Dickinson Season 2 is a Fun Romp into History

“Emily Dickinson…she’s a lot.” 

This line, delivered early in Season 2, does well to encapsulate the premise of Apple TV’s adaptation of Emily Dickinson’s life story. A poet who became famous after her death, Dickinson mixes factual accounts of her life with creative license, allowing for it to provide commentary on our current social climate. As creator Alena Smith says, “(The show) uses Emily Dickinson’s life and work as kind of a fun house mirror for what we are going through as people today.”

Here, Emily Dickinson and cohort possess modern day slang and sensibilities, but still exist in 1850’s America – one full of corsets, top hats, and ye’ olde faithful patriarchal norms. In many ways, the show is made for me by the supporting characters played by Kevin Yee (Toshiaki) and Season 2’s Ayo Edebiri (Hattie) who deliver hilarious one-liners with impeccable comedic timing. (I’m delighted to see Kevin Yee’s role of Toshiaki seemingly increased for Season 2, since he really delivered some of the most memorable moments in Season 1.)

Perhaps one of the best parts of Dickinson, though, is its soundtrack, which provides a perfect juxtaposition of old and new. In Season 2, for example, Doja Cat’s “Make That Cake” blasts while an old-fashioned cake-off gets underway. (Apparently Emily Dickinson was a boss at making Jamaican Black cakes.)

So, if you need something light and fun – like I did when I cracked a summer rosé this evening – give it a go. I LOL at least four times an episode (which only run 30 minutes long), and that’s more than I can say for most TV!

What shows have you been enjoying so far in 2021?