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Downton Abbey was such a resounding hit for PBS — a second movie spinoff debuts in theaters later this year — that it’s understandable TV networks would try to recreate that magic. So now we get The Gilded Age, a new HBO historical drama from Downton creator Julian Fellowes that’s also rich with luxurious interiors and finely crafted period costumes. (If you like to gawk at chandeliers, this is the show for you.) Unfortunately, the storytelling isn’t as rich, plagued by dull plotting and broadly drawn characters. The end result feels cynically calibrated to hit all the usual Downton notes… but doesn’t sound nearly as good.
The Gilded Age — premiering this Monday, Jan. 24 at 9/8c; I’ve seen the first four episodes — is set in New York City in 1882, back when carriage horses trotted across unpaved dirt roads and flocks of sheep grazed in Central Park. This is the world of Edith Wharton, of ornate gowns and lush garden parties, and the period details are indeed exquisite. (Emmy nominations for production design and costumes are an absolute cinch.) It’s here we meet young Marian Brook, who moves from Pennsylvania to New York to live with her rich aunts Agnes and Ada (Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon) after her father dies. We also meet the aunts’ upwardly mobile neighbors, railroad tycoon George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), who are eager to fit in but are looked down on as (gasp) “new money.”
Agnes has a cutting wit, firing off snooty one-liners like Downton‘s Dowager Countess, and Baranski is an acid-dipped treat, her voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt. But apart from her, the performances are stiff and overly mannered. The Gilded Age is all a bit bland and stilted, like staring at beautiful wallpaper. Marian (played by newcomer Louisa Jacobson) makes for a dull lead character, too noble to be interesting. Nixon’s Aunt Ada is dopey and sickeningly sweet, verging on brain-dead. Coon isn’t given much to play beyond various shades of “mildly annoyed.” And all the heroes and villains are very clearly delineated, with no room for nuance or complexity… or humanity, even.
Maybe there’s no room because this show tries to juggle way too many characters. There are a dozen main cast members listed in the opening credits, and at least a dozen more with prominent speaking roles. So we only have time for the bare minimum of characterization beyond the familiar tropes: the Wide-Eyed Newcomer, the Scheming Servant. This show follows the formula of a classy costume drama so closely, it verges on self-parody; it’s like a fake TV show that a character on another TV show would watch. There is one character who doesn’t fit the mold — Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), a Black writer who Marian befriends on the train to New York — but the show’s gentle treatment of her feels naïve and anachronistic. Would a stubborn snob like Agnes, who says things like “I’m opposed to her tribe” and “He is not fit to be one of your circle,” really welcome a Black woman to live in her house and work for her? She doesn’t like anyone!
There are some fun historical touches, like when two servants go see an early stop-motion film and duck out of the way of the train coming at them on screen. But the 80-minute (!) series premiere is a true test of one’s patience… especially since so little happens in it. The story bounces between tedious boardroom dealings — railroad deals and stock manipulation do not make for exciting television — and weepy melodrama. We do get a twist that might have been shocking, if it weren’t directly lifted from Downton. And just in case we missed the subtext, the story’s themes are spoken aloud by the characters. (“If you are the future, they must be the past.”) The Gilded Age is a feast for the eyes, and its aesthetic pleasures are undeniable — but those are the only pleasures to be found here.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: HBO’s The Gilded Age boasts gorgeous sets and costumes, but they’re spoiled by dull plotting and broadly drawn characters.
Umm, have you ever seen Downton Abbey? Ole Julian isn’t the most scintillating storyteller and seemed tapped out by Season 2? Historically, this era is ripe with material to mine dramatically. Why a tired old Brit took this on is questionable. But the cast is excellent, and (as you noted) the sets and costumes seem lovely. So the Downton Abbey demographic for whom this is targetted will be satisfied.
Downton was crammed with almost as much soapy drama as Bridgerton. They just did a much better job of disguising it to feel sophisticated and classy.
IIRC, Downton’s first or second episode included Mary sleeping with the Turkish diplomat, who died of a heart attack in her bed. That’s the way to get people hooked into the story. Nothing nearly so interesting happened in this one.
I love Christine Baranski, so I’ll still watch.
She was on Colbert last night…she’s fabulous! 💃
I think it’s fair to say that Fellows’ overall track record is mixed – at best. The first three seasons of “Downton Abbey” are truly first-rate period drama – the last three seasons – not so much.
The series never truly recovered after the loss of Dan Steven’s “Matthew” (in Series #3) and although Allen Leech’s “Tom Branson” character seemed destined to step into that “romantic hero” role – Fellows’ never actually wrote anything great for his character – maybe fearing another departure? Nor did Fellows’ ever create another love story on “Downton” – anywhere near as magical as the Lady Mary & Mathew story.
The show never stopped being watchable, but there’s a difference between watchable and memorable.
I agree with your assessment that it lost some of its luster and magic after those first three seasons.
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100% this.
I happen to enjoy both of those shows so far…. To Each their own.
But y’all say Bridgerton is a masterpiece. LOL.
Bridgerton was a masterpiece because of one main leading man who is no longer there😉 plus Shonda is a hell of a lot juicier storyteller Mr. Fellows. Plus there was a lot of bright gorgeous colors in that show… all I see is drab dull dark colors in these previews. So paint drying might be more exciting.
I wouldn’t call Bridgerton is a masterpiece, but it achieved exactly what it wanted be.
I couldn’t finish Bridgerton it was so boring and the characters were so badly written . That’s not to say Gilded Age is Good, it took me three tries to get through the first episode.
The Hollywood Reporter’s review is much better!
Yes, Daniel Feinberg is one of the few TV reviewers whose opinions are worth reading on a consistent basis.
People will still watch. I watched Belgravia, also from Fellows and even though it had everything Downton Abbey had, it was kinda boring. So this could go either way. Also shows do tend to get better as episodes go on so lets hope the drama shows up at some point.
‘Belgravia’ got cancelled in the end in the UK
I’m sure I’ll probably check this out at some point but I have all the streaming services and after a month and a half of watching mostly Christmas programming I have a lot to catch up on. Just from the previews I’ll probably be pulling for the more daring new New York 😬as I’m really tired of shows that have very dark and dull lighting and settings and all the scenes with the old New York family, while no doubt fairly accurate for the period, I prefer light and colorful scenes. Perhaps The drab and dull isn’t just the writing but might have a lot to do with what we’re actually Seeing on screen. So possibly watching paint dry might be more exciting😉but I’ll still check it out. I always enjoyed Downton Abbey… at least the first few seasons. It was always a nice sorbet between other more-current shows I was watching at the time .
Sadly the casting here is the problem. You don’t need famous people, big names for a show like this to be good…look at Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, a few names yes, but for the most part not well known actors. Nixon is way out of her element, and I love Baranski but she too is miscast here. Before seeing the first episode I had so hoped this would be awesome, but alas I’m left with reruns of better shows and waiting for Season 2 of the “ton”. Don’t get me wrong the sets are pretty and all, but I won’t be sticking around for episode 2 when it finally airs.
Christine B and Cynthia N are terrible casting choices. Too associated with contemporary female characters and both have a vaguely “done” Hollywood look. They could have gone with relative unknowns and really captured the essence of the times ( think “Hettie” from Ghosts). Missed opportunity.
I think it’s often baffled UK and worldwide audiences that Downton Abbey is considered some sort of high quality drama in the US – it’s on PBS, and it’s a British period drama hence it must be some sort of prestige TV? Except it’s just a soap! And I imagine this will be another soap, with just as implausible plot twists and conservative politics. But Carrie Coon is wonderful and I might take a look just because of her.
Soap is slangnfor TV drama and soaps can actually have high production values.
Basically, Dave Nemetz dislikes this as much as he dislikes Friends From College, which would mean they’re actually be liked by the people who will watch them because Dave doesn’t.
I really hope they keep it classy like Downton Abbey. A show like this doesn’t need to be TV-MA to be good. It should rely on good storytelling, but these days it feels like as long as Hollywood shoves enough language, sex, and nudity into it, people will flock to it. It’s pathetic really because that kind of trash takes no imagination to create. Since they haven’t released the official rating on this yet (at least not that I can find), I still have a spark of hope that I can watch a good, clean show without all of that nonsense.
Your opinion is irrelevant, several of us love “The Gilded Age”.
It was relevant enough for you to respond to it.
What bothers me about it is how quickly it moves from horrific tragedy, toxic emotional abuse and psychopathic, Machiavellian dealings — to everyone, including the Machiavellian sociopaths, smiling and happy and getting along while cheery music plays and we’re supposed to feel that oh gee these people might be ruthless life-destroyers and cruel social bigots but gosh darn it they’re decent at heart so let’s be happy. The only person who suffers any consequences for vile behavior is a ladies’ maid. Everyone gets away with everything and we’re supposed to be OK with it.