‘Lessons in Chemistry’ Review: Brie Larson, Science and Cooking Mix Well in Apple Limited Series

Food and science have been friendly bedfellows for decades. After all, bartenders are keen to study the art of mixology before they serve their first customer. New technology has completely revolutionized how we cook our food, with self-cleaning ovens, WiFi-enabled stovetops and air fryers present in many households. But science is all about the idea of change, the hypothesis being that bucking trends might lead to new discoveries from within. Enter “Lessons in Chemistry,” the new limited series from Apple TV+ that takes this concept and brings its streaming audience back to the 1960s with Academy Award-winner Brie Larson in the forefront.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus, “Lessons in Chemistry” stars Larson as Elizabeth Zott, a chemist turned TV cooking show host. Zott’s trajectory from fired lab employee to taking a television gig to help housewives understand bold scientific subjects and apply them to cooking food is the meat of the series’ equation. It takes a deep dive into Zott’s personal and professional life, using flashbacks of her harsh family upbringing and eventual romance with fellow chemist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) to explain why she speaks and thinks the way she does.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus, “Lessons in Chemistry” stars Larson as Elizabeth Zott, a chemist turned TV cooking show host. Zott’s trajectory from fired lab employee to taking a television gig to help housewives understand bold scientific subjects and apply them to cooking food is the meat of the series’ equation. It takes a deep dive into Zott’s personal and professional life, using flashbacks of her harsh family upbringing and eventual romance with fellow chemist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) to explain why she speaks and thinks the way she does.

Elizabeth Zott seems out of her comfort zone in the first episode of “Lessons in Chemistry,” as she’s the bold but educated host of the popular show “Supper at Six.” Her deadpan energy and complicated recipe instructions using chemical equations ruffles television executive’s feathers. Her viewership skyrockets because she’s teaching her female audience how to cook and instilling in them the tools to change the patriarchal status quo.

Much of the series takes place during Elizabeth’s time in the lab, and the years after she was fired from being the only female chemist amongst a sea of white men at the Hastings Research Institute. Her work isn’t taken seriously, and her approach towards her coworkers is met with hostility and arrogance. Elizabeth attended UCLA graduate school, but a traumatic experience forced her to give up on graduating and she lost trust in men.

The series jumps around quite a bit to contextualize Elizabeth’s journey and how she ends up an accidental feminist while hosting her TV show. This is a masterstroke from series showrunner Lee Eisenberg (“The Office”), punching up Garmus’ novel to meet the benefits of episodic television storytelling. Elizabeth meets Calvin, a lonely but Nobel Prize-worthy chemist who jogs for fun. Their courtship and subsequent professional partnership lead to a sense of comfort for both, and reveal much about one another’s eccentric personalities. Their love blossoms, Elizabeth rescues a stray dog, the couple rows together, they challenge each other’s minds, and the two find themselves on the verge of a scientific breakthrough in the lab.

But nothing ever stays the same for Elizabeth, as change is the key to everything she has come to know. In tough times, she finds herself leaning on Calvin’s neighbor Harriet (Aja Naomi King), a confident Black woman hellbent on saving their community from the possibility of a highway demolishing their homes. Elizabeth takes note of Harriet’s political activities, though this piece of the series doesn’t work as well as Elizabeth and Calvin’s storyline. The two bond, giving Elizabeth a larger community of equals, especially after discovering she is pregnant.

Change is the foundation for organic chemistry. Like Sheldon Cooper in “The Big Bang Theory,” Elizabeth prides herself on her intelligence, purpose and flat but deliberately voiced opinions. Elizabeth does not willingly take to change, and when life throws her into the deep end, her resilience gets tested repeatedly. These delicate moments are earned in the series largely due to Elizabeth’s strength through her chosen family. It is within these building block moments that the show and Larson’s acting prowess genuinely shine.

“Lessons in Chemistry” deals significantly with science, but it primarily depicts themes of sexism, racism, gender politics, and the changing developments of a woman’s standing in a male-dominated workplace. Just when the world thinks it’s moved on from these relic tropes of the 1950s and 1960s, it’s apparent that this series echoes patterns that still exist for many in today’s society. Elizabeth is a heroic character, not because she faces uphill climbs in every step of her journey, but because she uses science to traverse those climbs better than any have before her.

The series is an audacious adaptation of the source material and a showcase for its impressive cast and sublime writing. Larson’s first television series lead performance is implemented with gravitas and courage. She gives Elizabeth enough conviction to present her not as a victim but as a lone survivor in a mountain of dangers. Her segments on “Supper at Six” reflect Elizabeth’s backbone in challenging the authority and norms of the era. They give the show within the show’s female audience reason to defend themselves in and out of the kitchen. Larson, who also executive produced the series, is perfectly cast to deliver Eisenberg’s dialogue alongside Lewis Pullman, a strong actor most notable for his roles in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Bad Times at the El Royale.” Larson and Pullman’s unlikely, ahem, chemistry is top-notch, oozing with enthusiasm, poindexter charisma and heart.

Elizabeth’s narrative serves as a reminder that community and ingenuity provide paths to change and progress even in the face of adversity. With Elizabeth’s careful use of lab equipment and cooking style, science functions as one of the main characters to drive home her experience as a chemist and later a television host. Her dynamic scenes with her daughter reflect Elizabeth’s quirky brand of teaching, giving way to a unique mother/daughter relationship minimally seen on television before.

“Lessons in Chemistry” is a success because it combines engaging entertainment and stimulating information. It’s an impactful series for Apple TV+ and a fine adaptation of a popular novel.

“Lessons in Chemistry” premieres Friday, Oct. 13, on Apple TV+.

The post ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ Review: Brie Larson, Science and Cooking Mix Well in Apple Limited Series appeared first on TheWrap.