The Gilded Age

Old money and new money clash for influence among New York’s upper-class society in this period epic penned by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes. 

_{The Gilded Age review by Jennifer Ariesta}

Welcome to 1880s New York City, a period of booming economy that sees the rise of a new class of the obscenely wealthy. These nouveau riche, as they’re colloquially known, are showy with their newfound status - building outrageously garish mansions and throwing the most decadent parties - inviting the derision of the old money, those who come from generational fortune and believe themselves to be superior. 

At the centre of the feud is new money railroad magnate wife Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and old money Agnes van Rhijn (Christina Baranski) who seeks to gatekeep Bertha’s effort to enter the high society. Born from lowly background, Bertha is determined to get accepted by the upper echelon of Manhattan’s upper class. To do that, she needs the approval of the society’s grand dame, Caroline Astor (Donna Murphy). As the leader of New York’s elite, Caroline - based on real life Gilded Age socialite of the same name - determines who is and isn’t important. She famously established the Four Hundred, a list of New York’s 400 most prominent families. Think of it as that period’s version of Forbes 400.

However, despite their wealth and connection, she and husband George Russell (Morgan Spector) keep failing to impress Mrs Astor. The strong rejection by old guards like Agnes prove too strong to break. Determined to keep up, she engages in increasingly more outrageous ways to charm her way in. Will Bertha ever succeed?

Gilded Age was a time in American history known for its obscene glamour. The palatial mansions strewn across the Upper East Side are still there as proof. But just like the term suggests, gild is simply a gold coating to cheaper materials. Likewise, the show portrays the superficiality of wealth being used to prop up someone’s social standing. And they embrace the decadence with gusto. Cavernous ballrooms inspired by the Versailles, majestic ball gowns adorned with jewels, lavish gastronomical creations - the show unreservedly splurges on the travails of the rich. If nothing else, your eyes shall be treated to a feast. 

Just like Downton Abbey before it, Julian Fellowes revels in the details of the society he’s depicting. The Gilded Age culture is brought to life in vivid detail here. His extensive research lends the story authenticity down to the smallest details like the right lapels for the butlers or the period-appropriate silverware of the era. In an age where everything goes anachronistic, his old-school approach is refreshing.

At its core, The Gilded Age is a soap opera dressed in opulent fashion. The characters gossip and scheme their way just as soap characters would. But the elevated setting and Fellowes’ elegant prose allow us a heightened experience. The show is an escape to a fancy time that we will never have in real life, proving once again that rich people's dramas are always in season.