Everyone knows country star Dolly Parton. From “9 to 5” to “Jolene,” Parton has written several hits from the ’70s and ’80s but still keeps active with her theme park, Dollywood, and has acted in several films over the years. The Country Music Hall of Famer is now taking on a new project with her own Netflix show, Heartstrings.
Each episode of the eight-episode series focuses on one of her songs with an introduction from Parton herself, and the story within the lyrics comes to life. With the episodes at about an hour long, except for the last one that comes out at an hour and 25 minutes, the show can be watched in any order. Here are each of the episodes ranked, in order from worst to best:
8. “Two Doors Down”
Though the song is incredibly fun and the message throughout the episode revolves around acceptance, the energy and writing falls flat in comparison to the other episodes. While trying to prepare for his sister’s wedding, Ty (Andy Mientus) struggles with his hidden relationship with his sister’s male stylist. After his family finds out he is gay, Ty is forced to navigate his way through the big event. Overall, the episode tries with the theme of acceptance, but as far as trying to tackle an LGBTQ+ topic, it really misses the mark. However, as a bonus, Parton herself makes a great cameo appearance by giving a musical performance at the wedding.
7. “If I Had Wings”
The emotion in the episode is clearly portrayed, but it was hard to believe the story with such a short amount of time for it to unfold. The song is haunting and beautiful, and, in this context, tells the story of a man who is estranged from his children, now living on a farm with the woman he loves. After she invites all of his children to come stay at their house and reconnect, he is initially angry but learns to talk through the past and patch things up with them. The episode pretty much goes from anger and resentment to happiness and family values in the quickest amount of time possible, and that short length makes it hard to appreciate.
6. “Jolene”
Just as Parton was featured in “Two Doors Down,” she plays a big role in “Jolene” as Babe, the owner of the local honkey-tonk, Baby Blue’s. The story follows Jolene (Julianne Hough), a waitress at the honkey-tonk, who befriends a female patron named Emily (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) after saving her from being assaulted. Soon, the women’s friendship is interrupted when Emily suspects Jolene is having an affair with her husband. The acting is subpar, and the entire episode is virtually carried by Hough’s talent and charm.
5. “Down From Dover”
Set in 1967, “Down From Dover” follows a high school girl and her boyfriend as she gets pregnant, and he has to go off to war. The girl’s father is the town’s reverend, and he is extremely put off by the fact that his daughter’s boyfriend is black. He demands they break up, and when he finds out she’s pregnant, he sends her away. The episode deals with racial injustices and the stigma around young women getting pregnant, and it’s a pretty poignant yet important story.
4. “Sugar Hill”
“Sugar Hill” explores the relationship between a boy and a girl who have loved each other since they were young children. It shows the couple at an old age returning to their hometown to relive their memories together. The episode is adorable and closely resembles a Hallmark film but packs a heavy plot twist to make it more interesting.
3. “J.J. Sneed”
“J.J. Sneed” is probably the odd one out thematically with the other episodes because it takes place in the wild, wild west. The episode follows Maddie (Willa Fitzgerald), a girl trying to find adventure in her life, when she comes upon J.J. Sneed (Colin O’Donoghue). Sneed is an outlaw looking to scam everyone he can. The episode is narrated by Parton and has an interesting message of female empowerment. It also provides a nice break from the regular romance of family themes of the show by filling every moment with action.
2. “Cracker Jack”
Though some of the episodes in the series contain typical Hallmark film tropes, none give off that feeling more than “Cracker Jack.” The episode follows four best friends and their reunion at their childhood lake house. Each is dealing with a big issue, be it an abusive husband, a life-changing diagnosis or the death of a loved one. However, through the power of love, friendship and a little dog named Cracker Jack, they’re able to work through their pain. It’s a really uplifting episode to watch and will instantly steal your heart.
1. “These Old Bones”
The last episode of the series and the longest episode of the series is “These Old Bones.” At just under 90 minutes, the episode follows Genevieve (Ginnifer Goodwin), a young lawyer struggling to be taken seriously at her law firm. After being given the case of Bones (Kathleen Turner), an old woman who claims to be somewhat clairvoyant and is talking people out of buying property, she is forced to return to her hometown and confront a feeling she’s carried with her for her entire life. The episode has more time to develop than the others do, and it has several layers of issues like feminism and rape while also staying true to the classic love and familial values that Parton tries to convey throughout the entire series.
