THE STORY – Bertha Russell changed society at a cost. Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position.
THE CAST – Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Blake Ritson, Kelley Curran, Harry Richardson, Jordan Donica, Ben Ahlers, Taissa Farmiga, John Douglas Thompson & Audra McDonald
THE TEAM – Julian Fellowes (Showrunner/Creator) & Sonja Warfield (Showrunner)
“The Gilded Age” has quickly become appointment television: every year, it is a blessing to return to 1880s Manhattan with the city’s most pompous, gossipy, and utterly memorable cast of characters. The detailed costuming, production design, and hairstyling go a long way to transporting audiences to this lavish world, but what makes this show so special is how it weaves together the inner lives of dozens of characters and manages to make you care about every single one. You may love or hate certain people, but you will never be indifferent to anyone in this show. Their petty trifles with one another have sustained several series-long storylines; once this show sucks you into the personal drama, it is impossible to even consider tuning it out.
But as fun as it is to escape into “The Gilded Age,” a show where a war to see which opera house becomes more popular is treated with the same gravity as an actual war, season 4 explicitly pits these characters we have grown to love against immovable social barriers. This time, the primary obstacle to most of their goals is not one another, but the limits to what they can do because of their gender, race, and class. It leads to some of the show’s most exciting storyline ideas yet, and for the most part, the show delivers another excellent, gripping season of television. After Bertha (Carrie Coon) finds her marriage in jeopardy, she does whatever it takes to win back George’s (Morgan Spector) favor, setting her sights on the presidential dinner Agnes (Christine Baranski) is driving herself mad over hosting. Oscar (Blake Ritson) and Enid (Kelley Curran) begin their strategic dalliance by scheming ways to ingratiate themselves further in high society. Peggy (Denée Benton) and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) grapple with unexpected turmoil in their relationships and must decide the identity they wish to carve out for themselves.
On paper, Bertha and George’s storyline should have been the slam dunk best plot of the season. And for the first few episodes, it absolutely is. Watching George surrender further and further to his twisted morals while Bertha desperately tries to win him back is A+ television. It doesn’t hurt that Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector are firing on all cylinders here, conveying the pain and anger at the heart of these characters with fine-tuned precision. Yet the plotline loses steam halfway through the season. It also feels a bit odd in hindsight that the show dipped its toe into making George a more despicable, Logan Roy-esque character without fully seeing it through. Where these characters end up by the end of the season feels somewhat underwhelming after the climactic season 3 finale.
In reality, the best storyline has Oscar and Enid attempt to carve out a new spot for themselves in Manhattan. Their lavender marriage does not disappoint, as this flamboyant, manipulative duo complements one another perfectly. Every scene where they concoct a plan to reinvigorate high society contains the perfect amount of scenery chewing from Blake Ritson and Kelley Curran, and there is really no better treat.
Meanwhile, Agnes’s attempt to remain relevant in current society while clinging to tradition grants Christine Baranski her best season to date. In season 3, her sudden lack of capital and influence was touched upon somewhat, but her insecurities are on full display this season. Baranski has always made a meal out of every crumb of material she is given, but when she is given such high-quality ingredients, she serves audiences a Michelin star-worthy performance. There is no shortage of excellent additions to her hall of fame line readings this season.
Most of the other storylines are strong, with Marian and Peggy’s plotlines being particular highlights. Again, the reason why “The Gilded Age” has caught on the way it has is that its batting average for engaging character arcs far exceeds most other shows on TV. However, the season does suffer from the first half speedrunning past numerous high-stakes events in quick succession and the back half simply lacking momentum. While the finale wraps up certain arcs particularly well, and in quite emotional fashion, it does not compare in terms of grandeur or overall narrative satisfaction to previous season finales. The first episode felt far more momentous than the last and might even be the best episode of the season.
This may not be the best season of “The Gilded Age,” but rest assured that it is nonetheless a thoroughly entertaining season of television. As always, the ensemble is brilliant from top to bottom, bringing a unique identity to every character in this dense cast. If it suffers somewhat from the structure of its season-long arcs, it is only because it is overly ambitious in what “The Gilded Age” can be as a television series. And for a show that could so easily repeat its winning formula over and over again, it is a true blessing that it doesn’t.
THE GOOD – The season is ridiculously entertaining, juggling dozens of storylines to great success. The costuming, production design, and hairstyling continue to be breathtaking.
THE BAD – The show loses momentum after its sizzling first half and ends on a decidedly less riveting note than previous seasons.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series & Outstanding Direction for a Drama Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 8/10
