Lessons in Chemistry (TV Mini Series) Living Dead Things (2023) User Reviews

It was the dog that done it!

[purple-mug · 9/10 · 27 October 2023]

The so called "talking dog" episode has come in for a lot of criticism from snooty reviewers but I have to say that I found this unique perspective deeply moving. As I'm a jaded old viewer who has thousands of hours of television viewing behind him, it takes a lot to elicit a deep emotional response from me these days. But as Six-Thirty came to the moment of remembering the mantra, "One foot, one foot!" I admit to being in floods of tears. Even as I write this I can feel a welling in my eyes.

I'm firmly convinced that allowing the dog to speak massively contributed to an episode which done straight would have been far less insightful and affecting. It is a kind of magical realism which is ideal for television fiction.

Inspired Episode

[thegazatron · 9/10 · 23 October 2023]

This series has surprised me every episode. This episode is a particular highlight as not only does it competently progress the story of Brie Larson's Elizabeth Zott, both personally and professionally, but it intersperses it with a another characters point of view which, to be quite honest, is as genius as it's protagonist and a refreshing element of storytelling which initially caught me off guard but became enamoured with.

Chef's kiss work from the writers. Whether this is an element from the book or not I do not know, but, even if it is it's translation from page to television is incredibly well done elevating this very well told story.

The dog narration was absolutely dumb and unnecessary

[sweetcypress777 · 8/10 · 7 November 2023]

Only got to the funeral scene before having to pause to see if anyone else thought the dog narration was idiotic. You can clearly see through the dogs carrions how he's feeling - definitely doesn't want to be a war dog so he escapes. That clever and resourceful (garbage can dinners to survive). Making a voice say he felt ashamed and cowardly?! It gave so much richness to the story to SHOW where 6:30 came from the narration was unecessary and his voice was so poorly chosen.

I assume the rest of the episode will be this irritating. Six thirty trying to stop him and failing it's easy enough to show him depressed and missing his friend. Maybe he sleeps in the closet with his shoes, or brings her the leash.

Very easy to show her ignoring the dog and the dog sad. EVERYONE will get that she blames the dog and the dog lost not one friend but two. The narration just made it stupid. Assigning misguided emotions to a dog to drive the story is weak and lame. A sorry fiction for a show so well written and acted.

Great episode

[ray-2002 · 10/10 · 20 October 2023]

Brie plays this part so well. Going through the motions from the begin with being so serious and yet inspiring to show you not to underestimate her. Throughout the episode she's trying to make it through and finish what her and Calvin started but is trying not to let herself feel. Your heart kind of breaks for her and then with her. I liked her rebuttal about them wanting to fire her and yet a man would have no accountability. The dog's point of view and narration makes you feel for him too. The concern on whether she's mad at him or disappointed in him also makes you feel sad. It hits a certain kind of way. Without words dogs will feel and much more perceptive than people might think.

From your friend, 6:30

[dfloro · 10/10 · 20 October 2023]

This episode, the first taking place after Calvin has died in a gruesome traffic accident, is fully narrated by Calvin and Elizabeth's dog, "6:30," so named since (as you clearly see) he wakes her up every morning when the Army used to wake him up with revellie. His unhappy times spent in the service convinced him he must be a coward (I don't think so) and not cut out for it (neither was I, and I also like to think that wasn't why). And after trying unsuccessfully to halt Calvin's morning run that fateful day, he's once again ashamed of not being up to his sworn task in life of protecting his family. After Calvin's tragic death, at first, Elizabeth is giving 6:30 the cold shoulder, probably because the mere sight of him is too painful a reminder. But soon Elizabeth learns (and experientially proves, of course) that she will have an even more truly significant and impossible-to-ignore reminder of her great love with and for Calvin. And dogs of course being the wonderful and knowing creatures they are, 6:30 senses his renewed life's purpose. Elizabeth gets to know the one friend Calvin had who was not known to her: Harriet from across the street. A truly significant episode during Ms. Zott's life makes for a moving third episode in the series.

I would give anything for a no-narration cut of this episode

[viviennedasilva · 2/10 · 13 November 2023]

The dog narration ruins the entire episode and massively downgrades the show. It's too saccharine and out of place, making a mostly grounded show feel like one of those sickly sweet wholesome daytime dramas that aired in the 90s and 2000s.

Without it, it would be a somewhat decent episode about trying to avoid your feelings and how grief affects people differently. I'd give anything for a no-narration cut of this episode.

It also features one of the worst tropes ever, an uwanted pregnancy where no one can say the word "abortion" or even allude to it. It seems really out of character that an SA survivor who is adamant about not having children would not try and find some way to take control of the situation and regain her bodily autonomy, aside from hoping "it would take care of itself". Plus the fact that abortions were illegal and very unsafe would have made for an interesting subplot.

But, y'know, talking dog.

The dog narration is contrived and unnecessary

[jtomalis-570-306776 · 3/10 · 18 January 2024]

I like the series, but this episode is burdened by a writer who decided to be overly clever with the dog being the narrator, and the premise fails because the dog doesn't narrate every scene; it's selective and forced, with poorly injected sentimentality.

The human acting is very good, and the story would continue on very well except for the injected corniness of the canine narrator. The characters develop organically and the dialogue is crisp as in earlier episodes, but the narration takes away from the otherwise entertaining episode.

As the show develops, it would be better to have concentrated on the characters and less on the gimmick.

The dog, really?

[jmcghan · 3/10 · 21 October 2023]

Framing this episode through the eyes of the dog is the most idiotic and shocking choices I've seen for any show trying to take itself seriously. The dog doesn't know anything, stop treating it like possesses a human level of sentience. It doesn't know that Elisabeth is pregnant. It doesn't know what loss is. It doesn't understand the beauty in running or the meaning of the words Calvin spoke. It's a dog. Dog culture is psychotic.

It took me out of the episode every time the narration started. There's a lot to like in the show, but it's also super heavy handed at times and probably revisionistic in some ways.

Talking dog ruined it for me

[anokoshaj · 2/10 · 1 February 2024]

Wow...

I just watched this episode and I cannot believe what I have just seen. It's something I would've expected from another streaming service but for Apple to stoop so low as to resort to a talking dog is just such a shame because I was really enjoying this show.

This tragic excuse for an episode left me feeling disappointed and empty if we don't count the neck soreness from all the shaking of my head.. The only excuse I can think of is that the writers of the show were either feeling super lazy or hung over when this was written and I guess nobody had the guts to tell them that this is not a good idea. I mean it's a great way to turn a serious show into a joke but it was so unnecessary for the story that I am still left flabbergasted.

Dog's Dinner

[deadleeserious · 1/10 · 25 December 2023]

This episode is laughably bad and unfortunately begins the rapid downslide of this promising series. The initial 2 episodes were really enjoyable, and have a lot of the elements that I love in other series - a period setting and good production values had a premium feel to it. I also love stories of strong, intelligent women overcoming sexism to prove themselves. I was hoping for this series to fill the gap left by Mad Men, Masters of Sex and Queen's Gambit, which all exist in this realm.

Lessons in Chem started well - with a notably autistic spectrum coded protagonist, played well by Brie Larson, and her lab partner and love interest, who also showed autistic or adhd traits. I was intrigued by the idea of a show that has a neurodivergent couple doing science and seeing their relationship grow and change through their work and personal lives. So what went wrong?

Well, episode 2 speeds through their romantic relationship. We don't get to see any natural progression. Zott's sexual trauma is quickly brushed aside and we go from them arguing to being together in a few scenes. Then, the bus accident happens, and while shocking, ultimately, it was hard to care as we hadn't spent enough time with this character to it be more than shock value.

Episode 3 is garbage, and the show does not recover. Firstly, we have a DOG narrating this episode. Why? It's played to be emotional and profound, but it was laughable and took me completely out of the story. Immersion and believability died within scene 1 of episode 3. This show was billed as being for an intelligent audience, yet the dog spelling out the story in a series of Instagram inspirational quotes was insulting. SHOW don't tell. TV is a visual medium, and the visual storytelling would have been sufficient and more engaging. Better Call Saul has long periods without dialogue, using clever direction to tell the story. THAT is how good TV is done.

It's not the only issue however.

We learn (through the somehow omniscience dog) that Zott is pregnant. She was adamantly against having children in episode 1/2, and has profound sexual trauma, so it's not she didn't consider an abortion considering her work comes first. I was hoping to see a story of a strong woman NOT defined by motherhood, but unfortunately, the story did not take this direction.

The other issue is again, we had barely any time getting to know her lover Calvin. So I watched the characters being pained over his loss, but why should I care? He had an hour of screen time at most, and we learned very little about him. So there is a huge dissonance between the characters emotions and my own.

The series from this point is merely okay. The production values are good, the acting is good from a decent cast, but this show has none of the spark in dialogue or direction of the previously mentioned shows, and ultimately it feels flat.

Sorry Brie, you did your best, but this series is doggy doo doo.