I don't know much about to anything about Emily Dickinson but I was really looking forward to this show and I have to say the first episode was good a good start and I can't wait to watch more. The cast is all great, the comedy is there and it's pretty strong, the characters are all well made. The only problem I have is the pacing was a little bit off at the start but other than that a great start. Overall a good start to a show that I can't wait to watch more of.
9 Reviews
The Story Is Interesting, The Soundtrack Definitely Not
Littleman9528 February 2021
Plot: good and interesting. I like the fact that is about female power since she will do it, right?
Actress and Actors & Acting: the cast is not so bad like I thought, they did their work quite well. Not flawlessly, but still watchable.
Soundtrack: wow, this is the only thing heavily out of tune. Literally. I can't get why they used modern music for an old setting show. Totally out of tune.
Conclusion: a very enjoyable and interesting story (or at least it seems so) but with a soundtrack that scuppers everything else. Sadly. But I'll keep watching it for the story.
Actress and Actors & Acting: the cast is not so bad like I thought, they did their work quite well. Not flawlessly, but still watchable.
Soundtrack: wow, this is the only thing heavily out of tune. Literally. I can't get why they used modern music for an old setting show. Totally out of tune.
Conclusion: a very enjoyable and interesting story (or at least it seems so) but with a soundtrack that scuppers everything else. Sadly. But I'll keep watching it for the story.
Fun and an entertaining take on Emily Dickinson.
cruise017 November 2019
4.5 out of 5 stars.
The episode starts out being fun, comedic, and dramatic about Emily being raises in a family were equal rights is unforeseen. Hailee Steinfield is great and lovable. The script and direction kept the show fun and entertaining which i cant wait to see the rest.
The episode starts out being fun, comedic, and dramatic about Emily being raises in a family were equal rights is unforeseen. Hailee Steinfield is great and lovable. The script and direction kept the show fun and entertaining which i cant wait to see the rest.
Unique Direction. Looking forward to it!
vgamerdc17 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Dickinson Episode One: Whole Heartedly Original
I whole heartedly enjoyed this first episode, despite my initial skepticism. I was worried primarily about the direction of the episode, and thus the rest of the series. Would this be yet another period show centered on a female protagonist in the patriarchal world likely dealing with social issues which are reflected in society today? Would characters be flat, social activism on the nose, and straight white men be just evil plain and simple? What about an abundance of sex, cursing, modern music, and a blatantly ignoring history, would any of that negatively impact the story or viewing experience?
Fortunately, the answer to all of the above is No. This Apple Original Series completely owns what it is doing, clearly taking ideas from other forms of entertainment and mixing them together with Apple's A+ Quality Recipe to guarantee that this is the best you can get from this product.
I am definitely getting vibes of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, in using modern music, and looser dialogue and behaviors, set in a society of long ago (or not so long ago...). Also, Hulu's The Great in a variety of ways. Fortunately, unlike the great, this show seems to enjoy itself, and its freedom (irony), a little more. There isn't a "men are bad" narrative as can be seen in The Great, nor is there as much sex, or a blatant episode by episode structure; the show seems to flow naturally and not be forced by plot points or minute marks.
There are four points of direction in this episode I would like to discuss: 1. The brilliant use of the cat at the dinner scene. The father says he is going to make an important announcement. His children, and the audience, don't care. Director David Gordon Green decides to direct our eyes first to the cat (to which I reacted, "Ooooh a cat!"), distracting me from the father's unimportant speech. The to his children to see their reactions and boredom. Then, finally on the father. The cat is used some throughout the scene to help with tense moments.
2. Emily being Bi. Or lesbian? Pretty sure Bi because she wants Death (Wiz Khalifa (who would have thought? and I'd say it fits!)) to take her away. This is great for a few reasons. The first is that it makes her more relatable in the fact that she doesn't want to get married. It's not just about the patriarchy anymore, it's about her literally not being attracted to men!
3. After the dinner scene we get some more insight into Emily's father. What we could subtly tell from the argument, and its buildup throughout the episode, is that there's something more than a gender power dynamic at play with Emily's father not wanter her to publish her work. It is his fear. His fear, which is grounded in the society and its values of the time. It's not "normal" for women to publish literature. What would people say? Good literature or not, this could be scandalous and taint the family name. So it's really not all mean and ignorant, like The Great might play it, but more so coming from under the shadow of a society made by our fathers, and their fathers before them. So yeah, the patriarchy, but at least the show makes the difference between the patriarchal image, and men individually. I'd also like to note how they establish this social awareness within the audience first. We are set up to realize that the father is only living in the moment with what's being discussed at the time. Would he like Emily to publish her work? I mean, there aren't any reasons for him against it. He's not against her, he's against the punishment from society. We set this up with the discussion about slavery, and how while he's not for it, he doesn't want this to hurt the union. Hindsight is 20/20 and you only know what you know. Just an interesting insight.
4. One final thing: I'd like to make a shout out to the montage shots that transition us into a scene. They are well done. I am bringing this up for my own education as a young director, especially after having rewatched All That Jazz, which has similar montages. IDENTIFY ACTION & FIND THE EVENT. If the screenwriter is giving you these quick shots, put it together. What does it mean for the story? Why are they showing us this? What might it make us feel? Ooooh, it's a montage, got it. Boom. Otherwise, you can simplify things down. Just, montage of Emily transitioning to bed... or something. Then you particularize. If there are details like a montage-or really, anything I guess thought out-it's an Event, or an Action, just fleshed out. They've done the work for you, of fleshing out the subtextual content/event/purpose. Thank God. Now just make it happen.
If anyone actually read this whole review, congratulations! High five and thank you for staying to take a peek inside my mind.
I whole heartedly enjoyed this first episode, despite my initial skepticism. I was worried primarily about the direction of the episode, and thus the rest of the series. Would this be yet another period show centered on a female protagonist in the patriarchal world likely dealing with social issues which are reflected in society today? Would characters be flat, social activism on the nose, and straight white men be just evil plain and simple? What about an abundance of sex, cursing, modern music, and a blatantly ignoring history, would any of that negatively impact the story or viewing experience?
Fortunately, the answer to all of the above is No. This Apple Original Series completely owns what it is doing, clearly taking ideas from other forms of entertainment and mixing them together with Apple's A+ Quality Recipe to guarantee that this is the best you can get from this product.
I am definitely getting vibes of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, in using modern music, and looser dialogue and behaviors, set in a society of long ago (or not so long ago...). Also, Hulu's The Great in a variety of ways. Fortunately, unlike the great, this show seems to enjoy itself, and its freedom (irony), a little more. There isn't a "men are bad" narrative as can be seen in The Great, nor is there as much sex, or a blatant episode by episode structure; the show seems to flow naturally and not be forced by plot points or minute marks.
There are four points of direction in this episode I would like to discuss: 1. The brilliant use of the cat at the dinner scene. The father says he is going to make an important announcement. His children, and the audience, don't care. Director David Gordon Green decides to direct our eyes first to the cat (to which I reacted, "Ooooh a cat!"), distracting me from the father's unimportant speech. The to his children to see their reactions and boredom. Then, finally on the father. The cat is used some throughout the scene to help with tense moments.
2. Emily being Bi. Or lesbian? Pretty sure Bi because she wants Death (Wiz Khalifa (who would have thought? and I'd say it fits!)) to take her away. This is great for a few reasons. The first is that it makes her more relatable in the fact that she doesn't want to get married. It's not just about the patriarchy anymore, it's about her literally not being attracted to men!
3. After the dinner scene we get some more insight into Emily's father. What we could subtly tell from the argument, and its buildup throughout the episode, is that there's something more than a gender power dynamic at play with Emily's father not wanter her to publish her work. It is his fear. His fear, which is grounded in the society and its values of the time. It's not "normal" for women to publish literature. What would people say? Good literature or not, this could be scandalous and taint the family name. So it's really not all mean and ignorant, like The Great might play it, but more so coming from under the shadow of a society made by our fathers, and their fathers before them. So yeah, the patriarchy, but at least the show makes the difference between the patriarchal image, and men individually. I'd also like to note how they establish this social awareness within the audience first. We are set up to realize that the father is only living in the moment with what's being discussed at the time. Would he like Emily to publish her work? I mean, there aren't any reasons for him against it. He's not against her, he's against the punishment from society. We set this up with the discussion about slavery, and how while he's not for it, he doesn't want this to hurt the union. Hindsight is 20/20 and you only know what you know. Just an interesting insight.
4. One final thing: I'd like to make a shout out to the montage shots that transition us into a scene. They are well done. I am bringing this up for my own education as a young director, especially after having rewatched All That Jazz, which has similar montages. IDENTIFY ACTION & FIND THE EVENT. If the screenwriter is giving you these quick shots, put it together. What does it mean for the story? Why are they showing us this? What might it make us feel? Ooooh, it's a montage, got it. Boom. Otherwise, you can simplify things down. Just, montage of Emily transitioning to bed... or something. Then you particularize. If there are details like a montage-or really, anything I guess thought out-it's an Event, or an Action, just fleshed out. They've done the work for you, of fleshing out the subtextual content/event/purpose. Thank God. Now just make it happen.
If anyone actually read this whole review, congratulations! High five and thank you for staying to take a peek inside my mind.
The Past and Present Collide
sistermarysnow2 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Dickinson is a cleverly written work of art that pays tribute to Emily Dickinson's life and poetry, which is very present within the show. The show takes us on a journey with the poet and her creativity literally comes to life mixed with contemporary music to highlight important events.
The history of the patriarchal society in Western culture is powerfully portrayed by Dickinson's family. Her mother is on a constant quest to find an available suitor for her, her father is against women in literacy, and the women upkeep the household.
The acting is impactful! Hailee Steinfeld's portrayal of Emily Dickinson is memorable, heartfelt, and what I imagined her to be. The cinematography, editing, and effects surpassed my expectations. I was surprised to see all the effects in a historical literary-based show and I loved it! I honestly did not know what to expect when I watched the trailer. My mind is blown.
Thank you for bringing my favorite poet to life and allowing the audience to feel connected.
The history of the patriarchal society in Western culture is powerfully portrayed by Dickinson's family. Her mother is on a constant quest to find an available suitor for her, her father is against women in literacy, and the women upkeep the household.
The acting is impactful! Hailee Steinfeld's portrayal of Emily Dickinson is memorable, heartfelt, and what I imagined her to be. The cinematography, editing, and effects surpassed my expectations. I was surprised to see all the effects in a historical literary-based show and I loved it! I honestly did not know what to expect when I watched the trailer. My mind is blown.
Thank you for bringing my favorite poet to life and allowing the audience to feel connected.
Meet Emily Dickinson or at least Hailee's version
solojere20 April 2024
Dickinson is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. It has such a unique feel, and the cast and story are amazing. Above all, Hailee Steinfeld gives an amazing performance as Emily Dickinson, arguably one of the best of her career. And it is crazy to think it all started here. In this episode, we are introduced to Emily Dickinson and her family. Now, it should be noted that this show is more like historical fiction than an attempt to be a historical drama. Some supernatural elements are also thrown in that help advance the story and its themes. So don't watch it. I hope to get a 100% true representation of the real Emily Dickinson. After all, the characters talk like they live in 2019, even though they are dressed for the 1860s. Instead, I would argue that this show is an attempt to capture who Emily was and the culture of the time she lived in. This idea is made clear in the opening as it shows Emily as someone who has a passion for writing poetry even if her life doesn't always suit her aspirations. Here, we are introduced to Hailee's Emily Dickinson. She is smart and witty and only cares about her poetry despite her mother's attempt to get her married. We are also introduced to Emily's sister, Lavinia. She is unlike Emily as she is a pretty girl who is only interested in boys and girly things. We also meet Emily's father, her brother Austin and his fiance, and Emily's best friend, Sue Gilbert. The casting is great, and all the Characters work well with each other. Especially Emily and Sue have amazing chemistry. My only real criticism would be that Sue could have been introduced better. For someone who is so important not only to this episode but the show as a whole, I feel like Sue could've been introduced with some respect and not as the bud of a joke. However, that is only a minor criticism. I love this show and this episode. Hailee was simply the perfect choice to play Emily. She acts like a writer so much and is someone you can relate to and root for while also being super funny. Haille is also simply stunning in both the white dress she wears around the house and the red dress she wears to see death. But more than her looks, she plays Emily as a smart, intelligent, and funny young woman who knows what she wants from life but is unsure how to get it. All in all, it's a great show that everyone should watch alone for Emily's performance. "Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me- The Carriage held but just Ourselves- And Immortality."- Emily Dickinson.
Poetry
melissabeefarm12 February 2021
Dickinson is here
edicionccq28 November 2019
I finally watch the first episode, but I'm unsure what I feel for it.
I absolutely love Hailee Steinfeld. That's why I would give this show a few more episodes before deciding if I'm going quitting the show or if I love the show.
It is a decent show anyway. The acting is awesome, and the unique problem is the pacing. Some jokes are pretty excellent.
I absolutely love Hailee Steinfeld. That's why I would give this show a few more episodes before deciding if I'm going quitting the show or if I love the show.
It is a decent show anyway. The acting is awesome, and the unique problem is the pacing. Some jokes are pretty excellent.
Episode 101
bobcobb3013 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This was the Apple TV+ show I was most looking forward to and I was kind of impressed by the premiere.
This is essentially a more polished version of Another Period from Comedy Central, but that isn't a bad thing.
Funny and impactful when it needed to be, but the 1800's schtick may grow tiring after awhile.
This is essentially a more polished version of Another Period from Comedy Central, but that isn't a bad thing.
Funny and impactful when it needed to be, but the 1800's schtick may grow tiring after awhile.
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