Dickinson
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to 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.
Things to Consider
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
The 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
The 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.
Disrespect & Rebellion
A 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.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
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.
Good to Know
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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