I am living for that flash-forward to the future.
When Apple TV+ arrived in November of 2019, Hailee Steinfeld's Dickinson almost immediately developed a loyal following (beyond the one she already had). By the time Apple TV+ had settled in, it had become the streamer's first word-of-mouth hit. Luckily, producers took advantage of its early Season 2 renewal and finished filming the second season before the Hollywood shutdowns of 2020, making it the only Season 2 of Apple TV+’s four original shows to arrive relatively on time in January of 2021. By that time, Dickinson Season 3 was already greenlit. Here's everything we know about the third season's premiere date, cast, and more.
Dickinson Season 1 used up nearly all of the source material the series had going into the project. Emily Dickinson's life wasn't very long, and she spent most of it tucked away in her parents’ attic. There's very little known about her life, especially once her brother got married and moved out. That gave the series license to fictionalize why Emily wound up never becoming famous while she was alive, especially when fame did come creeping to her door at least enough to publish 10 of her poems over her lifetime.
Season 2 ended in a way few expected, diving into the rumored relationship between Emily and her brother’s wife, Sue Gilbert, and making the supposedly unspoken passion between the, very spoken. With Season 3 running up on the American Civil War and Dickinson's final years, fans have many questions about where the show will go in its last episodes.
Dickinson Season 3 Renewal
The Season 3 renewal came in October 2020, despite the second season still being months away from its premiere. This move made Dickinson the first Apple TV+ series in history to land three seasons. To be fair, Apple TV+ hadn't been streaming a year yet when this happened, but it's still a nice feather in the show's cap. Unfortunately, it's also the show's last.
Soon after the Season 3 announcement, series creator Alena Smith put out a statement thanking fans for the journey.
"When I set out to make Dickinson, I envisioned the show as a three-season journey that would tell the origin story of America's greatest female poet in a whole new way, highlighting Emily's relevance and resonance to our society today. In my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined how rich and satisfying the experience of making this show would become, and the incredible joy it has been to tell Emily's story along with Hailee and our brilliant, passionate cast and crew," Smith's statement read. "I can't wait to share our epic final season with the world, and to bring our audience along with us to the conclusion of Emily's coming-of-age saga, as she continues to fight for her own poetic truth, while reckoning with so many of the issues that face us now."
Dickinson Season 3 Trailer
On Oct. 13, 2021, Apple TV+ finally released the official Dickinson Season 3 trailer for the show’s final run of episodes. Fans finally got a look at the long-simmering Civil War, Sue and Emily’s continuing relationship, and my personal favorite, Billy Eichner’s bombastic Walt Whitman. This may be Dickinson’s final season, but it’s going to be a fun one.
Dickinson Season 3 Cast
Production has confirmed Season 3 will bring back most of the main cast for the show's final episodes, starting with Steinfeld as Emily. Toby Huss and Jane Krakowski will play Emily's parents; Adrian Blake Enscoe and Anna Baryshnikov are her siblings, Austin and Vinnie; plus Ella Hunt plays Sue Gilbert, Austin's wife and Emily's lover. Season 3 will also bring back Wiz Khalifa as Death and Will Pullen as Nobody. In a surprise return, Season 1's Zosia Mamet will also return as Louisa May Alcott after sitting out Season 2.
There's also a new round of guest stars for Season 3: Billy Eichner will take on Walt Whitman, Chloe Fineman plays fellow poet Sylvia Plath, and Ziwe Fumudoh will play Sojourner Truth. Fumudoh, notably, has also joined behind the scenes as a writer for the show's final season.
Dickinson Season 3 Plot
Part of the problem with trying to guess where Dickinson goes next is that the series is only very loosely sticking to the facts of the real Emily Dickinson's life. Some of what the show covers involves longstanding scholarly speculation, like her love affair with Sue. Others are taking that speculation and pushing it further, such as her feminist opinions. But some of the show's conceits are just an outright fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but it does make it difficult for fans to guess where Season 3 will head.
The good news is there is a synopsis for the final season, even if it doesn't give much away:
"In Season 3, Emily Dickinson's most productive time as an artist falls amid the raging American Civil War and an equally fierce battle that divides her own family. As Emily tries to heal the divides around her, she wonders if art can help keep hope alive and whether the future can be better than the past."
Dickinson Season 3 Premiere Date
When Dickinson Season 2 debuted in January 2021, most fans took that as a sign that the third season would not come until 2022. But Apple TV+ surprised fans with news that the wait would not be that long. The show will conclude where Apple TV+ originally intended it to, in November 2021.
The first three episodes of Dickinson Season 3 will premiere on Friday, Nov. 5. The series will then switch to weekly releases, with the finale debuting just in time for Christmas on Dec. 24, 2021.
Dickinson Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Apple TV+.
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