Bold and Brilliant Retelling: Chemistry's Harriet Breaks Barriers with Racial Expansion

Summary

Lessons in Chemistry expands the role of Harriet Sloane (Aja Naomi King), allowing the show to delve into the challenges faced by a Black woman in a racist society.

The show takes inspiration from real-life events, such as the construction of the Santa Monica Freeway and its impact on the Black community, in order to develop Harriet's story.

Lessons in Chemistry seeks to illuminate the history of racial injustice and raise awareness about forgotten or overlooked aspects of the past through Harriet's character.

Lessons in Chemistry producer and showrunner, Lee Eisenberg, provides insight into the changes made to the character Harriet. The gripping eight-episode drama is based on the highly acclaimed novel by Bonnie Garmus, a distinguished author and science editor. The narrative takes place in the early 1950s and follows Brie Larson in the role of Elizabeth Zott, a passionate aspiring scientist. Elizabeth's aspirations are thwarted in a society dominated by male authority, but when she loses her job at the laboratory, she reluctantly takes up a position as the host of a cooking show on television. However, in contrast to the book, the adaptation also shines a brighter light on the character Harriet Sloane, portrayed by Aja Naomi King from How to Get Away with Murder.

During an interview with TVLine, Eisenberg delves into the reasoning behind expanding Harriet's role in the initial two episodes of Lessons in Chemistry. According to Eisenberg, this gave them the opportunity to depict the challenges faced by a Black woman who not only has to maneuver through the constraints that Elizabeth encounters but also confronts racism. In the following quote, Eisenberg and co-executive producer, Sarah Adina Smith, discuss how they delved into history to further develop Harriet's storyline by drawing inspiration from the real-life controversy surrounding the construction of the Santa Monica Freeway.

Lee Eisenberg: "The series can give insight into the experiences of a Black woman who faces the same challenges as Elizabeth, but with the added burden of living in a deeply racist society. We discover the narrative of this fictional association led by Harriet, which actually fought against the racist bureaucracy responsible for planning and expanding the 10 freeway. This project posed a threat to the Black community, which horrified us as residents of Los Angeles who were unaware of the history of Sugar Hill. This compelled us to bring Harriet's story to the screen."

Sarah Adina Smith: "The history of Sugar Hill was unknown to us as residents or natives of Los Angeles, and this lack of knowledge horrified us. We felt a strong urge to depict the story of Harriet and shine a light on the history of Sugar Hill through our work on screen."

Lessons in Chemistry Makes A Smart Choice With Harriet

Lessons in Chemistry is King's first television role since her portrayal of Michaela Pratt on How to Get Away with Murder. While on the ABC drama, King's portrayal of Michaela captivated fans with her ability to effortlessly switch between comedy and tragedy, delivering sharp monologues and witty punchlines. Reviews have noted that Lessons in Chemistry benefits from King's expanded screen time, making her performance even stronger.

Lessons in Chemistry demonstrates a wise choice by expanding the focus beyond Elizabeth, the main character. Michaela's role, which mainly consists of supporting Elizabeth and listening to her, would be a disservice to King's acting talent and would eventually lose audience interest. To truly succeed, TV shows must go beyond solely highlighting the main character. Lessons in Chemistry excels in showcasing not only Elizabeth's challenges and journey but also in broadening the narrative scope. It serves as a remarkable example of a TV adaptation that can confidently establish its own identity while staying true to the essence of the original book.

Source: TVLine