Dickinson
Dickinson is a comedy-drama series on Apple TV+ that reimagines the life of poet Emily Dickinson with a modern sensibility, blending 19th-century settings with contemporary language, music, and themes. The show primarily focuses on Emily's coming-of-age, her poetic aspirations, and her relationships, especially her intense romantic involvement with her best friend and sister-in-law, Sue Gilbert. It explores themes of gender roles, sexual identity, artistic expression, and rebellion against societal norms. The series is known for its anachronistic style, providing a fresh, albeit historically interpretive, look at Dickinson's life. It is generally targeted at a young adult audience, offering a feminist and queer-inclusive narrative.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighThe series prominently features a central homosexual relationship between Emily Dickinson and her best friend/sister-in-law, Sue Gilbert, which is a core focus from season one and evolves throughout the series, including intimate romantic and sexual encounters. The show's creator and cast have openly discussed its queer romance as central to its identity. Emily is portrayed as questioning her sexuality but ultimately embraces her queerness, particularly her love for Sue. The show has been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community for its representation.
Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld) and Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt) are explicitly depicted as lovers. In Season 1, upon Sue's betrothal to Emily's brother Austin, Emily and Sue profess their love and kiss under an apple tree. Later, a scene in Season 3, Episode 10, shows Emily and Sue kissing passionately in a bedroom, with Emily tracing Sue's neck and shoulder, described as their 'sexiest moment' by critics, implying strong physical intimacy without explicit graphic nudity. Another scene in Season 1 suggests Emily and Sue 'proceed to have sex' after a conversation about feeling trapped.
Romance and Sexual Content
HighThe show features frequent and central romantic and sexual themes, particularly the passionate relationship between Emily and Sue. While explicit nudity is generally avoided, sexual acts are implied or shown suggestively, and there is significant kissing and intimate touching. The content intensifies across seasons as relationships develop and various characters engage in romantic entanglements.
Emily and Sue's relationship includes intense kissing and implied sexual activity, such as a scene where they 'proceed to have sex.' Other suggestive content includes a young couple engaging in sexual activity where the man's head is beneath the woman's dress, and a man attempting to put his hand up his fiancée's skirt. There are also references in dialogue to a publisher having sexual relationships with women he publishes.
Disrespect & Rebellion
HighA central theme of the series is Emily Dickinson's rebellion against societal expectations and parental authority, which manifests as frequent disrespect, defiance of traditional gender roles, and disregard for rules. Other characters also display rebellious attitudes.
Emily frequently pushes back against her parents' attempts to find her a suitor, explicitly stating her desire to be a great writer instead of a conventional housewife. She is shown cross-dressing as a man to sneak into a no-women-allowed college lecture hall, overtly defying the gender norms of her era and parental expectations.
Profanity
MediumThe series includes moderate coarse language, with occasional uses of mild to stronger curse words throughout the dialogue, consistent with its TV-14 rating.
Instances of the 's-word,' 'h—' (hell), and 'd—it' (damn it) are heard in various episodes. Additionally, the show contains 'several misuses of Christ and God' within character dialogue.
Substance Use
MediumThe series depicts characters engaging in substance use, including smoking, drinking alcohol, and the use of opium at parties. This content is present in social contexts and is not always portrayed negatively.
Emily shares opium with guests at a party during her parents' absence, leading to altered states. Characters are frequently shown drinking wine at dinner, and liquor bottles are visible in various settings. Two young people hide from their parents to share a cigarette, and other characters are seen smoking pipes and cigars.
Scary & Intense Content
MediumThe show has some emotionally intense or mildly unsettling scenes, particularly those related to death, societal pressures, or Emily's internal struggles. However, it does not feature graphic horror, jump scares, or sustained terrifying imagery.
Emily awakens after having a nightmare about losing Sue, indicating emotional distress. The personification of 'Death' as a recurring character, while metaphorical, can create an eerie or unsettling atmosphere, especially during his interactions with Emily.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumThe series, while set in a religious 19th-century New England, portrays skepticism and questioning of traditional Christian faith. Emily's personal faith is explored as being distinct from mainstream Christianity, and there are implied criticisms of religious hypocrisy or restrictive doctrines. Her poetry in the show sometimes houses doubt and sarcastic depictions of traditional faith.
Emily's poetry in the show can be interpreted as holding 'sarcastic depictions of traditional faith,' and she refers to conventional religious practices, such as the 'gestures of the pulpit' and 'hallelujahs,' as 'narcotics.' She is also depicted as a 'radical 'unbeliever'' in some contexts, having chosen to escape societal and religious pressures, with her rebelliousness likened to 'Nietzsche rejecting God'.
Violence
LowThe series contains mild and infrequent violence, primarily comedic or implied, and not graphic. There are occasional intense moments, but no sustained graphic violence.
A scene in one episode depicts a chicken being beheaded, though the camera pans away before the explicit act is shown. There are no detailed descriptions or depictions of other significant violent acts or gore.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThe series occasionally includes supernatural or fantastical elements, often tied to Emily's poetic imagination, but these are generally symbolic or metaphorical rather than depicting explicit witchcraft, magic rituals, or demonic activity. Emily envisions 'Death' as a personified character.
Emily envisions 'Death' as a man (portrayed by Wiz Khalifa) riding in a carriage pulled by ghostly horses, serving as a recurring metaphorical presence rather than an occult practice. In a mild scene, a woman enters a room 'growling with her hair over her face to scare her mother,' which is unsettling but not indicative of actual occult practices.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
TV-14, recommended for ages 14 and up. This recommendation is due to the mature thematic elements, prominent LGBTQ+ representation, implied sexual content, moderate coarse language, and central themes of rebellion and questioning of traditional values.
Additional Notes
The anachronistic style, which blends 19th-century historical elements with modern language, music, and contemporary attitudes, may be confusing or off-putting for viewers expecting a strictly historically accurate portrayal. The show's portrayal of Emily Dickinson as a 'millennial comedy' heroine, while engaging, represents a significant interpretive departure from traditional historical accounts of the poet's life and personality.
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