Top 10 Reasons to Watch The Gilded Age

Julian Fellowes won an Oscar for writing the dark comedy “Gosford Park,” but he’s best known for creating the pop culture phenomenon “Downton Abbey.” “The Gilded Age” brings Fellowes back to television as the creator and primary writer. Fellowes’ follow-up to “Downton” offers a similar blend of high society, culture clash, and upstairs-downstairs dynamics. The late 19th century New York setting provides a fresh layer, distinguishing “The Gilded Age” from Fellowes’ previous works. At the show’s core is the American Dream, which means different things to different generations and classes. Fellowes explores the American Dream through the lenses of people who come from old money, new money, and no money. While the location and time period are unique, viewers will recognize Fellowes’ signature witty writing.

Being a Julian Fellowes period piece, the sets and costumes practically take on identities of their own. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone and her team of almost 65 worked on nearly 5,000 costumes that convey the overarching theme of old money vs. new money. For example, new money characters adopt Parisian and European fashion, making an impression with brighter colors and accessories. Meanwhile, old money characters stick to traditional outfits, clinging to the past. While the glamorous production design captures the era’s economic boom, the series also unearths this period’s gritty underbelly. Behind all the luxurious mansions, hotels, and parties, poverty, crime, and corruption were on the rise. There’s a reason why it was called the Gilded Age and not the Golden Age.

Studying at the British American Drama Academy and the Yale School of Drama, Louisa Jacobson makes her television debut as Marian Brook. When her father leaves her broke, Marian seeks out her wealthy aunts. Although Marian’s aunts come from Old Money, her views are more progressive. Smackdab in the middle of a changing landscape, Marian tries to figure out who she is while carving out a unique path for herself. As the audience is introduced to this society, so is Marian, making her the most identifiable character. Bringing charm and empathy to the role, Jacobson continues her family’s trajectory of gifted performers. Her older sisters, Mamie and Grace Gummer, have starred in various shows, films, and plays. You also might know their mother, Meryl Streep.

In addition to up-and-comers like Jacobson, Denée Benton, and Taissa Farmiga, “The Gilded Age” brings together an ensemble of stage legends. When the pandemic put Broadway on hold, it opened the door for numerous theatrically trained stars to join Fellowes’ show. Of course, main cast members like Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon have theater ties, but even the recurring stars are huge names in the Broadway world. Baranski reteams with her “Good Fight” co-star Audra McDonald, who’s won six Tonys. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, a real-life socialite, is played by two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy, who Disney fans know best as Mother Gothel. The list just goes on, from Kelli O’Hara to Katie Finneran. Expect even more familiar faces as Season One airs, including Nathan Lane.

“The Gilded Age” is all about keeping up appearances, hiding what’s going on underneath. Whether it’s new money trying to join high society or old money trying to preserve their inner circle, nothing is as idealistic as it seems. Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner co-authored “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today,” which interpreted the era as one wrapped in gold gilding to disguise the larger social dilemmas. While Fellowes’ approach is a little less cynical, the series gets the root of Twain and Warner’s satire. These themes are also reflected through Oscar van Rhijn, who hides his sexuality from everybody except his secret lover, John Adams. Although Oscar lives a wealthy life, he’ll never be able to live as openly as he wants.

In the series, no character epitomizes old money more than Agnes van Rhijn while Bertha Russell is the epitome of new money. When Marian comes to live with her aunts, she’s essentially a blank slate who can be swayed either way. Agnes aspires to shield Marian from New New York, managing her wardrobe and social circle. With few options, Marian tries to appease Agnes, but still feels tempted to branch out. Being older than Marian but younger than Agnes, Aunt Ada provides a middle-ground, living up to the standards of Old New York while encouraging her modern niece to stay true to herself. Whatever the future holds, change is inevitable, as this era would bring calls for women’s suffrage, civil service reform, and more.

When we first meet Marian, she only has $30 to her name. She soon has even less, as her purse and train ticket are stolen. Although Marian is at her lowest point, a beautiful friendship stems from it. She meets Peggy, who sympathizes with Marian and offers her a spot on the train. Marian returns the favor when Peggy needs a temporary residence. The two continue to build each other up and even come together to help others like Mrs. Bauer. As similar as these modern women are in some respects, they still come from very different backgrounds. With one being white and the other African-American, Marian will never fully understand Peggy’s experiences. Even with this tension, though, their friendship is truly genuine and inspiring.

Denée Benton’s theatrical resumé ranges from “The Book or Mormon” to “Hamilton.” As Peggy, Benton not only explores interracial friendship, but also what it was like to be an educated Black middle class woman during this time. In many period pieces, Black people are often restricted to servant roles. Peggy represents a group that history and pop culture have widely overlooked, being an aspiring writer seeking independence from her first generation parents. Yet, the show doesn’t shy away from the prejudices. Peggy and her fellow Black passengers must board the train last. Even when she’s welcomed into the van Rhijn household, she eats with the skeptical kitchen staff. Benton strove for Peggy’s arc to be authentic, advocating to bring Black female writers and historians onboard.

From shows like “The Leftovers” to films like “The Nest,” Carrie Coon is somewhere between being one of our most underrated actresses and breaking out in a big way. Coon continues her streak of excellence as Bertha Russell. Although Bertha judges people like Agnes and Ada, she’s also desperate to win the approval of her peers. Just when it appears that Bertha has reached the top of the social ladder, her hopes and dreams remain out of reach. She isn’t one to go down without a fight, however. Bertha is perfectly complemented by her adoring husband George, played by Morgan Spector. As charming as George is, he didn’t get rich by being naive and when Bertha’s in a rut, he’ll help her get revenge.

“The Gilded Age” pretty much had us sold from the moment that we heard that Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon were playing sisters. Interestingly, they previously played a mother and daughter in the Broadway play, “The Real Thing.” Now, they both serve as maternal figures for Marian. Nixon transforms from Miranda Hobbes to younger sister Ada, who’s more open to change than Baranski’s Agnes. Between Baranski’s cold delivery and Fellowes’ catty dialogue, Agnes delivers some of the most savage one-liners this side of Lady Violet. Yet, there’s a softer side to Agnes as she gives Peggy a job and tries to secure a happy life for Marian. Agnes is at her best when she’s being cynical, though, which Ada wonderfully offsets with her unyielding optimism.