To say Lessons in Chemistry has a lot of elements in its lab is a significant understatement. The show, based on the Bonnie Garmus novel of the same name, looks into early 60s gender relations, race relations, or workers’ rights– including, but not limited to specific subjects like sexual assault, intellectual property theft, faith, the abuse of the Catholic Church (but not the ones you’re thinking of), and the evils of product placement. Sometimes one wishes they traded breadth for a bit more depth on certain plotlines. But the series’ heart does help with that considerably. There are some pretty dire and depressing issues brought to bear here, but the show never traffics in miserabilism. Even when painful tragedies pile on Elizabeth Zott, Lee Eisenberg and co-writers Elissa Karasik and Emily Fox ensure the weight never crushes. And the strong cast papers over much of the show’s sins and excesses, especially lead Brie Larson, who makes each component feel honest enough that she brings the audience on board. Lessons in Chemistry doesn’t pretend everything’s great, but it clutches to hope throughout.