Parent reviews for Dickinson

It started so well but a few minutes into the show, my 13 year old, my husband, and I watched a young girl climaxing during oral sex. Aaaaawkward!!!! I liked that they were making it modern - more accessible - but after Dickinson full on tongue kissed her soon to be sister-in-law, and then her Dad humiliated and denigrated her in front of her family I knew this was more about shock value than the clever and nuanced story it could have been. Shame. 10 seconds later we switched the channel.

Dickinson is by far one of the best teen TV shows out there. It’s no wonder that it got a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes by critics. Dickinson is centered on Emily Dickinson’s life as a poet and a young woman in 19th century society. You can watch it on AppleTV. There are 3 seasons and around 30 episodes. Content: The show is set in the 1800s so you will see characters drink alcohol, smoke pipes, and in one scene do opium at a party (based on the 19th century opiate addiction). Character’s kiss and there are some sexual scenes between characters (same and opposite sex) but no nudity is shown (a breif scene in the first episode - around 10 minutes in as well as in the second episode - don’t let this make a bad impression, the rest of the episodes are relatively clean). All these scenes can be skipped, which is what my 14 year old daughter did when she watched it. Emily has an affair with a woman and there are LGBTQ+ themes. Emily’s father can be very harsh and repressive and does not believe in her making a living as a writer. He wants her to “know her place,” get married, and have a family. There is no violence and limited profanities. Everything in Dickinson is a sign of the times and is pretty accurate. The content is very benign compared to other TV shows geared towards teens (Euphoria, Sex Education, Riverdale, Gossip Girl…). Talk to your kid about the content and they should be fine. Emily is a great role model for young girls. What my daughter loves about this show is that the writers have mixed 19th century with modern/contemporary times (music) creating a unique period dramady. If you are looking for a (non-violent, no nudity), original TV show for your teen I would definitely recommend this. 5/5 stars. 13+

I can’t believe this received such a young age rating. 11 minutes into the first episode and it is pretty clear that a boy is giving a girl oral sex in a barn. Even though no skin is shown, there is no way to mistake what is happening. I feel this content is inappropriate and it showed that’s not rated R. I can’t believe no one has commented on this yet. Even my daughter also said the acting was bad and it felt like they were acting. Don’t waste your time.

Dickinson shows a young woman who is full of spirit and her own ideas on what her life should be. Emily does not care for the "proper" role she is expected to take in society and believes in going her own way and expressing herself. She was a woman ahead of her time, and her behaviour is quite modest by today's standards. Although there is some minor swearing, other more adult behaviour is cut out. Also has an excellent soundtrack!