Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Apple TV+'s Lessons in Chemistry.
Lessons in Chemistry arrived for Apple TV+ subscribers this fall in the 2023 TV schedule with Brie Larson in the lead role of Elizabeth Zott. A brilliant chemist in an era when women weren't welcome in the field, Elizabeth unexpectedly found herself applying her skills as a scientist to a cooking to show provide for her daughter, Mad. Episode 5 shone the spotlight on mother and daughter in some heartbreaking ways, and director Millicent Shelton spoke with CinemaBlend about what she considers her "most favorite" part of working with Brie Larson. And I think fans will be able to relate!
Brie Larson's performance as Elizabeth Zott is the one element of Lessons in Chemistry that critics all seemed to agree on, and food consultant Courtney McBroom shared how inspiring the Academy Award-winner was as both star and executive producer. Her character in the Apple TV+ show is far from perfect, though. When I spoke with director Millicent Shelton, I noted that viewers could be confident that the Captain Marvel star would deliver, but we couldn't have known how great she'd be with Alice Halsey, who plays Mad. Shelton responded:
I love Alice and Brie together, and that is my most favorite thing to talk about, because they were just so amazing together. And Alice was a gift. The first day I worked with her, she was working with another child actress, and that actress was struggling with her lines and Alice just jumped in and made it so natural, and was just feeding her the lines, and they were playing off each other, and we kept it because it felt so wonderful. She's such a gift. Then she brought such a life to Brie, and they had an amazing relationship.
Mad and Elizabeth's relationship is at the heart of Lessons in Chemistry after the time jump, although characters like Harriet have powerful storylines of their own as well. The director shared that not only was young Alice Halsey a great actress, but she also "brought such a life" to Brie Larson. I can certainly relate to Millicent Shelton considering Larson and Halsey's dynamic as a favorite part of the show, and I'm guessing that I'm not the only one! The director continued:
They would stay on set in between takes, and just hang out. The mother-daughter love that you see on screen was just the love between Brie and Alice. They just loved each other. It was just wonderful working with both of them.
While Millicent Shelton only had good things to say about both of their skills as actresses, they evidently weren't faking that they loved each other while playing mother and daughter. That made it hit a little harder when Mad grew increasingly disappointed with her mom as Supper at Six began to take up more and more of her time.
Elizabeth tried to make it up to her daughter with a fun meal out when she could devote all of her attention to Mad, but even that backfired when she encountered a fan of her show. Young Mad's disappointment was as hard for Elizabeth to watch as it likely was for viewers at home, and the diner scene was a great showcase for them together. Millicent Shelton revealed what happened behind-the-scenes and didn't make it into the final cut of Episode 5:
I cannot tell you how wonderful it was. That day that we did the diner scene, Alice was in rare form. She was sitting in the booth. They never left the booth! Everybody's hanging lights all around. They never left the booth and Alice is cracking jokes, her and Brie are singing, and it was just like, 'Oh my god.' It was great.
It sounds like Brie Larson and Alice Halsey were having a much better time in that diner than Elizabeth and Mad were were! Based on the finished product, both actresses were able to shift right into character despite the laughing and joking.
When speaking with Millicent Shelton about her episode, I admitted that Alice Halsey was seriously tugging on my heartstrings in the diner scene in particular. The director laughed and said:
I know! She was like [scowls], and then she finished and then she started laughing! I was like, 'Oh my god!' [laughs] She was so mean when she got mad [as Mad]. She's a wonderful, wonderful, talented young actress, and I so look forward to whatever she's gonna bring us in the future. I think it's a gift that she got to work with another amazing actress like Brie so young in her career, and it's gonna shape how Alice is when she's a superstar on set, because Brie is a wonderful example.
As an Academy Award-winner with a long list of credits to her name, Brie Larson could be just the example that Alice Halsey needs early in her acting career. Fortunately for those of us who relate to Millicent Shelton's love of Elizabeth and Mad together, there are still three episodes left in the limited series adaptation of Bonnie Garmus' book of the same name. Thanks to Apple TV+ releasing new episodes weekly rather than for binge-watching, Lessons and Chemistry didn't both begin and end with the premiere on October 13.
New episodes of Lessons in Chemistry will continue releasing on Fridays on Apple TV+. Millicent Shelton also directed Episode 6, which will air on November 10, so be sure to keep tuning in!
