Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry is a 2023 American drama television miniseries developed by Lee Eisenberg based on the novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus.[2] It stars Brie Larson as chemist Elizabeth Zott who begins hosting her own feminist cooking show in 1960s America. Its first two episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on October 13, 2023.[3]

This article is about the television series. For the novel, see Lessons in Chemistry (novel).
Lessons in Chemistry
GenreDrama
Based onLessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus
Developed byLee Eisenberg
Starring
Theme music composerCarlos Rafael Rivera[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
Running time46–50 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkApple TV+
Original releaseOctober 13, 2023 (2023-10-13) –
present (present)

Premise

After being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1960s TV cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byTeleplay by [2]Original release date [4]
1"Little Miss Hastings"Sarah Adina SmithLee EisenbergOctober 13, 2023 (2023-10-13)

Elizabeth Zott, a lab technician at the Hastings Research Institute, is disallowed by her superiors from developing her own research projects due to her gender and lack of a PhD. Elizabeth also applies her passion for chemistry to her cooking. After being forced to enter a workplace beauty pageant, she befriends Dr. Calvin Evans, the institute's star researcher. He agrees to transfer her to his laboratory so she can conduct her abiogenesis research independently, but she shuns him when he inadvertently reminds her of a past assault.

Seven years later, Elizabeth has become the famous host of a chemistry-based cooking show, Supper for Six.
2"Her and Him"Sarah Adina SmithElissa KarasikOctober 13, 2023 (2023-10-13)
Flashbacks reveal that Elizabeth's thesis adviser had attempted to rape her during her doctoral candidacy exams. Elizabeth adopts a dog and names him Six Thirty. Their supervisor, Dr. Donatti, threatens Elizabeth with layoffs if Calvin's research does not qualify for a prestigious grant. Calvin's neighbor Harriet invites him to a meeting to try and stop the Santa Monica Freeway from being built through Sugar Hill. Calvin is distracted by his reconciliation, research progress, and developing romance with Elizabeth, who agrees to move in with him. Though the Hastings higher-ups (who believe amino acids, not DNA, are the foundations of life) reject their grant proposal, Calvin and Elizabeth decide to submit on their own. While on a run with Six Thirty, Calvin is fatally hit by a bus.
3"Living Dead Things"Bert & BertieLee Eisenberg & Emily FoxOctober 20, 2023 (2023-10-20)
Six Thirty's narration reveals his past as a former military dog and his guilt at Calvin's death. At the funeral, a grief-stricken Elizabeth is questioned by a journalist for the LA Times. Elizabeth returns to Hastings to find their lab emptied and their research in storage; Donatti attempts to recreate Calvin and Elizabeth's experiments and claim the research as his. To the dog's delight, Elizabeth realizes she is pregnant. Intending to continue her research, she begins to build a laboratory in her kitchen. Elizabeth also befriends Harriet over their shared grief at Calvin's death. Harriet fails to change the posthumous smear piece on Calvin, but the Times runs a story about her activism against the freeway. Donatti attempts to fire Elizabeth for being unwed and pregnant.
4"Primitive Instinct"Bert & BertieElissa KarasikOctober 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
5"CH3COOH"TBALee Eisenberg & Emily FoxNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
6TBATBAElissa KarasikNovember 10, 2023 (2023-11-10)
7TBATBAElissa KarasikNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)
8TBATBALee EisenbergNovember 24, 2023 (2023-11-24)

Production

It was announced in January 2021 that Apple TV+ had issued a straight-to-series order for the show, with Brie Larson set to star in and executive produce.[5] The series began production by August 2022, with Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker, Thomas Mann, Kevin Sussman and Beau Bridges added to the cast.[6]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 82% approval rating with an average rating of 7.1/10, based on 55 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Touching on several hot button issues while benefitting immensely from a perfect pinch of Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry's ambitious ingredients add up to satisfying entertainment."[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[8]

References
  1. "Carlos Rafael Rivera Scoring AMC's 'Monsieur Spade' & Apple TV+'s 'Lessons in Chemistry'". Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  2. "Lessons in Chemistry". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. Petski, Denise (May 31, 2023). "'Lessons In Chemistry': Brie Larson's Apple TV+ Series Gets Premiere Date". Deadline. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  4. "Shows A-Z – Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (January 22, 2021). "Brie Larson To Star In Lessons In Chemistry Apple TV+ Series From Susannah Grant & Aggregate Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  6. Petski, Denise (August 12, 2022). "Lessons In Chemistry: Brie Larson's Apple Series Adds Seven To Cast Including Lewis Pullman, Beau Bridges, Ana Naomi King, Kevin Sussman". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  7. "Lessons in Chemistry: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  8. "Lessons in Chemistry: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
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