Old and New are at war in “The Gilded Age”

I was in the market for a new show to watch. One that kept popping up on watch lists was "The Gilded Age." I have thought about starting it a few times. The third season ended recently, so now is a good time.

Set in 1880s New York, "The Gilded Age" explores the conflicts between Old Money and New Money families.

When I started watching the first episode, my initial thought was, "Oh, so this is just 'Downton Abby,' but in New York City." Then the 'Created By' credit popped up, and it was Julian Fellowes, creator of 'Downton Abbey,' and it made sense. That is my one concern. I hopped off "Downton" when (spoiler alert) Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) died. The show had become very repetitive. One advantage "Gilded Age" has is that it focuses on two families: the Russels (New Money) and the Van Rhijns (Old Money). There is a lot more social intrigue. Bertha Russel (Carrie Coon) is trying to get the Old Money families to accept her and her family. Her husband, George (Morgan Spector), is a robber baron who is ruthless in his business practices. 

During much of the first season, many of the adult characters were not that likable: Bertha Russel in particular. She comes off as cold and mean. She doesn't want her daughter, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), to be out in society until the family has enough social clout to fill their ballroom. She is a perfectionist and expects that in all aspects of her life. Over the course of the first season, that lessens a bit, but she remains a woman full of ambition.

The show, so far, has lived up to the hype. It is well written and acted. There is a lot more going on than "Downton Abby" did. The mix of old vs new money keeps things interesting. These are people obsessed with status and hold very different views on how someone achieves it. I have just started the second season, and things have only gotten better.

"The Gilded Age" is on HBO Max