DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Dickinson series finale episode “This was a Poet – ” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome, poets! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the end of the road. Dickinson‘s series finale, “This was a Poet – ” is a surefooted yet quiet closing number for Emily Dickinson and her clan. It relies less on imaginary sequences/breaks from reality than previous outings save for the opening scene with Death and Emily’s final moments on the water.
While I adore those fantastical bits, I understand the need for Emily to remain in the present. EmiSue fans might be disappointed we don’t get any time with the two of them. Thankfully, we can bask in the glow of that scene in episode nine. Emily only has moments with Death, Vinnie, Betty and Maggie in the series finale. Of course, I would have loved some family scenes, but I believe this decision is intentional.
Think about it: the Emily Dickinson we read about lived a secluded life. She enjoyed solitude and wrote incessantly in her bedroom. And, since her most productive period occurred during The Civil War, this makes sense.
I would have liked a scene with Emily and Edward mending fences, much like Austin’s reconciliation with his father. But I think Emily’s journey in “This was a Poet – ” focuses on the poet. Our poet.
This episode is a tender, touching and soft farewell. We get some wonderful family moments and hints regarding Emily’s everlasting impact on the literary world.
Ready to delve into “This was a Poet – “? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), tending to her vibrant garden. Death (Wiz Khalifa) waltzes in, dressed to the nines in his newest suit. It’s a stunning white fit bedecked with bees (Dickinson wrote about 100 poems on bees). He’s recovered his mojo; he’s got a pep in his step. I love the juxtaposition of Death standing in a vividly colorful garden, a place full of life.
Death also sports the color Emily wears for most of her life — white. You would think one obsessed with mortality wouldn’t wear white; it seems like the antithesis of death.
Anyway, Death reminds Emily that she’s on a deadline, and it’s high time she finds the perfect outfit. Her uniform, you might say. Considering her most significant output was during The Civil War, this term seems fitting. After an impromptu dance session in the garden with Death, Emily appears more resolved than ever to get to work. I love seeing Death in the series premiere and the series finale.
Later, Emily asks Vinnie (Anna Baryshnikov) to help unfasten her dress. Emily needs to write, and this corset doesn’t allow her to “inhale inspiration.”
Outside the Dickinson abode, Austin (Adrian Blake Enscoe) and Sue (Ella Hunt) bring their son in for a visit with Mama D, a.k.a. Grandma Cookie (Jane Krakowski) and Edward (Toby Huss).
Austin and Edward mend fences, and the younger Dickinson asks his father to assist him with a case. A young Black girl was illegally sold into slavery by a family in Amherst, and her brothers were imprisoned unjustly for trying to free her. Austin hopes to imbue meaning into the family name by representing the brothers and taking on cases that help those who need it.
Meanwhile, Vinnie knits away in the kitchen with Maggie (Darlene Hunt), who seems a mite horny on this fine spring day. Betty (Amanda Warren) enters the house, asking where Emily is.
Betty finds Emily writing, and she thanks our poet for giving her hope. Emily reveals she wants to create a new dress — a frock unlike anything else. She asks Betty to aid her with mapping out the design. Emily wants to sew it herself.
Next, Edward agrees to tackle the case with Austin, and all is well in the Dickinson home!
Austin and Sue are about to reveal their son’s name to Mama D and Edward when Maggie reveals they have a visitor — Colonel Higginson (Gabriel Ebert). Maggie feels frisky, and she wants a slice of that Higginson pie. I love that Maggie struggles to recall Higginson’s name, and at one point, she calls him “Hemsworth.”
Higginson gushes about Emily to her family, enthusiastically describing her as a genius. He believes she captured the essence of the battlefield better than anyone with firsthand experience. Anyway, he wants to meet Emily, so while Sue and Mama D tend to the guest, Maggie heads upstairs to fetch the poet.
Then, we see Betty and Emily brainstorming design ideas for Emily’s new dress. Firstly, Emily decides on white as the color, just like her pal Death. She wants pockets for her writing implements because you never know when inspiration might strike. Emily desires buttons on the front, enabling her to put on and remove the dress herself without assistance.
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Oh, and she detests corsets, so none of that. Someone, get this woman a streamlined, shapeless silhouette! Emily needs a dress that allows her to live life.
Maggie informs Emily about her visitor, but our fave poet isn’t ready to meet Higginson yet. She needs more time to polish her poetry! She urges Maggie to give him an excuse — tell him she’s with Betty for a fitting, or she’s writing.
Later, Sue pulls Mama D aside because the latter asked Higginson to remove his Civil-War-dust-caked jacket. He could help Emily become an established poet! He was the co-editor of her first two poetry collections after she passed.
Sue puts her mother-in-law in her place, demanding Mama D unleash her best dishware and cater to Higginson’s every whim.
I love the dynamic switch between Sue and Mama D; it’s a testament to their evolving relationship. “Susan Gilbert, you really are that b**ch,” killed me. Jenna Maroney surfaced there for a minute.
After serving Higginson some beverages to tide him over while waiting for Emily, the family tells the colonel all about our poet. Austin, Edward and Mama D describe her as the “weird one” of the group. That is until Vinnie barges into the room while donning what looks like a massive, red-knitted sock. Only her eyes are visible. She recites something impassioned about war, and it’s clear this is one of Vinnie’s performance art pieces.
Austin noting Vinnie’s not Emily is such a fun comedic bit, followed by Vinnie stumbling and almost taking Sue down with her. I have a theory that Baryshnikov fell and that it’s not a scripted moment.
Betty departs after she finishes sketching Emily’s new dress, which looks identical to what she wore in real life.
Downstairs, Sue and Austin announce the name of their son — Edward!
They ask Papa D for permission, which he ecstatically gives. Mama D can’t wait to show her grandson off at church!
Higginson catches Betty before she leaves and informs her that Henry is alive and well. He hands Betty all of Henry’s unsent letters, and, as he heads inside, Betty clutches them to her chest, tears of joy streaming down her face. Warren knocks this scene out of the park. I’m so happy for Betty!
Higginson claims he’s willing to wait for as long as it takes to meet Emily. Maggie shares an anecdote about the “old Irish wars,” revealing it was universally agreed upon to “spare the poets.” The poets must live to tell the tale.
The last five minutes of the episode are devoted to Emily. As she recites one of her poems, we see the seasons change. A montage plays out featuring Emily basking in the solace of her bedroom. Said montage captures Emily’s introverted nature beautifully.
One day, Emily stares at a painting of a ship, and she’s transported to a sandy beach. She spots a bevy of mermaids lounging in the sun. Emily dons her signature white dress and plays with a dog. Then, she clambers into a solitary rowboat and paddles out into the waters.
“Wait for me; I’m coming,” she says.
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I appreciate that “This was a Poet – ” isn’t blatantly emotional or dramatic; instead, it’s more introspective and reflective. It hones in on the Dickinson family and Emily’s (sort of) detachment from them as she puts on her “uniform” and gets to work. Emily serves on the home front during The Civil War. I like that Betty and Death refer to Emily’s new dress as a “uniform.”
Of course, I’d be remiss if I said I didn’t cry when Sue and Austin asked for permission to name their son Edward and when Betty received Henry’s letters.
Everyone brings their A-game, acting-wise, but it’s not the performances in “This was a Poet – ” that compels. Rather, it’s the enthralling way Alena Smith depicts Emily’s transformation from a young poet to a uniformed writer, a literary soldier whose “wars are laid away in books.”
We see her become the creative titan we know her to be.
Alena, thank you for creating such boundary-breaking, visually stunning television. For helming this intelligent comedy that examines modern themes through an antiquated lens. For giving us a peek into Emily’s active imagination and presenting such a loving exploration and dissection of her poetry. I believe if Emily were alive today, she’d love Dickinson.
It’s a cleverly crafted homage to art, innovation, love and hope that doesn’t “bury your gays” and serves as a bastion of LGBTQIA+ representation with EmiSue. Hailee Steinfeld makes Emily accessible, breathing nuance and tenderness into a larger-than-life person. Now, a new generation can enjoy her poetry.
If hope is the thing with feathers, Dickinson is our winged salvation.
All episodes of Dickinson are now streaming on Apple TV Plus.
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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.
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