BJ Novak’s Surprise ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ Role Will Leave You Sobbing

Lessons in Chemistry Episode 3, “Living Dead Things,” is a moving homage to Bonnie Garmus’ bestselling book. And in an unexpected twist, we have actor BJ Novak to thank.

Episode 2 of Apple TV+’s limited series, which stars Brie Larson as stellar scientist Elizabeth Zott, ended on a heartbreaking cliffhanger with Calvin (Lewis Pullman) fatally struck by a bus mid-run and Six-Thirty the dog left standing on the sidewalk to process the weight of his crushing loss.

Rather than picking up where we left off, “Living Dead Things” opens in an unfamiliar place — a U.S. Army training base — with an unfamiliar voice narrating an unfamiliar story. “I can’t remember the day I was born. I can’t remember my parents. I can’t remember how I ended up in this place where I so clearly wasn’t built to be,” the voice says. “The first thing I remember is fear. I was there to be brave. I was trained to protect. I was supposed to act, but instead I was paralyzed. I was a coward and I hated myself for it.”

By the time the narrator pronounced the word “place,” I knew it was Novak. And by the time the camera landed on Six-Thirty cowering in fear while a trainer held his leash, I knew the top of the episode was being told from his point of view. Those who’ve read Garmus’ novel know that Six-Thirty narrated several chapters, so this episode was likely an exciting and refreshing adaptation of the source material. As someone who didn’t read the book, the shift in narrative tugged at my heartstrings all the same. And Novak was the perfect pick for the pooch.

Speaking as an Office superfan, I was immediately delighted that Novak’s involvement in the series meant Lessons in Chemistry‘s mini Dunder Mifflin reunion was even bigger than expected. Creator Lee Eisenberg (who also makes an appearance as a funeral director in Episode 3) served as a writer/producer/director/actor on The Office, so the fact that he enlisted the talents of two stars — Novak and Rainn Wilson, who appears later in the series — was a delightful choice. But as someone who’s heard Novak narrate his own books, One More Thing and The Book With No Pictures, I wasn’t the least bit surprised by his ability to lend apt emotional depth to Six-Thirty’s dialogue. (Novak also voices Baker in The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2, but sadly I have yet to get my Smurf on.)

To those without knowledge of the book, the depiction of a talking dog on-screen could easily come across as painfully cheesy. But I’d be lying if I said Lessons in Chemistry‘s supercuts of memories shared between Six-Thirty, Elizabeth, and Calvin; the dog’s haunting guilt over his inability to protect; and the chasm between him and Elizabeth in the aftermath of tragedy didn’t move me to tears at times.

“She didn’t speak to me for days. She didn’t touch me. She barely looked at me. I had hoped that time would make her forget it was my fault but how could she?” Novak’s comforting voice reflected. In a later scene, Elizabeth unpacks Calvin’s belongings and tosses a tennis ball Six-Thirty’s way. “I knew it was a small thing but it came with so many memories of him, of us,” he said. Sorry, but I’m SOBBING.

We frequently think about the brutal loss of pets and the painful void their absence leaves in our lives. But rarely do we allow ourselves to entertain ideas of how our disappearance could impact them. Considering the unique perspective helps deepen Lessons in Chemistry‘s story, broadens Calvin’s legacy, and just plain makes us sad that animals can feel pain.

Throughout the episodes, Six-Thirty accompanies Elizabeth to Calvin’s funeral; stays by her side through quiet, contemplative moments of grief; and eventually comforts her as she sobs. In an emotional final scene, Elizabeth summons the strength to take Six-Thirty for a walk, and in Calvin’s memory, that walk turns into a run. “What can you say to someone that’s lost everything? And then it came to me; this thing Calvin used to say every time he’d get tired of running. That’s the beauty of running, he’d say. When you don’t think you can move forward, when you’re sad about your yesterdays, or not sure about tomorrow, your purpose is just being there, putting one foot in front of the other,” Novak narrated. “It’s all you have to think about. One foot. One foot. And then sure enough you’ll be home.”

As Carlos Rafael Rivera’s gentle score swelled and the image of Elizabeth and Six-Thirty sprinting and surviving overtook the screen, I was thankful that Novak’s voice was the one to lull us out. From creating WUPHF on The Office to voicing an actual dog on Lessons in Chemistry, this guy has come a long way.

New episodes of Lessons in Chemistry premiere Fridays on Apple TV+.