Series: Dickinson
Where to watch it: Apple TV+
Seasons: One
Spoilers: No
This show is set in the 1800’s and is a very much fictionalized account of Emily Dickinson. Emily is a determined young woman who must fight to maintain her independence. Her only hope is her father. Her mother is intent on marrying her off. She has a clueless little sister who drank the kool-aid and can’t wait to be married. Oh, and her best friend and lover is engaged to her brother. Emily just wants to write.
Rating: A
Is it worth watching: When I learned that I got a free subscription to Apple TV+ with my new phone, this was the first show I wanted to watch. I was not disappointed. Dickinson is a unique, dark comedy. It creates a surreal period piece that is meddled with modern moments. It paints the past in a nearly dystopian light that almost trivializes the acceptance of the oppression of women, racism, and commonality of death due to lack of healthcare. The contrast of the offenses are more jarring when it switches to the teens throwing a raging party, getting drunk and high, and twerking in their colonial dresses.
The bleak humor draws attention to how unfair the injustice is in Emily’s life. While the modern moments almost show us how far we’ve come and how we have forgotten the luxury that we do have.
