman) beakers. Thinking she’s the secretary, Calvin immediately asks the office manager, Fran (Stephanie Koenig, a standout here), to fire her. That’s when he’s informed that Elizabeth is a lab chemist and takes a shine to her.

Eisenberg attempts to immerse the viewer in 1950s fashion and remain faithful to the story’s topics. Doing so allows the viewer to uncover the truth that the Golden Age was anything but. Calvin lives in a primarily Black neighborhood and resides next door to Harriet (How to Get Away with Murder’s Aja Naomi King), a mother of two who continues to fight social injustice, including a freeway being built that will segregate their neighborhood from the rest of the community.

Those are the leads and primary storylines of Lessons in Chemistry, a light drama that sometimes takes big swings on social issues as prevalent today as they were over 60 years prior. These include women’s rights to equal pay, opportunities, and jobs. Larson’s Zott is meant to show the perseverance of the era. Elizabeth is the subject of how white men continually take credit for her work. Even thinking it’s appropriate to attempt to sleep with her in the workplace.

Then, institutions do what they do, protecting those who cross those lines. That theme is particularly effective when the series explores shy Elizabeth, who never finished her Ph.D. program. The story folds into themes of racial and socioeconomic discrimination. King’s Harriett is the lens for these subjects and is very good here. In particular, in a powerful scene of not just men but women being beaten by police for peacefully protesting an issue that could destroy their neighborhood of Sugar Hill. These are striking scenes, even more so regarding feminist issues that we can’t bring up to prevent plot points.

Lessons in Chemistry shines when Larson’s character highlights and inspires other adult women of the era. They accomplish this by showing women they can be anyone or anything they want. This is never more poignant than when Zott takes over a cooking show called Supper at Six. The daytime show becomes a hit with women, a fact that takes the men running the station by surprise. Larson’s character starts as robotic but evolves into a no-nonsense source of information. The character easily breaks down barriers that don’t seem insurmountable when they come out of her mouth. Another highlight during this storyline is Kevin Sussman, who plays Walter. The veteran character actor has impeccable comic timing here.

The dialogue feels too cutesy, constantly throwing dozens of chemistry metaphors, hoping some will stick. Additionally, there is the use of a crutch when it comes to genius characters. In particular, socialization issues can only be explained by stereotypical autism spectrum disorder traits. It’s a lazy trait for the writers to explain the lack of social skills. Those include obsession with routines and order and difficulty understanding social cues. Furthermore, the contrived ending connecting the story with Calvin’s backstory is engineered to put a neat bow on a somewhat manipulative story.

However, the superb performances, including Pullman’s poignant turn, and the dazzling style and design make Lessons in Chemistry an enjoyable limited series diversion with its heart in the right place. And perhaps, most importantly, an inspirational female character for women of any generation.

Lessons In Chemistry is currently available to stream on AppleTV+ with new episodes debuting every Friday. 

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