Emily and Sue's Relationship in Dickinson S2 is Messy, Heartbreaking and Beautiful: Hailee Steinfeld

Emily Dickinson, who is widely accepted as one of the greatest poets of all time, lived an enigmatic life. Her 1800 poems were discovered after her death by her sister Lavinia and published, launching her as an icon of literature for all posterity.

Emily Dickinson has found a place in culture and literature ever since, with countless books and movies inspired by the poet’s life. However, none of them looked at Emily as the 2019 series Dickinson, created by Alena Smith, did. The Apple TV+ series, with Oscar-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld as the eponymous poet, took a period piece and turned it into a relevant and modern dramedy that hooked everyone to their screens.

The first season of the show was critically acclaimed and even won a prestigious Peabody Award. It is coming back for a sophomore season in early January. While promoting the show’s second season in a roundtable interaction, lead-actor Hailee Steinfeld talked about what is in store for fans, and why is the show relevant in the modern day and age.

“I think it is very important to see a character that has lived through a completely different time than we live right now, handle obstacles that we still face today,” Hailee said, adding, “And we see it done by somebody like Emily Dickinson, who in her time was forbidden to do anything she loved to do, and still made it possible to do those things. I think we have come a very long way, thankfully, but we can still find that it can be a challenge to be accepted in a certain light or truly feel heard and seen. To see a character overcome these obstacles at a time they were near impossible, makes it feel possible now.”

Dickinson does what many other literary and cinematic adaptations of the poet’s life, have been scared to do. Dickinson established Emily as a queer woman, and validates her romantic relationship with Susan Huntington Gilbert or Sue.

Talking about the importance of showing a relationship like theirs on screen, Hailee told News18, “I absolutely think it is so important to play out a relationship like Sue and Emily, in a truthful light. Those relationships exist. They should, in no way, be frowned upon or looked as different or judged in any way. This show ultimately is about being seen or heard or understood for who we are, deep down as human beings. Emily finds a connection with Sue, she finds a love that is so deep because there is a deep understanding between the two of them. No one else in Emily’s life sees her as Sue does.”

Hailee also hinted at what is in store for fans of the characters, lovingly called ‘EmiSue’ on the internet. “It isn’t until we see them in season 2 that Sue is overwhelmed by the fact that Emily has so much power over her. She is so moved by her poetry that she almost can’t even handle it. She tries to push Emily away from her and into another direction. It is heartbreaking and very confusing for Emily, but it’s only until later that she realises it is because she loves her so much. This relationship is so complicated, Sue is married to Emily’s brother. It couldn’t be more heartbreaking and messy and beautiful. I do think Alena (Smith, creator) did such a wonderful job in writing the relationship between the two of them. It’s so special and I who that I can play that out with Ella Hunt, she is a wonderful actress. It has been really wonderful to find the truth in Emily and Sue’s relationship.”

While the first season of Dickinson talked about Emily fighting to overcome societal pressures that stood in her way to greatness, season 2 will see the poet’s brief stint with fame. Hailee, who has been a part of the public eye since her debut with True Grit (2010) at the age of 14, says the season hits home. The actress, who also has a successful career as a pop star, said season 2 will be relevant in the age where “everyone is famous. You just need to do something weird enough for it to go viral.”

Hailee also said that the show will see Emily a step closer to finding her place. “I know in my life I get to a place where I feel confident and comfortable about where I am at, but there is a small part of me that is thinking about the next step. I think with Emily, she has grown tremendously between season 1 and season 2. She’s learned a lot, lost a lot and gained a lot. By the end of it, I do feel like she has found more of her place than she did in the beginning.

“But she is constantly trying to figure out what life is, and what her relationships are. The one person she loves and that she feels seen by is Sue and she is now in a completely different place. There is a lot of uncertainty, so I think if we are speaking moment to moment, then there are moments where she has found her place. But I feel like, as life goes on, there are always questions about finding one’s place,” she signed off.

Dickinson season 2, also starring Jane Krakowski, Ella Hunt, Adrian Blake Escoe, Anna Baryshnikov, Toby Huss and Wiz Khalifa premiered on January 8, 2021 on Apple TV+.

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