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New York Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Gilded Age' Enriches Its Portrait of Black High Society
The air felt different as I sat across from Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Denée Benton. I was lifted simply by being with these women, three generations of Broadway royalty. (Of course, as the former Clair Huxtable, Rashad qualifies as TV royalty as well.) Now they are together on 'The Gilded Age,' the HBO drama about late 19th-century New York City and the old-money elites, arrivistes and workers who live and clash there. I was initially worried about the show when it debuted in 2022. As a long-term fan of the creator Julian Fellowes's more homogenous hit 'Downton Abbey,' I feared this American counterpart would similarly overlook the racial dynamics of its era. But I was pleasantly surprised by the nuance of the character Peggy Scott (Benton), an aspiring journalist and secretary for Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and a member of Brooklyn's Black upper-middle class. An early version of Peggy had the character posing as a domestic servant to gain access to Agnes. But Benton and the show's historical consultant, Erica Armstrong Dunbar, pushed for a more multifaceted exploration of the lives of Black New Yorkers, who often interacted with Manhattan's white elite even as they lived separately. (Dunbar and I were colleagues at Rutgers University.) This season, 'The Gilded Age' has its most diverse and in-depth portrayal of Black high society yet, often pitting Peggy's mother, Dorothy (McDonald), against the aristocratic Elizabeth Kirkland (Rashad), who arrives on the show on Sunday. Like other wealthy mothers on this show, Elizabeth spends most of her time trying to control the marital fate of her children and discriminating against other families, like the Scotts, that she believes to be socially inferior. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Irish Times
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Gilded Age review: Pretty but dour show about snobbish New Yorkers
Julian Fellowes 's The Gilded Age is a spiritual successor to Downton Abbey but lacks the crucial sense of fun that crackled through his 'big house' blockbuster. The reason for this has to do almost entirely with location. Downton was set among the preening toffs of the English countryside, while this sequel-of-sorts unfolds against the backdrop of Gilded Age United States, a realm of robber barons and racism. The robber barons are still with us, only nowadays they build digital highways rather than railroads. The racism is still here, too. Which is perhaps why The Gilded Age, now back for a third season (Sky Atlantic, 9pm), feels both underwhelming and also slightly in denial about the cultural forces underpinning its tale of feuding millionaires. There is, inevitably, an Irish character, scullery maid Bridget. She is played by American actress Taylor Richardson in vaguely authentic fashion, even if she seems to have based her accent on pop star CMAT (I constantly expected her to whip out a guitar and a Dolly Parton hat). [ The Gilded Age – with its kind rich people and racist Irish maid – has nothing to say Opens in new window ] Elsewhere, the show touches upon issues such as America's perpetual racial schisms yet never has the courage to dig under the skin of the subject. For instance, when aspiring author Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) falls ill, and a doctor refuses to attend to her because she is black, it is treated as a quirk of the plot rather than anything more pernicious. READ MORE Another issue is that, while Fellowes grew up among Britain's privileged nobility, his grasp of blue-blood, turn-of-the-century New York feels less assured. As the new series begins, several plot lines resolve around forbidden love and young couples eager to cast off the shackles of high society and marry for romance rather than status. But there are so many of these characters it's hard to keep track of them all. Would one smitten pairing not have sufficed in order for Fellowes to make his point about the stifling quality of upper-crust United States of the time? Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell and Morgan Spector as her husband George. Photograph by Barbara Nitke/HBO Cynthia Nixon as Ada van Rhijn and Christine Baranski as her sister Agnes van Rhijn in season two of The Gilded Age. Photograph: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Season two ended with Ada ( Cynthia Nixon ) usurping her older sister Agnes (Christine Baranski) as matriarch of the Dutch-Pennsylvanian van Rhijn family. That means change – with the doors of their Manhattan brownstone now thrown open for the use of the local temperance association (the furious Agnes looks like she could do with a drink to calm down). The other big storyline revolves around Carrie Coon's Bertha Russell trying to arrange for a suitable marriage for her daughter Gladys (railway tycoon husband George being out west, claiming a new fortune). Awkwardly, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) already has found love in Billy Carlton (Matt Walker) and isn't much impressed by her mother's attempts to interfere. So far, so Downton. However, New York isn't the English countryside, and the inherent comedic qualities of Britain's aristocratic class are sadly absent. Lacking that charm and also the sense of an old order marching towards the twilight, The Gilded Age is nothing more than a dour show about snobbish New Yorkers. It is very pretty but peel back the layers, and it quickly loses its shine. The Gilded Age (Season 3) is on Sky Atlantic, Mondays, 9pm
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Gilded Age' Season 3 is the best and boldest we've seen from the HBO hit show
Now that the world of The Gilded Age has been firmly established, Season 3 of the HBO show (on Crave in Canada) takes a strong step to expand the scope of its storytelling. In a absorbing and satisfying new season, with an ensemble cast that includes Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson and Ben Ahlers, the period drama is a delight. The show from Julian Fellowes raised the stakes in Season 2, but Season 3 includes more bold choices for many characters, including fan favourite Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), whose story was more overlooked that fans desired back in Season 2. From death, divorce, love and potential financial ruin, it's a delightful eight episodes. The Gilded Age is available to watch on Crave in Canada (Max in the U.S.), with weekly episodes on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. There are eight episodes in Season 3 of the show. The new season of The Gilded Age takes place just months after the end of Season 2, with the first scenes showing a snowy New York. Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) have to keep their relationship a secret, trying to wait for the time when they be honest about their courting, since Marian was previously engaged. Meanwhile, Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) is struggling with the power flip with her sister Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), now that Ada is the one with money. Across the street at the Russell household, Bertha (Carrie Coon) is ready to marry off her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) to the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), but Gladys is in a secret relationship with Billy Carlton (Matt Walker). They want to get engaged, but it seems like an impossible task to go against Bertha. George (Morgan Spector) is largely focused on his work acquired land to build the railroad, but he's not particularly on board for Bertha's plans for their daughter. Peggy and her parents, Dorothy (Audra McDonald) and Arthur (John Douglas Thompson), get a more robust story in Season 3, particularly when Peggy meets a handsome doctor, William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), and the journalist's love life starts to blossom. Peggy also meets his wealthy parents, Elizabeth (Phylicia Rashad) and Frederick (Brian Stokes Mitchell). The Gilded Age always faced the challenge of establishing a robust story with so many characters, and Season 3 does so at a series best. Playing in both the historical and fantasy space, you've never felt so invested in these characters. Throughout the eight episodes, the stakes just grow, leading to a particularly compelling finale, which we won't spoil, but we'll tease that it feels like a fitting, but curious, end to the season. Season 3 allows us to see far more conversations about race and discrimination, and the fight for more rights for women, including divorce. The story is firmly planted in the disparity in power between men and women, explored in an anger-inducing but effective way throughout the season. While also giving us a more fully formed and significant narrative of the Black elite, expanding that part of the story in a really necessary way. The performances continue to be nothing short of spectacular across the board, from the actors who appear throughout the whole season, to the ones we see only for moments in time. That includes Jack Trotter's (Ben Ahlers) story as he continues with his alarm clock-making, which on the surface may seem incredibly silly, but it's just perfectly charming. Mr. ad Mrs. Russell continue to be a highlight, as are Ada and Agnes, with the actors continuing to have infectious on-screen chemistry. And in Season 3, they have even more juicy storylines to play with. Overall, this season feels satisfyingly intricate in how each episode has been crafted. Just when you think you may be done with the stories about the wealthy and powerful, even in the 1880s, Fellowes gives you a good reason to hit play on The Gilded Age again for Season 3.
