DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Dickinson episode “It feels a shame to be Alive -” is riddled with spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, poetic lovers! Dickinson‘s second episode of the season feels quieter compared to the premiere. While it doesn’t pack as much of a punch, it’s understandable, considering Emily tries to mend fences in the aftermath of Austin’s tirade and Edward’s collapse.
That said, the outing strikes the perfect balance between heart and humor, with Jane Krakowski morphing into an 1860s version of Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock. I’m not mad about it.
Emily and Frazar Stearns share some tender moments that tug on the heartstrings while Austin barrels down the path of self-destruction, making me dislike him more and more with each scene.
Ready to delve into “It feels a shame to be Alive -“? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and Vinnie (Anna Baryshnikov), sleeping in bed the morning after Edward’s health scare. Emily wants reassurance that their father is alive, and Vinnie surmises he had a minor heart attack, but he’s fine now.
Vinnie wonders whether what Austin said the night before is true — maybe their dad is preventing them from living their lives. Emily longs to keep the family together, and she wholeheartedly believes Austin should apologize.
Later, Emily visits The Evergreens, searching for Austin, but she finds Sue (Ella Hunt) engorging on an array of food. Austin never came home after his explosive argument with Edward.
Sue agrees with everything Austin said, citing how the Dickinson family treats Emily. She wishes she could run away with Emily, and they could raise the baby together.
Suddenly, Sue starts having contractions, and Emily makes a beeline for her house to get help.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dickinson (Krakowski) tends to Edward (Toby Huss), and Vinnie brings him tea. Emily storms in, asking if they need a doctor to help deliver Sue’s child. However, Mrs. Dickinson takes the reins — she used to help cows give birth on the Norcross farm, after all. Thus, Vinnie stays behind to care for her father.
With the aid of Maggie (Darlene Hunt), Mrs. Dickinson prepares to deliver the baby. Sue doesn’t want Austin at her side; she wants Emily. But Emily finds the birthing process to be slightly horrific.
Later, we see Austin (Adrian Blake Enscoe) partying it up with Jane (Gus Birney) and her crew in the woods. He’s throwing a farewell shindig for Frazar Stearns (Will Pullen), a.k.a. “Nobody” from Season Two. Frazar will be going away to fight in The Civil War.
Then, Mrs. Dickinson reveals it could be a few hours before Sue gives birth. Emily, bored and disgusted, steps outside the room after Sue grants her permission to do so. She finds Frazar at the door, and he confesses he wanted to say goodbye before he leaves.
The pair have drinks together, and Frazar urges Emily to drop the “fake happiness” act. He always admired her for her straight-shooter candor. Of course, Emily’s all about hope now, and it’s difficult for her to reconcile optimism and realism.
Frazar reassures Emily regarding her vision about him dying. He might perish; lots of soldiers have lost their lives already.
Back at the Dickinson home, Vinnie reads aloud the war casualties in the newspaper to Edward. She wonders whether one of those men could’ve been her potential soulmate. Naturally, she’s glad her father is alive, but Vinnie can’t help but think she squandered her life away. Edward asks her to switch to the sports section instead.
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Meanwhile, Austin and Jane stroll through the woods, arm in arm. Austin reveals his feelings for her — she makes him feel alive! Unfortunately, Jane is poised to marry Pierre, a wealthy rice plantation owner developing ports for French trade, and she’ll be heading to Vietnam soon with him.
Austin pleads with her to stay, but it’s too late. Jane wishes him well.
Next, Frazar asks Emily if he can have one of her poems. He’ll keep it in the pocket near his heart. She hands him what she wrote earlier that day — “It feels a shame to be Alive -.” Emily reveals she wrote it for “nobody.” I like the clever tie-ins to Pullen portraying “Nobody” in the second season.
Frazar Stearns departs with a token of Emily Dickinson’s spirit.
Then, Emily learns that Sue gave birth (I’m assuming this is Edward “Ned” Dickinson), and she finds Austin intoxicated, urinating on the barn outside. She informs him that he’s a father. Before Austin ventures inside to meet his child, Emily urges him to apologize to Edward. However, Austin doesn’t plan on speaking to him ever again.
As much as Emily wants their family to be whole, Austin tells her she’ll have to pick a side.
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“It feels a shame to be Alive -” further exposes the painful divide in the Dickinson clan and illustrates the real “big bad” of the season — inner turmoil. Those Emily/Frazar scenes beautifully convey the bittersweet side to hope, and the show deftly paints a picture of how close to home The Civil War gets for Emily.
I’m sure we’ll hear news of Frazar’s passing later in the season since the real-life Frazar Stearns died in the war.
Jane Krakowski continues to be one of the funniest parts of Dickinson, and I hope we see more of Farmer Emily Norcross on the show.
New episodes of Dickinson are available to stream Fridays on Apple TV Plus.
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