Dickinson Series Legacy Will Live-Forevermore!
The review of Dickinson without spoilers, the Apple TV + series with Hailee Steinfeld in the role of the famous poet
Plot:
Dickinson talks about the life of poet Emily Dickinson in the 19th century using a modern key to tell the facts.
Cast:
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson
Adrian Blake Enscoe as Austin Dickinson
Anna Baryshnikov as Lavinia “Vinnie” Dickinson
Jane Krakowski as Emily Norcross Dickinson
Wiz Khalifa as Death
Episodes:
The episodes are 10 for season. The series is created and written by Alena Smith who is also set to executive produce alongside David Gordon Green, Michael Sugar, Paul Lee, Hailee Steinfeld, Ashley Zalta, Alex Goldstone and Darlene Hunt. Production companies involved with the series include wiip and Anonymous Content.
Thoughts:
Dickinson closes the circle opened in 2019 by the creator Alena Smith who with her brilliant and fresh intuitions managed to bring the character of Emily Dickinson to life, thanks also to a phenomenal Hailee Stenfield.
Dickinson, is a series different from the others, because is mixes with so many elements and genres. It’s not really a comedy, it’s not really a drama (it has a particular structure, and it works great), and it’s not really a modern rewrite. Plays a lot with telling the patriarchal society of the 1800s where Emily Dickinson was born and raised but amalgamating with jokes, references, quotes from the contemporary world and the awareness of being in an antiquated and patriarchal world for the protagonist.
The third season specifically of Dickinson is just like the last verse of a poem, each episode is inspired by a work of Emily, and follows some lines in the course, showing them on the screen to the viewer and concentrates on finding their own voice and their audience, not only for the protagonist but also for the other characters.
It is poignant to see if Emily’s path will lead her to be published or not, and to almost peek when she is left alone to write, the flow of consciousness of her thoughts and feelings, thanks to an intimate, almost invasive direction. And at the same time, the interpretation of Hailee Steinfeld, also producer of the series, becomes more and more felt, finding its own rhythm with that of Emily, an almost sense of “peace”, although it is not only internal struggles that make her most productive writing period, but also the beginning of the civil war.
The heart of the show is also Emily and Sue’s relationship. As they’ve grown older, so has their romance. They’re now adults navigating obstacles, not just young schoolgirls engaging in flirtations. The growing pains of their love are evident, with Sue wishing they could be together and raise a family, like every other heteronormative couple of that time. The show earned a nomination for the GLAAD Media Award.
The visual aspect and the soundtrack are extremely important in the series and therefore not only the costumes but also the well-kept sets offer a fun contrast between what is told and what is shown.
We may never know the real Emily Dickinson, but with three seasons, we got the chance to learn a little bit more about this literary icon. Like Sue said, “we want more than just her poems”. I highly recommend this wonderful series and her wonderful poems.
Before you leave us, it seems more than fitting that the poet herself should have the final word.
This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me -
The simple News that Nature told -
With tender Majesty
Her Message is committed
To Hands I cannot see -
For love of Her — Sweet — countrymen -
Judge tenderly — of Me
Duration per episode: 30 minutesVote 10
Stream it now on Apple TV+
If you have seen it and want to say your opinion and your favorite Emily Dickinson poem, slip it into the comments or under the dedicated post on the instagram page @studiowhakan
Thank you for reading.
