THE GILDED AGE

Spoiler Alert!

- By Giselle Gunewardene

The Gilded Age is set in New York City during the late 19th century, an era marked by rapid industrialization, great inequalities, and a volatile social order.

At the centre of the story are two rival spheres of society: the "old money" families who have inherited status and social pedigree, and the "new money" industrialists who have made fortunes from railroads, industry, real estate, and commerce. Meanwhile, the show also weaves in the perspectives of African American upper-class society and domestic servants; voices too often sidelined in traditional period dramas. The narrative begins with Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), a daughter of declining means who comes to live in New York with her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn (Cynthia Nixon) and Ada Brook (Christine Baranski). Needing shelter and social connection after her father's death, Marian becomes a kind of bridge figure, she has some old money background but lacks the full security of high society. Across the street live the Russells; Bertha (Carrie Coon) and George (Morgan Spector), among others, a powerful new money family determined to break into "polite society," even when their wealth, manners, and moral codes come under scrutiny. Julian Fellowes, as showrunner and leading writer, leverages his experience with Downton Abbey and its upstairs/downstairs tensions. But while Downton looks at a declining aristocracy, The Gilded Age is about the establishment of economic power and the shifting definitions of social legitimacy.

Themes and Strengths

Class friction and social mobility. A constant tension runs between old and new, and characters navigate how money, birth, connections, and propriety intersect.

Race, agency, and ambition. A standout in the show is its portrayal of African American characters who navigate elite society and assert agency amid constraints. Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) is a key figure in this regard, working as a secretary, writer, and advocate.