Apple TV+’s biopic dramedy Dickinson is concluding with its third and final season this November, and it’s taking us through a time in American history that is stained with necessary social unrest and political upheaval: the Civil War. Created and written by Alena Smith, Dickinson is a contemporary retelling of the life of nineteenth-century feminist and “original sad girl”, Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld). During the brutal four-year war, Emily’s most fervent years of writing poetry occurred. Scholars estimate that almost half of the prolific poet’s nearly 1,800 poems were produced during this momentous period in Emily’s lifetime.
Over the course of Emily’s coming-of-age chronicle, Smith has woven parallels of the social-political climate of the 1850s United States and the nation we know today into the fabric of Dickinson’s story arc. Sexism, racism, and oppression of marginalized communities — critical issues that have plagued the U.S. for centuries — have been addressed throughout the rebellious reimagining. In Season 1, we witness Emily struggle to release herself from the confines of societal standards placed on women.
By the show’s second installation, Emily and many of the women around her take hold of their agency as individuals. Additionally, as Dickinson marched us steadily towards the Civil War, secondary characters were brought to the frontlines of the series’ story to spotlight the racism endured by Amherst’s Black Community, mirroring similar civil unrest and political strife we bear witness to today.
Dickinson also illustrates the beautiful and complex queer love story of Emily and her best friend and sister-in-law, Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt), better known to fans as “EmiSue”. Gender-bending and sexual fluidity are two unapologetic themes lending themselves to the foundation of the period piece and standing as a testament to the current societal barriers being torn down by today’s youth.
Our first look into Season 3 foreshadows a contemplative Emily arming herself for wartimes with the most powerful arsenal a poet can yield: a quill, ink, and a piece of paper. “This is a very dark time,” Emily tells her sister Lavinia (Anna Baryshnikov) and friends. “The violence, the suffering. That’s what I want to heal. With my poetry.”
Here, we’re given a glimpse of an important shift in Emily’s priorities as a literary artist. Once haunted by a challenging relationship with fame, Emily now finds herself on a pursuit to use words to help others during a time when hope feels thin and triumph over social injustice appears far away.
Emily’s newfound calling to help others, however, will not be met easily when the nation’s conflict is coupled with conflict at home. The trailer reveals a strained relationship between Sue and Emily’s family crumbling before her into “complete chaos”.
Season 3 also looks to introduce American poet Walt Whitman (Billy Eichner) into the story, who encourages Emily to dive deep into the trenches of her emotions as well as the world’s. “To be a great poet,” Whitman reminds Emily, “you have to feel everything. The pleasure, the pain, the sunlight, the shade.”
With the weight of the world seemingly resting on her shoulders, Emily faces the daunting task to internalize the next four years of war and articulate it in a way that resonates with others so that she may become their lantern in a time of darkness and uncertainty.
Dickinson Season 3 premieres with its first three episodes on Friday, November 5th only on Apple TV+.
