The Gilded Age season 1 episode 1 review: Disney+ series takes thematic inspiration from Downton Abbey

2.5/5

Story: The Gilded Age is like a cinematic tableau that charts the events of the Industrial Revolution that changed the economic canvas of the country. While the rich got richer, mass mechanisation and faster production led to people being let off. Yet, the American people faced a widescale economic boost due to the corporate conglomerates taking centre stage.

Using 1882 New York as its setting, Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age is all about class and its intricate divisions. Hailing from a world of the evergreen Downton Abbey, Fellowes’ production was much-hyped, especially since this time around, he chose to go trans-Atlantic with the American period drama. 

The nine-episode series follows an American country during the enterprising years of The Industrial Revolution. Caught between the concepts of human manpower and mechanization, the series follows an America that was slowly and steadily growing in wealth and the nouveau riche being considered equal to (and sometimes more respectable) than erudite families with ancestral wealth.

Except for the 2019 film revival of the noted series, the chasm that Downton Abbey has left, has been felt by millions worldwide. But that is not to say that there haven’t been similar productions. With the likes of Bridgerton and The Great, or even a more indie Beecham House, fans of artfully made period drama have heaved a sigh of relief. Hence, with Fellowes’ involvement in the series, expectations were running high. 

As far as terminology goes, ‘Gilded Age’ refers to the most productive years during the Industrial Revolution which altered the very canvas of capitalism in America. The corporates boomed, with the JP Morgans and the Rockefellers were becoming forces to reckon with. What the series does is not only focus on such a meteoric phase for the country but also highlight the daily sacrifices of the middle and lower classes to enable this socio-economic boom. 

With the introduction of machines, most labourers lost their sources of income and were hence dispensable, cheap resources for such conglomerates to exploit.

Within this vibrant background, Fellowes sets his narrative of two parallel narratives set across two opposite households (ala Bridgerton). While the van Rhijns belong to old money, and pride themselves on being culturally sound and contributing to society, the Russells are new into money. 

Led by family patriarch and railroad tycoon George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his socially ambitious wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), his unparalleled ambition is equally complemented by Bertha’s need to be accepted by society’s most important. “I don’t want my old friends,” she tells her husband. “I want new ones.”

But Bertha’s quick hacks to elite society may be completely jeopardised by Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), a world-weary widow with grace, elegance and privilege underscoring her very presence. Agnes’ puritanical nature prevents her from either getting involved with most families in town or investing in them as confidantes.

Verdict: The Gilded Age begins on an optimistic note. With sizeable budgets for production design and costumes, the series delves into beautifully constructed palatial halls with bejewelled chandeliers and regal gowns that make the characters look like a dream.