Lessons In Chemistry review: Brie Larson leads a STEMinist fantasy

Meredith Hobbs Coons
·4 min read
Brie Larson in Lessons In Chemistry
Brie Larson in Lessons In Chemistry
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Brie Larson in Lessons In Chemistry

“Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”

This is the catchphrase of Lessons In Chemistry’s protagonist Elizabeth Zott, the one with which she ends each installment of her live afternoon cooking program Supper At 6, the show within this show. It functions as an invitation to her viewers to indulge and do as they please for a minute or two, but it also calls the real-life audience Apple TV+ now courts to do the same. Back when Lessons In Chemistry was but a best-selling book, this message held, too: Let down your guard, let go of guilt and any chick-lit shaming you may have internalized. Let yourself have this. And if that speaks to you, then you should go ahead and tune in when the series premieres on October 13.

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There are some bona fide comedic actors who pop up to surprise us in this, appearing to function more as familiar faces than comic relief. Overall, it’s not an especially funny show, though there are a few smart one-liners here and there, and Zott serves up sick some burns. It’s more drama than dramedy, though the book on which it’s based was frequently heralded by readers as humorous. The show’s appeal lies more in its feel-good qualities, virtuous battles for justice against racist and sexist forces, and a classic love story with one of the few good men in the world of these characters.

Now for the best pivot from the page-turner: Harriet Sloane, played by Aja Naomi King. Where the book made Sloane a nosey neighbor type, the kind clipped straight from ’60s sitcoms, with binoculars in hand and ready to snoop, the show gives us someone more substantial with a compelling arc of her own. It turns out that she and Zott have plenty in common, not only in their abilities to see Zott’s partner (her neighbor) as a complex but sweet soul beneath a sometimes surly exterior, but in their lofty ambitions. Sloane is a Black woman whose law degree had been put on hold so that she could raise her two children as her husband serves in Korea as a military surgeon. She’s also a strong community advocate, who becomes involved in organizing local Civil Rights era protests in addition to her years-long effort to protect their Sugar Hill neighborhood, which is predominantly Black, from succumbing to the threat of demolition in favor of freeway construction. But her inclusion doesn’t feel tossed in to boost the diversity of the show’s cast and thread in a racial justice narrative; she feels fully realized, thanks to King’s warm portrayal. It’s comforting to see Sloane phone up Zott to share her personal successes, not just function as an accessory to the white protagonist, and it’s satisfying to see her call Zott out when necessary. It’s hard to imagine this show without her, and that is a feat.

Now, looking at Lessons In Chemistry purely as a show, not a show based on a book, it has plenty of merits of its own. The aesthetics are exactly what we’ve come to expect from mid-century period pieces: The clothes are cinched and stylish, the set pieces evoke that nostalgic charm we know and love. We even see some pretty color-coordinated pastel Tupperware adorning her kitchen cabinets, as Zott sells the stuff for a spell. The look is almost a little too perfect, given that we’re led to believe this is a character who wouldn’t seem to care about that, favoring logic and information over trappings of the time, like maintaining a cute and tidy home. But oh well. It’s fine. The score never gets in the way, the performances are compelling, and the story doesn’t veer too saccharine, though it sometimes skirts that line. It’s a beach watch, maybe. Let it make you feel good, like a piece of Zott’s blackberry pie, and don’t think about it all that hard.

Lessons In Chemistry premieres October 13 on Apple TV+

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