Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s ‘Lessons in Chemistry‘ follows the incredible life of Elizabeth Zott, revealing how a brilliant chemist becomes a popular cooking show host. The journey, as expected, is full of ups and downs, and with each challenge, something new about Elizabeth is revealed. She changes things wherever she goes, and she continues this trend with her final appearance in ‘Supper at Six.’
In the last episode of ‘Lessons in Chemistry,’ Elizabeth decides to leave her cooking show, even though the ratings have never been higher and she can make so much more money from it. Instead, she follows a different path, and with her departure, the show has to tackle its biggest challenge. Who will become the next Elizabeth Zott? SPOILERS AHEAD
Elizabeth’s Departure Opens Supper at Six to New Possibilities
One of the things that set Elizabeth Zott apart was her ability to see the best in a person, even when they couldn’t see it themselves. Instead of pushing people down, she wanted them to rise, break the glass ceiling, and find what made them feel good. She was brought on board ‘Supper at Six’ because she looked good and she was a good cook. She was expected to follow the rules of the industry to look pretty while making good food, which is what was expected of women. Instead, Elizabeth rewrites the rules.
While focused on cooking, ‘Supper at Six’ becomes a revolutionary TV show because it dismantles preconceived notions and expectations and gives something entirely new to the audience. Elizabeth doesn’t treat her audience (who are “just” housewives) as people of low intelligence, incapable of understanding the terms of chemistry she throws around all the time. She treats them with the respect they deserve, and that’s what they give her back.
Elizabeth also shows the audience that nothing is out of their reach, and they should follow their dreams no matter what. One of the women takes her advice to heart, and after years of fantasizing about being a heart surgeon, she enrolls in a medical college and embarks on the journey, no matter how daunting it might be. This, in turn, inspires Elizabeth, who decides to go back to being a chemist, get her PhD, and pursue a full-time career in science, but that doesn’t mean she’ll just drop ‘Supper at Six.’
From past experiences, it was clear to Elizabeth that ‘Supper at Six’ wasn’t just about her. A lot of people worked on it, and even a single day’s suspension affected their lives adversely. If she left the show and it was shut down, it would take away the livelihood of all those people, including Walter, who had become a dear friend to him. It was also clear to Elizabeth that ‘Supper at Six’ was much bigger than her. She was a part of the show, not the show itself, which means, no matter how it seemed, she was replaceable, and that was great because it opened the door to a previously unthought-of possibility.
When Elizabeth reveals her plans to leave the show, she tells the audience that they will be looking for someone new to host the show. She offers her audience, which consists almost entirely of women, to come forward with their stories and tell them why they would be a perfect fit to be the next host of the show. Through this, she leaves the spot for some other perfectly capable woman to take the job and enjoy her time in the spotlight.
It could be anyone, a housewife, a scientist, a lawyer, a teacher— anyone with a passion for cooking, as well as a voice they are not afraid to use. It is expected that the show would be flooded with responses, and Elizabeth herself would help choose the right person for the job, which she came to realize over time was much more than just a cooking show. It was a platform that could be used to change people’s lives, and Elizabeth would’ve made sure that someone like her, or better, was in charge of it.
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