‘Dickinson’ Team Celebrates Female Empowerment at Final Season Premiere

On Monday evening, the team behind Apple TV+’s Dickinson gathered at West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center to celebrate the third and final act of Alena Smith’s fresh take on American literary legend Emily Dickinson. 

Since launching with Apple’s streaming service in 2019, the series has followed Hailee Steinfeld’s Emily Dickinson as she embarks on her journey to becoming the iconic poet known today, all while navigating the constraints of 19th century society. And according to showrunner Smith, a three-act structure had always been the plan. 

“When you see the end of the third season, you’ll see it’s the perfect ending,” said executive producer Paul Lee. “Are we sorry to end it after three seasons? Of course, we’re sorry. Is it the right thing to do? It’s the perfect thing to do.”

Smith’s mission from the start was to tell Emily’s coming-of-age story, which she felt would end with the Civil War, a historical event that marked a new era for Emily in her poetry career.

“Once she reaches that pinnacle of creative achievement, she is her adult self,” Smith explained of the show’s trajectory. “And so I felt that the story was done.”

The showrunner said that the historical aspect of the show is something that she’ll miss the most. “I definitely don’t think my next show will be a period piece,” Smith confirmed. 

As Emily’s journey comes to a close on screen, the final season dives deeper and darker into the family dynamics of its characters than ever before.

“This year, actually, Alena encouraged us to go deep into research more into attachment theory and how family dynamics work because those kinds of things are timeless, and that’s really what’s happening [in the season],” said cast member Adrian Blake Enscoe, who plays Emily’s brother, Austin. “It becomes a family drama.” 

Despite taking place in the 19th century, Dickinson has been commended for its modern lens and focus on women’s equality and LGBTQ issues.

“It’s beautiful to see a man in the 1860s, which you think of as peak toxic masculinity, start to unpack what masculinity is and how gender is affecting him, as well as his sister and his wife,” Enscoe said of his character. “It was inspiring to me. It made me realize that the work is never done, it’s always going.”

“It’s fucking awesome,” added co-star Ella Hunt, who plays Emily’s sister-in-law and love interest Sue, of working on such a female-driven show. “It feels so good. All of these characters are so individual and all go on such growth and transition, and none of them are ever the perfect ideal of a woman or discarded as the scorned woman. We are allowed all of the messy fleshiness of womanhood.”

“I feel so lucky that I was ever even able to be a part of this project and Emily’s story in the slightest,” Steinfeld said of her experience on Dickinson. “I will miss everything about it. Every day that goes by that we get further and further from the experience, I just wish it could happen all over again.”

The Dickinson star and executive producer is also gearing up for another show.

Later this month, Steinfeld is set to officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kate Bishop in upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye, set for release on Nov. 24. 

“Kate Bishop is such an exciting character, and it’s been so awesome to see people so excited to see her brought to life,” Steinfeld said of the upcoming project. “I just can’t wait for people to meet her and see what we’ve created in this whole crazy world that is Hawkeye.”

With two television show premieres in one month, Steinfeld expressed her excitement for the busy weeks to come. “I’m very much here, and then I’m gonna leave here tonight and be like, ‘Next one, here we go!’” the star laughed. 

Season three of Dickinson will premiere on Apple TV+ on Nov. 5.