Though in my life I never thought that I would be watching an episode of Lessons In Chemistry that is narrated by a dog or someone injecting a frog for a pregnancy test, but here we are. And if we’re being honest, I am not at all that shocked. I am shocked that I would still call this one of the best shows that I have seen in a long time.
But I will also never look at frogs the same way again. I really haven’t a fucking clue on what to say about that. Or the sledgehammer once she finds out she’s pregnancy. There is just so much that I have to think about because I am so confused about a lot of things.
There’s just so much about this show that is to love. There is so much about this show that leaves me wondering WTF and I have to admit that I kind of love that.
I miss Dr. Evans. I truly do. I hate Danotti so fucking much I want to spit fire. I hate the way that everyone seems to turn their back on Elizabeth when she needs them the most. I again, am presented with the fact that I could have never survived in the 1950’s. I would be in so much trouble. Like for real, a lot of trouble.
The thing about this episode is that I am all over the place, because my emotions are all over the place.
But I digress.
Speaking to some people – some have said that this movie felt like a filler. It felt as though it was a long way to tell people that Elizabeth was pregnant. But, it’s so much more than that. This episode is about grief. This episode is about the healing and the moving forward while you travel through grief.
Elizabeth has found out that Calvin is gone and it’s killing her. She doesn’t know how to deal with her grief, she just knows that it is there. She is dealing it the only way that she knows how to deal with it – by wanting to dive into work. But the thing is that work isn’t there.
Hastings wasted no time emptying out their lab and taking Elizabeth and Evans work. They won’t give it back. They won’t even let Elizabeth work in a lab. She’s now a secretary, but Elizabeth is taking it because she needs to work. She needs to suppress her feelings.
Especially when she finds out that she’s pregnant.
For Elizabeth, we know that she doesn’t want to be pregnant. For her, she sees that as an ending and judging by the 1950’s and the way that they treated women – I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to deal with that bullshit either. I can’t even talk about how she found out she was pregnant though, because it makes me physically ill to think about that frog in the jar or whatever.
Watch it and you’ll see what I am talking about.
What breaks my heart for Elizabeth is that she becomes so angry that she needs to take a sledgehammer to the kitchen. I didn’t see it coming, but I shouldn’t have known it wasn’t out of anger. It was to build a lab, because she saw her life being on borrowed time. She had a limited amount of time to finish the research that her and Evan’s had started.
Harriet hears the commotion and knocks at the door to ask if everything is okay. She’s upset at the article written about Evans and wants to talk about it. Elizabeth doesn’t want to though. She wants to build her lab.
I don’t want to say that anything good comes out of death, because I don’t know that it does. However, what I did love seeing is the blossoming friendship between Harriet and Elizabeth this episode. They need each and need support to get through all of this.
The truth is, death isn’t easy. It never is going to be for anyone. But Harriet and Elizabeth will be there to get each other through all of this. It’s never going to be an easy thing to feel pain. It will always be one of the worst things in the world. These two are reminding each other to live.
Evans would have wanted that for them.
In a world where Elizabeth’s got every reason to be angry, the reasons to the be angrier keep coming. Her job fires her – not because she’s done anything wrong, but just because she’s pregnant. She tries to remind them that she can still do her job – that they wouldn’t fire a man.
Donatti admits that he wouldn’t. But TBH, I think he’s enjoying the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant and he can get her out. Why? Because he’s stolen her and Evans’ research and has gotten someone else to work on it with him. Everyone is so quick to betray her at every turn and it will be easier for her to not be there.
I partially blame Fran for everything, because well she told on Elizabeth. Fran is the worst too.
I do believe that Elizabeth will prevail, but I also think that what angers me is that I see her having to go through the worst things in life to get there. I don’t believe that the worst has to happen for a person to grow. I believe that Elizabeth and Evans could have grown together and though, hopefully, his death, will be a catalyst to move Elizabeth in a different way, it angers me.
It angers me because I want her child to have its father. I want her to have the love that she deserves. I want her to be happy.
But her road is going to be long and it’s going to be something that she’s going to have to steer. All I can hope that she does it burn down the patriarchy.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Elizabeth’s friend betraying her. What a dick. I hate him. He thinks bringing that box will make him redeemable? No sir.
- Fran is mean
- Elizabeth taking up rowing and running – we get it.
- Elizabeth at the doctor – love her doctors support. What a good man.
- Harriet is amazing. She’s fierce. Love her.
- Really miss Evans. I truly do.