Apple TV+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n Lessons in Chemistry delivers many a poignant moment in this vein, which will no doubt make viewers emotional at the plight that women the world over have had to (and continue to) endure when it comes to navigating misogyny, harassment and patronisation.<\/p>\n
But while the messaging of the series and the book reach beyond the time in which it\u2019s set, the series feels rather predictable and formulaic.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, following Elizabeth through adulthood is made more interesting by Larson, who is fascinating to watch \u2013 delivering the kind of provocative performance that propels this drama forward.<\/p>\n
Lessons in Chemistry doesn\u2019t really deliver anything radical in its storytelling, but it is packed full of tender and heartfelt moments, especially in the show\u2019s first half of episodes, where the pacing leans on the slow side.<\/p>\n
We follow Elizabeth as she meets revered scientist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman), while they are both working at the Hastings Research Institute.<\/p>\n
Soon, sparks start to fly between the pair, as they find out they have more than just chemical research in common \u2013 and the series does a stellar job at making sure their budding romance is a delight to watch.<\/p>\n
The show includes the kind of romantic scenes that will have you kicking your feet in delight, in a similar dramatic vein to The Notebook, in the way that moody monologues are delivered \u2013 but with a lot more thought and heart.<\/p>\n
While the blossoming love story between the pair of scientists is some of the sweetest television in a while, the context of Elizabeth with<\/em> Calvin has a habit of being an overarching theme in the series, with viewers regularly coming back to the thread, rather than seeing the sole focus of the series placed on Elizabeth as her own person.<\/p>\n Apple TV+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n One of the biggest turns away from the book is the series\u2019s characterisation of Harriet, replacing the caregiving housewife with a Black female lawyer who is fighting for the equality of her fellow Black residents.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll admit that the plot device is a strange one here. I like to think TV is doing away with the overused \u2018Black best friend\u2019 trope that\u2019s often been used in television and film to further a white main character\u2019s own emotional and moral development.<\/p>\n
While Aja Naomi King effortlessly delivers the kind of performance that certainly makes you take stock and listen, though, the subplot (which actually veers on being a whole parallel storyline to Elizabeth\u2019s own) feels hurriedly added on in places for the sake of intersectionality.<\/p>\n
The lessons on feminism and race feel muddled here, crying out for appropriate room to breathe \u2013 which they\u2019re not often given.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the flashbacks used in the series provide crucial context to Elizabeth and Calvin\u2019s life, but often come later in the show than in the book, providing backstory that reads as a little too late in some instances and not fleshed out enough in others.<\/p>\n
The latter half of the season is where more of the action takes place in terms of Elizabeth taking control of her life. While the themes of love, loss, family and science are at the forefront of Lessons in Chemistry, there\u2019s no forgetting that its main driving force (like with the book it\u2019s based on) is around resilience in the face of oppression.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of moments within this show that have been designed to tug at the heartstrings, and that they do. But as much as this series endears, it does often get slightly muddled in the way it attempts to weave in a little too much.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s not forget the episode entirely narrated by Elizabeth\u2019s dog, Six Thirty, which could have been a cute step in the right direction \u2013 but, unfortunately, is just a little odd.<\/p>\n
Weird format aside, B J Novak provides the insight into the dog\u2019s own thoughts and feelings we didn\u2019t know we needed \u2013 and, to be frank, we probably really don\u2019t, but it makes for an unexpectedly sweet episode all the same.<\/p>\n
When we do finally jump seven years forward to Elizabeth being at the helm of Supper at Six, Larson once more drives the series on with a slightly more considered approach to the character, as she leans into her newfound career confidence and the people around her.<\/p>\n
Will Lessons in Chemistry knock your socks off? It very well could, but there\u2019s a higher likelihood that it\u2019ll be a nice watch, something that delivers wit and charm while you make your way through all the episodes \u2013 but that\u2019s ultimately slightly forgettable.<\/p>
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