What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age (Season Finale)

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 9 “Let the Tournament Begin” (B+)

This finale featured two major revelations with their own implications that turned out to be not all that problematic, and a few other developments that will forever change the social scene. I was worried, as I’m sure many viewers were, that Peggy and Aurora wouldn’t reach Marian in time to tell her the news about Tom, but given that he had no intention of leaving with her anyway, I suppose the stakes weren’t all that high. It was sad to see her so dejected, but at least she was able to get to the note she had left for Agnes before she ended up reading it, which would have made it seem as if she had done the unforgivable even if she hadn’t gone through with it. It was sweet to see the bond between Ada and Marian, and how she stepped in to help even when she didn’t approve of what she was doing. Monsieur Baudin’s charade was revealed, and it really was jarring to hear him speak with an American accent. Bertha may be traditional but George is willing to be forward-thinking when it doesn’t get in the way of business, so he too didn’t need to lose his job. Peggy learning what her father did was devastating but did reunite her with her mother, and she will likely be emboldened to further seek independence and success as a result. Bertha nearly saw her entire event fall apart but instead managed to compel Mrs. Astor to come to her home by withholding Carrie’s invitation, and she even managed the unthinkable and had Agnes step foot in the house too. Church and Bannister acknowledging each other at the end was a sign that maybe these two houses will be more united, though I’m sure there’s plenty more drama to come in season two. I’ll be watching – this show is well-done and engaging, and I’m glad it’s continuing.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Carrie Coon as Bertha and Morgan Spector as George

What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 8 “Tucked Up in Newport” (B+)

In the same hour that George got great news and found all charges against him dismissed, Bertha experienced a considerable humiliation, and the fact that it was featured as the final scene of the episode seems to indicate that she’s going to be on the warpath. Things were not looking good at all for George, but then it was Marian who overheard a name and tried to be a good Samaritan, inadvertently revealing that George’s primary accuser might have a reason for accusing him of doing something he hadn’t. Bertha, on the other hand, was doing well at the start, even managing to be a part of Mrs. Fish’s big event. I was happy to see Ashlie Atkinson from “Mr. Robot” in this role, since she’s always great but this fit her particularly well. Being escorted out through the servants’ entrance amid the chickens when Mrs. Astor got home reminded Bertha of how much she doesn’t yet fit in with this group, and there will be hell to pay for that offense. John showing up when Oscar had explicitly asked him not to suggests that relationship is going to come out sooner than later, and we also got some sentimental information about Jack’s past relating to a real-life tragic fire that killed many. Agnes preempting Armstrong’s efforts to get rid of Peggy was a nice sign of support, but not dismissing her and instead forcing Peggy, who revealed her big secret, to leave was unkind. I’m also curious about the drama with Monsieur Baudin and Watson, though it’s hard to know how much will get resolved in the finale and what will have to wait for next season.

What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 7 “Irresistible Change” (B+)

I do like it when historical shows like this that aren’t actually based specifically on real people incorporate people and events that did happen. It tracks that George would know Thomas Edison personally and that he would be invited to have a front-row seat to his spectacular lightshow. Peggy alos managed to get both a reward and an opportunity in the invitation from Thomas to get to see it, something that Marian didn’t get even though Tom did in a carriage that Bertha apologized had no space left in it. Marian really is investing in this relationship with Tom, and while Ada will surely do whatever she can to help her, Agnes has shown how she treats those who have betrayed her trust. I would have thought that Church would be the obvious culprit in Bannister’s search for the author of the note that got him in trouble, but maybe it’s not that simple. It’s puzzling that Bertha did go through with it and fire Turner based on Agnes’ request, though it’s likely she doesn’t want anyone who could attract scandal in her orbit, and she doesn’t even know about her attempted seduction of her husband. Oscar seems to think that her being fired is a good thing for him, since it will provide him an even more ironclad distraction from the fact that he’s actually gay. Bertha suspected right away that he was involved in the request for Turner’s dismissal, but she, like everyone else, doesn’t know the real root of it.

What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 6 “Heads Have Rolled For Less” (B+)

It was an unexpected treat to see Agnes out of the house for once in this episode, giving in to her typically repressed impulsive nature to confront Bannister about his betrayal. I’m sure $100 was quite a lot of money in this time, but he should have known that it would have been impossible to get away with this for long, even if Marian recognized him there and said that she wouldn’t say anything to her aunt. It seems obvious that Church was the one who wrote the letter to Agnes since he was humiliated by Bannister taking over and forcing him to stand in line with the other servants. These people need to get better at keeping secrets, like Oscar’s park walk with Turner that ended within sight of those who are perfectly ready to gossip. It was interesting to see Agnes shut down Armstrong’s objections about Peggy, since she seems to want to judge people only on their actions and not their race. Gladys becoming friends with Carrie Astor will give her happiness and may also help her mother continue to climb the social ladder, which she is doing quite well currently with her approval to the board and her successful hosting on Ward McAllister, Agnes’ interruption notwithstanding. George, on the other hand, isn’t doing great, ready to bounce back from the train disaster but now apparently in the crosshairs as someone claims to have written proof of his wrongdoing and direct complicity in using subpar and dangerous materials.

What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 5 “Charity Has Its Own Functions” (B+)

I had expected that Peggy might be angry at Marian for a much longer time, but they seem to have patched things up, even after Dorothy came and spoke to Marian about how Peggy really should be at home. It was great to see Peggy in action when she went for it and asked Clara questions for her article, horrifying Anne, who somehow associated the undesirable Bertha with a woman who had just met her. Clara did have a legitimate opinion about both Bertha and Mrs. Chamberlain, that it didn’t matter to her what someone’s background or social standing was if they had money that they wanted to use to support her cause. We only got to see him for a moment, but Nathan Lane made a grand entrance with quite the accent as Mr. McAllister, and I hope that we’ll see him again. Peggy stepped in as Tom and Marian were kissing in the hallway, acting partially as Agnes’ spy and also as a friend to make sure that Tom didn’t take advantage of Marian before she decided what she wanted. Gladys was much more certain of her feelings, but that didn’t stop her parents from conspiring to send her poor suitor away with a job offer that he had to take or find his future irreversibly destroyed as punishment. Oscar hiring a spy to keep him informed about the Russell household is a productive development for multiple parties, though, as we saw when George woke up in bed to find Turner next to him, the Russells are very perceptive and not forgiving when they find out that people have been conspiring against them. They’ll be busy dealing with the aftermath of this deadly train crash, something with the potential to completely ruin their endeavors.

What I’m Watching: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 4 “A Long Ladder” (B+)

This episode contained a few very awkward interactions, ranging from humorous in nature to truly uncomfortable. Bannister getting a tour of the Russell household from Church gave him ample opportunity to present subtle and stinging digs at their way of doing things, insulting the chef by his shock that soup would be served at lunch (the idea of chilled chicken soup was particularly unappealing) and then commenting on the placement of the silverware as if it was interesting. Agnes didn’t even want a chance of Bertha trying to initiate contact by bringing the dog over, assuring that they stay separate and interactions can only happen outside the home at places like the opera. Marian’s visit to Brooklyn was a bad idea to start, but the fact that she brought old shoes to help Peggy’s parents was seriously horrific. At least Peggy’s new writing job seems promising, though getting into the political arena could be a dangerous gamble. It was good to at least hear George express some sort of regret for the way that things went with Patrick, though that was short-lived in favor of pressing on ahead and helping to get Bertha introduced into polite society. The reason that Mrs. Chamberlain is such a pariah didn’t astound me as much as I had expected it to, and I don’t think it’s going to keep Marian away since she’s hardly in favor of following the norms of the time. Being shunned by Peggy might help her adjust a bit more, though we’ll see how long that fracture lasts.

Take Three: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 3 "Face the Music" (B+)

The characters on this show definitely don’t have an understanding of what justice and equality truly mean, since most believe that one group of people are entitled to something and that everyone else has to play by the rules. George was understandably upset that Patrick had reneged on the deal, choosing to manipulate the stocks instead, and they felt the consequences of that very quickly with the stock not changing in the way they expected it to thanks to George secretly buying all of it. Patrick sending his wife to beg Bertha to convince George to change his mind was met with a matter-of-fact response, and George was even less kind when Patrick knelt in front of him. It seemed inevitable that Patrick would take his own life, and I’m curious to see if George or Bertha will be moved by that or consider it to be what he deserved. Peggy’s meeting with the editor was demoralizing, being told that she had “never mentioned that she was Black” and that she would need to both take out any Black characters from her story and renounce any claim to it being her work. People don’t seem to have great intentions, as evidenced by the speed with which Ada’s would-be suitor Cornelius, played by the dependable Bill Irwin, realized he had to leave when Agnes explained to him that Ada had nothing to offer him in the way of money or a place to live. Marian getting a proposal is a major development, one she’s not likely to seriously consider given what Agnes has told her about how she feels about the matter.

Round Two: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age: Season 1, Episode 2 “Money Isn’t Everything” (B+)

This show is certainly interesting, but it’s very hard to keep track of who all the characters are and how they’re related to one another. I’m trying to remember if this is something I struggled with on “Downton Abbey” early on or if that show just didn’t have as many players. I was excited to recognize a number of faces who it’s very possible could have appeared in the first episode but I at least didn’t notice them then if they did. The most surely relevant is Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell, whose friendship with Marian is definitely going to be a problem for the older generations of both families. Donna Murphy was Mrs. Astor and Jeanne Tripplehorn was Mrs. Chamberlain, two women who have opposite degrees of influence in the community. I was also pleased to see Katie Finneran from “Wonderfalls” and “Brockmire” and Michel Gill from “House of Cards” and “Mr. Robot” as Anne and Patrick Morris, who are going to be instrumental in helping George get his new rail station, though Anne managed to truly offend Bertha by not using her space. George got the best revenge, showing up to the bazaar right at the start to buy everything out and ensure it closed right away, letting everyone know that he wouldn’t stand for his wife being treated like that. I’m intrigued by the relationship between Agnes and Ada, who have different visions of the world and ideas. I particularly like that Agnes assured Ada she would be fine because she planned to outlive her. “Why don't we just go inside and roam around in the gutter, it will save time” was definitely the best line of the hour.

Pilot Review: The Gilded Age

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.