Summary
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings will be adored by the singer’s fans for intrinsically linking her classics to heartfelt storytelling. It is a great conceptual Netflix series.
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings brings the singer’s famous songs to life. It’s a brilliant concept and one that I believe the fans will savor, seeing their country star articulate a story around her lyrics. I have to admit, it felt strange when I saw Dolly Parton wedged into the stories, offering heartfelt advice to the lead character. She believed in the conceptual Netflix series to such an extent that she showed her face.
Each episode is named after a song. The opening episode is titled “Jolene,” bringing back the auburn-haired icon and her seductive reputation. The episode is nostalgically predictable, introducing Jolene into a world where married men fling themselves at her due to her magnetic looks, and their wives look on with fragile and insecure perspectives. “Jolene” is a social conundrum, where the cheated-on wife and Jolene do not feel good enough in the world of men.
Heartstrings then continues to portray absolute bangers in Dolly’s roster. “Two Doors Down,” “If I Had Wings,” and “Down From Dover” are presented to the audience in their own unique and modern storytelling ways. It’s a visual album experience where the story and the immense songwriting merge to structure the narrative.
And the episodes are not bite-sized, either. Each chapter is over an hour long and has its own place in the series. There is no requirement to watch the series in order. If you are a fan, you can pick and choose based on your favorite Parton song.
I do wonder if this is the start of a concept for Netflix. To grab an artist, list their best songs and form them into narrative-based episodes. Imagine Kanye West having an episode titled “I Am A God”, a tragic story about a delusional man who believes he is genuinely a God. Or Nicki Minaj having an episode titled, “Anaconda” — a story of a woman striving to have a big butt. The possibilities are endless. Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings is joyful, sweet, and surprisingly a recommendation.
