The plot revolves around Emily's explicit romantic and sexual obsession with her sister-in-law Sue, portrayed as a fluid queer relationship that defies 19th-century norms, complete with anachronistic modern sensuality and erotic tension that prioritizes LGBTQ+ representation over biographical fidelity. Feminist messaging dominates through constant critiques of patriarchy, marriage, and gender constraints, with Emily positioned as a 'girlboss' railing against corsets, suitors, and family expectations to assert her poetic autonomy.

Creator Alena Smith's stated intent is overtly activist, aiming to 'reclaim history,' explore 'fluid sexuality' as an avatar for modern youth, and mirror contemporary political volatility, injecting subversive progressive commentary that compromises the show's entertainment by subordinating storytelling to ideological lectures on self-expression and societal oppression. Anachronisms like hip-hop music, twerking parties, and casual modern slang further force contemporary identity politics into a historical shell, alienating audiences seeking genuine period drama while pandering to niche activist viewers. This heavy embedding of queer romance and anti-traditional norms as the foundational conflict turns the series into propaganda masquerading as comedy, damaging the poet's legacy and prioritizing message over coherent narrative or broad appeal.