DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Dickinson season premiere episode “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” is riddled with spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome, poetic lovers! Dickinson is back, and now all is right with the world. “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” catapults the show into The Civil War, and, much like the COVID-19 pandemic, a dark cloud looms over our crew. This outing expertly blends the fanciful inner workings of Emily’s mind, i.e., her chat with Death and her fighting on the battlefield, with the bleak realism of familial death and personal downfalls.
As per Dickinson‘s usual, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” seamlessly adheres to the theme of Emily’s poetry. The episode’s predominant message of hope encourages us all we wade through the currently ominous landscape.
Chock full of tongue-in-cheek humor, fantastic performances and tender Emily and Sue moments, this outing confidently sets the stage for what’s sure to be an entertaining last ride in Death’s carriage.
Ready to delve into “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”? Let’s get to it.
RELATED: Top 10 Favorite LGBTQIA+ TV Couples
We open with Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) soldiering on through a dangerous battlefield. Throughout The Civil War, Emily wrote a poem a day, so we’re in for a particularly productive time in her life.
She wanders into her room, and we see she instantly changes into a black dress from her soldier’s garb. Emily sits down to write.
Now, she attends a funeral with Mrs. Dickinson (Jane Krakowski), Lavinia (Anna Baryshnikov) and Edward (Toby Huss). While the preacher delivers a moving eulogy fit for a soldier, we learn it’s the funeral for Aunt Lavinia, Mrs. Dickinson’s sister and Vinnie’s namesake. Austin is absent from the somber occasion.
Emily notices a bird perching on Aunt Lavinia’s coffin.
Then, Emily spots Death’s carriage and sits with him for a spell. Death (Wiz Khalifa) presents a problem — he’s feeling uninspired since the war began. Unfortunately, everyone dies from either gunshot wounds or gangrene. He asks Emily how she stays inspired, notably since her life is so uneventful.
Later, Sue (Ella Hunt) stops by the Dickinson abode, and we see she’s super pregnant. According to Sue, Austin is incapacitated, presumably from a night of debauchery and copious drinking. The family plans to have guests later for an after-funeral party, and Mrs. Dickinson urges Sue to greet the said guests when they arrive.
However, Emily takes Sue upstairs to rest. Emily wrestles with her desire to make out with Sue even though she carries Austin’s baby.
It’s a mood killer.
But Sue reasserts her undying, unadulterated love for Emily. It’s common knowledge that Austin and Sue’s marriage is on the rocks. Sue wishes her child belonged to Emily, and the pair could raise the baby together. Emily doesn’t want children, which puts a damper on Sue’s daydream.
Thankfully, the pair kiss, and, despite the circumstances, true love prevails.
Meanwhile, Austin (Adrian Enscoe) barges into the house armed with a bouquet for his mother. He apologizes for his absence from the funeral. Edward pulls Austin aside for a come-to-Jesus chat. He worries Austin might soon go the way of his father. Austin’s spiraling out of control with his drinking and partying. Emily waltzes in when Edward clutches his chest and falters.
Austin leaves with an air of nonchalance while Emily prepares to take action. However, Edward insists he’s “fine,” so Emily tends to the guests instead.
Betty (Amanda Warren) arrives with Mrs. Dickinson’s funeral bonnet. She tells Emily she hasn’t heard from Henry in a month. Naturally, Betty wonders if something awful happened to him, and Emily encourages Betty to hold fast to hope. That’s her new thing now, thanks to the bird at Aunt Lavinia’s funeral — hope.
RELATED: Queer Tested, Teacher Approved: What’s With Teen LGBTQ+ Movies?
Next, Jane (Gus Birney) and her fashionable posse make their grand entrance. Jane informs Vinnie that Joseph Lyman had perished in the war. First Ship, now Joseph.
While Emily sits with her mother, Ithamar Conkey (Robert Picardo) offers his condolences and asks to speak with Emily privately.
Later, Austin surreptitiously cozies up to Jane, mistress and mother to his godson. Jane tries to end their affair, citing Sue’s pregnancy and impending birth. But Austin insists that Sue won’t care — they don’t love each other, anyway, and everyone knows it.
Ithamar proposes to Emily, and it’s simultaneously sweet and misogynistic. He refers to himself as “still young” while Emily’s practically a rotting corpse. Regardless, Ithamar’s drawn to Emily’s unbridled hope and sunny disposition. She declines his proposal, and, thankfully, Betty swoops in to save the day. Picardo is brilliant in this scene.
Then, we see Henry (Chinaza Uche) is alive, and he appears to be finding a way home. Yay!
During dinner, Edward gives a beautiful speech about family and supporting each other amid these turbulent times. Mrs. Dickinson doesn’t like that he refrains from mentioning Aunt Lavinia by name, so Emily follows up his words with an equally eloquent speech. She vows to prioritize her family, keep them safe and be a beacon of hope for them.
Unfortunately, Austin believes Emily’s words are empty, and he calls the family out for their phoniness and lies. He thinks everyone’s miserable. Austin hurls vitriol at Edward, causing the latter to collapse from the stress on his heart. Austin drunkenly sings the National Anthem while Emily tends to her father. She orders Austin to leave.
While checking for a heartbeat (and finding one), Emily spots that bird again, flying among the lit candles and pictures adorning the walls.
There it is, again — hope.
RELATED: Queer Tested, Teacher Approved: 16 Disaster Bisexuals in YA Media
The writing in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” is quintessential Dickinson: intelligent, poetic and biting. I love the metaphorical language in Emily’s inspirational speech at the dinner table versus Austin’s hopeless tirade. She finds hope in the bird while Austin talks about Edward “clipping” their wings and caging them.
Dickinson‘s final season is shaping up to be its best yet, and, as much as I don’t want this ride to end, I can’t wait to see what transpires next.
New episodes of Dickinson are available to stream Fridays on Apple TV Plus.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/27-queer-content-creators-of-color-we-love-and-support/
[email protected]
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
- YELLOWJACKETS Recap: (S03E06) Thanksgiving (Canada) - March 14, 2025
- TED LASSO Season 4 Is Officially a Go at Apple TV+ - March 14, 2025
- HARLEY QUINN Recap: (S05E09) Bottle Episode (But Not a ‘Bottle Episode’) - March 13, 2025
