Lessons in Chemistry producer and showrunner Lee Eisenberg explains the changes made to Harriet. The eight-episode drama is based on the bestselling novel by Bonnie Garmus, an author and science editor. The story is set in the early 1950s, following Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott. Elizabeth’s dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society, but when she finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as the host of a television cooking show. But compared to the book, the adaptation also puts a bigger spotlight on Harriet Sloane (How to Get Away with Murder‘s Aja Naomi King).
In an interview with TVLine, Eisenberg shed light on why Harriet has an expanded role in the first two episodes of Lessons in Chemistry. Eisenberg noted that it was an opportunity to tell the story of a Black woman who has to deal with racism on top of all the constraints that Elizabeth faces. In the quote below, Eisenberg and co-executive producer Sarah Adina Smith talk about how they turned to history to develop Harriet’s story further by looking at the real-life controversy surrounding the construction of the Santa Monica Freeway:
Lee Eisenberg: “[The series can shed light on the story of] of a Black woman who has all the same constraints placed on her that Elizabeth does, but then compounded by the fact that she’s living in a completely racist society. We learned the story of this association that, fictionally is led by Harriet, but in real life pushed back against this racist bureaucracy that was building the 10 freeway — and expanding it — and was going to destroy this Black community.”
Sarah Adina Smith: “We were horrified that we are from L.A., or we live here, and we did not know the history of Sugar Hill. We felt very compelled to try and bring that to screen through Harriet’s story.”
Lessons in Chemistry Makes A Smart Choice With Harriet
Lessons in Chemistry marks the first television role for King since her time as Michaela Pratt on How to Get Away with Murder. During her time on the ABC drama, King’s portrayal of Michaela turned the character into a surprising fan favorite who could maneuver between comedy and tragedy, skillfully delivering her sharp monologues and casually tossing off punchlines. From a pure performance perspective, as reviews have also mentioned, Lessons in Chemistry is stronger because of King’s increased screen time.
But looking at the story, Lessons in Chemistry makes the wise decision to invest in characters beyond Elizabeth. In the book, a lot of time, it seems like Michaela has little else to do but cheer Elizabeth on and act as her sounding board. That would be a waste of an actor like King and would wear thin for audiences.
Most shows cannot succeed by focusing only on the main character. Lessons in Chemistry highlights not only Elizabeth’s struggles and experiences but widens the scope in a way that serves as an example of how a TV adaptation can stand on its own without simply faithfully transferring what was already established in a book.
