Dickinson's Hailee Steinfeld Has Mixed Feelings About Emily and Sue

From Town & Country

If you haven't finished season two of Dickinson on Apple TV+, proceed with caution—spoilers ahead!

After spending a full season at a distance—with Sue (Ella Hunt) in the Evergreens, collecting secrets and social clout, and Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) back at the Dickinson family home, writing and wrestling with her demons—Dickinson's central couple made up in a most spectacular fashion, feeding each other grapes off the vine and soaking in a flower petal-laden bath before ending up on the mossy floor of the conservatory, sharing a blanket.

Their reunion is joyful, almost giddy—so much so that the audience, swept along with their affair, is tempted to forget that it can't possibly last. Surely, come next season, the realities of Sue's marriage to Austin, not to mention the intolerance for gay relationships in the 1900s, will intrude on this bliss. Right?

Below, Dickinson's Steinfeld opines on Emily and Sue's relationship, her need for a day at the "water cure," and what it was like to accidentally emulate the poet's socially distanced lifestyle this past year.

I feel like Emily Dickinson is kind of a self-isolation icon.

Totally.

Has the pandemic affected how you see her at all?

Absolutely. My appreciation for her ability to sit in a room and be content by herself with not much to do grew tremendously. Yeah, I mean, I think that this is, we're sort of living a similar lifestyle to her—or have been, anyway. And it's just an interesting thing to think about how this year has forced us, or me, I'll speak for myself, to just sort of sit and think and reflect.

Yeah. It's almost like unintentional method acting, I suppose.

Exactly, art imitating life.

One episode that I thought was so funny and just loved was when they go to the water cure. I was wondering how you feel about wellness. Is that something you're into?

I mean, the idea of it has always been wonderful. But I think now I've learned, and in 2021, it is a goal of mine, to really make that a priority, and not by just going in and treating myself, whether it's a spa day or a treatment of sorts, whatever it is, but mentally really taking care of myself. Having spent so much time now with myself, alone in my thoughts, I think I've learned now, more than ever, the importance of my mental health and just my mental stability and stamina in all of this. I feel like I've never had that time to sit and reflect. I've always been on the go, as a lot of us have.

And that's great, and I love that, and I'm totally for it and cut out for it. And that's my life, and I love that, but damn, I'm going to slow down. I'm young, I've got my whole life, and I've got to take care of myself. So I'm totally into it. I need a water cure day for sure. I need one of those. I need a bucket of water poured on my head. I just need to be shaken up a little, woken up, refreshed. But yeah, I definitely think very highly of that and want to take that more seriously, for sure.

When Sue and Emily finally reunite in the finale, it's so cute and satisfying. Are you rooting for them as a couple?

Ooh, it's hard. Because I want to root for them, but I want to root for what, at the beginning of the season, Sue is rooting for, for Emily—and that is to be her own individual and believe in herself and move on into the world in a new way. Being with Sue is being at home and being safe. And Sue is putting herself out there, and although she's kind of packing down what she's really feeling... I think a lot of the time, we try and paint this picture of what we think we're feeling, or want to be feeling, or want people to believe we're feeling, when really that's not the case.

But I guess ultimately, yes, personally, as a fan of the show and of their relationship, I want to see them together, but I also want what's best for them as individuals and that might not be being together. Oh my God, that's so heartbreaking.

I know. And then also, I mean, Austin's sweet, you want him to be happy!

I know, it is so complicated.

Is that what you want for Emily in future seasons, to really find herself and stand on her own?

I think in regards to her relationship with Sue, yeah. I mean, it's a very complicated one, and like you mentioned, Austin being involved, and Austin and Emily only want what's best for each other. And it's just confusing and heartbreaking, really, but messy and beautiful—and it's all stemmed and rooted in love.

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