Dickinson episode 3 review: Wild nights, wild nights

As AppleTV+’s Dickinson continues, Emily and her siblings throw a house party while their parents are out of town, and the result is an episode that perfectly mixes the old and the new.

In just two episodes, AppleTV’s Dickinson has already established itself as a series that likes to play with established tropes and expectations. And it’s third installment, entitled “Wild nights” is no different, embracing a traditional teen comedy trope and making it completely its own.

The series gives Dickinson’s poem “Wild nights” a new, dual meaning, letting it serve as both a love letter of sorts between Emily and Sue, and a declaration of purpose. These “Wild nights” in question, here translate to a typical teen house party, which the Dickinson siblings decide to throw as soon as their parents leave town for a night. There are, of course, some 19th century idiosyncrasies – Emily’s sister Lavinia at one point decides to entertain guests by playing the harp for them – but for the most part, this is a set up, and a story, that feels achingly familiar, no matter how far in the past it may be set.

Given how serious much of Emily’s poetry is, it’s especially fun to imagine this one something like a raucous party anthem, which is pretty much how this episode portrays the story. Even though the idea of historically reclusive, lonely Emily agitating for a blow-out, disorienting rager goes against almost every idea we have of her nowadays.

But in this universe, at least, the Dickinson siblings apparently have something of a reputation for throwing benders while they’re parents are away, and this one appears no different, featuring a guest list of all their peers, a rocking trap music soundtrack and a bunch of dancing and drug use.

Here, the teens would rather swallow drops of opium instead of tabs of ecstasy, though.

The end results, however are about the same, as ill-advised hook-ups confessions and revelations ensue. Lavinia throws herself at town player Joseph Lyman and the Amherst popular kids make fun of Emily and question what, exactly, Austin’s doing with a “full blown orphan” like Sue. Eventually, all the town youths coalesce into what appears to be a singular, writing math of hormones, twirling and twerking in the Dickinson family parlor.

Welcome to The CW. Sort of.

The episode is certainly bright, loud and lively – and a ton of fun. (It is, after all, an episode in which Emily has a full-on conversation with a giant bee.) But “Wild nights” also pulls off some significant story elements at the same time, throwing a wrench into Austin and Sue’s relationship when he announces their engagement without her permission, as well as Austin and Emily’s, when he discovers his sister kissing his supposed fiancee. It also reveals that local Mean Girl Jane Humphrey is very aware of what Emily and Sue are to one another, and if she is – well. That likely means she’s not alone.

“Wild nights” ends messily, with Emily and Austin physically fighting over Sue, Sue fleeing to Boston in the middle of the night to escape them both, and everyone passing out in various debauched piles around the Dickinson home. It’s the series’ first installment that feels unfinished, but also the first that feels as though it’s telling a larger story than itself, and that’s exciting to see.

Where will Dickinson go from here? It’s anyone’s guess. But finding out is certainly going to be fun.

All episodes of Dickinson are now streaming on AppleTV+