As an entire television series, Dickinson has a strong argument for being one of the medium’s most intelligent. At a time when many stories flock to the IP mines to craft a version of a story people already love, one of the flagship Apple TV+ originals has dared to experiment with an anachronistic format that positions Dickinson as a true specialty of the streaming services.
As such, the character who slots in at last place on a list of the Dickinson characters ranked by intelligence is likely to be smarter than the average character in almost any other show. It’s just that when one deals with one of the most breathtaking poets of all-time and her family, it can be hard to measure up.
George
George Gould (Samuel Farnsworth) ranks at the bottom for Dickinson‘s main characters’ intelligence. He may possess emotional know-how and an intuitively-minded sense of righteousness, but the other characters lap him easily.
At every turn, it seems like George is outmatched from an intelligence standpoint. He’s a well-to-do figure around Amherst in the first season, but he’s not the intelligence pillar of his time, to be sure.
Vinnie
Vinnie (Anna Baryshnikov) is a character with the clear capacity to flourish in the coming years and seasons. Just because she’s not one of Dickinson’s smartest right now, that doesn’t mean she cannot eventually become one.
After all, she’s proven more than capable of advocating for herself and speaking up for what she believes in. The fact that she forms her own opinions on matters at all is testament enough to her brains, in comparison to others.
Emily Norcross
The intelligence of Emily Norcross Dickinson (Jane Krakowski) manifests in a manner that differs from the typical expectations stemming from one of the first families of poetry and literature.
She’s less of the educated background and more intelligent when it comes to social endeavors. She has an impeccable demeanor around others and is smart enough to understand larger implications, like the potential for loss when her loved ones are away for extended periods of time.
Death
On Dickinson, Death (Wiz Khalifa) may be a likable and powerful figure, but he’s not especially smarter than any other sort of fantastical character who might turn up.
As it is, his vibe is more about enjoying the company of others and providing little spurts of wisdom and comfort whenever he can. But there’s not a whole lot called upon Death to achieve in the realm of intellectualism.
Austin
Austin (Adrian Blake Enscoe) is similar to his sister, Vinnie, in that he has a great deal of potential to become a highly intelligent character going forward. For now, what he’s mostly lacking is experience and clever decision-making skills.
What positions him above Vinnie, however, is the fact that he’s flexed his smarts around the Amherst community to the point of being able to lead groups of people with aplomb. His traditional education could use support from social-emotional intelligence, though.
Samuel Bowles
Just because he’s a bit of a scallywag, that doesn’t stop Samuel Bowles (Finn Jones) from being positioned as a highly intelligent character. One has to be if they are in charge of an up-and-coming newspaper.
Mostly, Bowles’ intellect comes in the form of his ability to assess what others are capable of. He has an impeccable eye for talent and always has a sound understanding of the implications of his choices.
Henry
Henry (Chinaza Uche) may not be considered to have the same sort of prominence as someone like Bowles, but he’s definitely more intelligent. After all, a person like Henry dabbles in practicality, so he’d never be so foolish as to think he was above others’ abilities to sniff out lies.
Henry doesn’t waste his time with those kinds of arrogant power plays. His intelligence manifests in the form of knowing what the right move to make at any given moment is. Henry leads a charge that is vastly more impactful than anything Bowles spins.
Edward
As counter-intuitive as it may be to admit, it does take a great deal of intelligence to be able to build a political career. Edward (Toby Huss) has many shortcomings, but his whip-smart cleverness is not one of them.
He’s definitely a traditional figure in Emily’s (Hailee Steinfeld) world, but when considering that sort of categorization, it’s not only remarkable that he’s as smart as he is, but also that he thinks to express curiosity for the wants and needs of others.
Sue
Sue (Ella Hunt) may not seem like an obvious choice for one of Dickinson‘s two smartest characters, at first. However, an evaluation of her history and resilience is proof enough. One has to be at least marginally intelligent to pull off the rise that Sue does.
But Sue is more than this. She’s able to hold her own against every other character in Dickinson, even if they seem smarter than her on paper. On top of that, she’s also supremely confident in demonstrating her high levels of emotional intelligence, too.
Emily
Emily has to rank at the top. Few names in the canon of English poetry and prose are as well-renowned as Emily Dickinson. On the show that is also named for her, this holds true, as she is overflowing with ideas and thoughts that are often lost on the other people in her life.
Her ability to craft a gorgeous, stunning piece of art just from the spark of one thought is unforgettable. Furthermore, she’s able to combine ethos, pathos, and logos whenever she needs to make an argument. Just as it’s the poetry Dickinson fans will return for, it’s the pathos that Emily most prominently embraces as the series’ smartest character.
