User Reviews

What a finale for an outstanding first season!!!! I was on the Instagram page and the comments go on and on with nothing but the most effusive praise for every aspect of the show, and this episode in particular. It is so rare not to see one single negative cpmment, just love and appreciation. This season of The Gilded Age has been absolute perfection. To the wonderful cast, each and every one giving shining performances, to the writers, set decorators, director, wardrobe staff, amd everyone involved, (I dont even know all the roles) thank you for this gem. Can't wait for next season!!!!!

Another triumph for Mr. Fellowes! I thoroughly enjoyed the the first season and this episode in particular. I hope that season two is not too far off. Superbly acted by all involved especially the younger ones although they do have a fine pedigree. Cheers 🥂

At the end of this beautiful episode there is a street scene. All the carriages drive left side. Is this a goof or did NY have left side traffic at this time?

I would not say that I love this show. It feels like a bit of a pale comparison to downton abbey. That being said I loved the finale. It was directed so damn well. And the acting on the show has been stellar, mostly.

This one was a lot of fun interspersed with necessary seriousness. My one quibble is that Wichita was established only about 15-20 years prior to this episode's time, so the character ___ could not have been from there originally.

NEVER OVERESTIMATE YOUR OWN POWER

THE SOCIAL TOURNAMENT OF WHO'S WHO IN CHESS PIECES HAVE ASSEMBLED AT THE GRAND COMING OUT BALL. THIS IS HIGH SOCIETY'S UPPER ECHELON VYING AND INTERACTING FOR POWERFUL MOVES UP THE SOCIAL LADDER. EVERY WRONG MOVE COULD COST YOU YOUR PIECE.

IT IS MARVELOUS TO SEE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE UP CLOSE AND HOW IT PLAYS OUT FROM BEHIND THE SCENES. THE BALL REPRESENTS THE CHESS BOARD BUT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE GAME HAS BEEN PLAYED ALREADY UNDERNEATH THE OPENING UNFOLDING BEFORE OUR VERY EYES.

THE RUSSELL'S ARE A POWERFUL PIECE ON THE BOARD. HOWEVER, THEY ARE JUST LEARNING SOCIETY'S RULES AND THEIR PLACE IN IT. THEIR DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED IS FORCED BUT THEIR AMBITIONS ARE NOT TO BE DENIED. EVEN IF THERE ARE NO CAPITULATIONS FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT THE RUSSELL'S WILL FEIGN ONE UNTIL THEY RELENT. THIS SCENARIO IS WELL DEPICTED AND DIRECTED THROUGHOUT THIS ELABORATE SERIES. BRAVO!

10 RATING IS ON CRUISE CONTROL AS THIS SHOW KEEPS HITTING ALL OF ITS BENCHMARKS!

All the forces are at work. There is a baby boy who was given up and that is going to have to be dealt with in the future. The combatants living across the street from one another are using an almost military method to mess each other up. We find out the wonderful, outgoing man who seemed the perfect husband to be is a total fraud and self centered and dangerous. There are several secrets in the bedrooms. There is betrayal. Russel manages to move on when he deserves to be destroyed. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the results of his conniving and disinterest in human life. Mostly, it is one more example of the privileged having the times of their lives at the expense of others--Robber Barons Incorporated. The conspicuous consumption is beyond the pale. Mrs. Russell will be more powerful than ever now.

I left an IMDb review of the first episode of The Gilded Age in which I conceded that like a soap opera, toffee and watching heroic fails on YouTube, this streaming drama has a certain more-ish quality despite your better judgment.

I have now watched all of the first series, and I should report that I haven't changed my view at all: that it is far, far more of a miss than a hit. Nice try but certainly no cigar, not even a cheap smoke that the posh folk in The Gilded Age would turn their noses up on.

With all ten episodes of that first season under my belt, I have more to go on, but, frankly, the same thoughts keep running through my mind of which, perhaps, the main one is that The Gilded Age is a grand opportunity missed by a country mile.

It was Mark Twain who described the last three decades of the 19th century - and, I suppose, the first few years of the 20th century - as 'a gilded age', and it should be pointed out that he did not intend it as a compliment: 'Gilt', as in 'gilded' is fake gold, that is it is not quite the real thing.

HBO might have chosen to present us with a more intelligent portrayal of 'the gilded age'. Instead it chose to produce a fluffy, middle-brow, low-powered, often quite cliched drama that is essentially indistinguishable from all the fluffy, middle-brow, low-powered often quite cliched drama that historically - one might even say traditionally - has been churned out my American TV producers.

The puzzle is why? HBO has a proud track record of going one or two better than the opposition: no longer being subject to the dual tyranny of advertisers and ratings (and the parasitic relationship between the two) because of its subscriber model, it became the trailblazer for a new kind of TV drama - intelligent, innovative, imaginative and well-written drama. The Gilded Age is none of these things.

I suspect the core of this misadventure is allowing British writer and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes to write the scripts for the first season. In fact, perhaps Fellowes should not have been allowed anywhere near the show.

Our Julian, or to give him his full name Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, not only had a good education - Ampleforth and Cambridge (me The Oratory School, an Ampleforth rival, and Dundee University, in its previous incarnation as Queen's College St Andrews part of an Oxbridge rival, but he can certainly distinguish between the correct fish knife and the correct sherry schooner.

Want to know in which social circles it is infra dig to fart? Julian can certainly tell you. But despite all those silver spoons stuck in his mouth, he refuses to write one line of cliched and stale dialogue where ten will do. Our Julian gives new meaning to 'clunky'.

Given the expensive sets, costumes and the number of extras - and I have no idea how much of all this was computer-generated, though quite possibly some of the dialogue was - why did HBO not follow its usual practice of hiring the best of the best writers? It has used them well in the past.

Perhaps Jules agreed to HBO making the series (and HBO took it over from NBC) on the strict understanding that only he would write the series, or at least the first season. I don't know, if that's true, but it's possible and would explain much.

None of the storylines has a great deal of substance at all and all the characters are two-dimensional and stock fare. The train crash which might have ruined 'robber baron' George Russell, the romantic predicament and shock of nice but naive Marian, the scheming of gay son Oscar, the predicament of very rich but socially ostracised Mrs Chamberlain and much else all occur more or less by the by and get scant examination.

In the hands of better writers - or rather in the hands of any writer but Fellowes - these themes might well have been scrutinised and presented with subtlety and nuance and insight. As it is they come and go with such alacrity, you might even miss them if you don't carefully time your comfort breaks.

One review of The Gilded Age made the pertinent point that for a drama which purports to deal with the lives, wealth, snobberies and affairs of the topmost echelons of late-19th century New York we see very little of that circle.

There are said to have been only 400 members of 25 families who were of any consequence at all in the city, so it is very odd that we get to know just about ten or so of those 400. Where are the rest? We can't expect to be presented to the other 390, but one or two more might have helped. And just two families of 25? That really is being excessively stingy.

I confessed earlier that there was an addictive quality to watching The Gilded Age, like that of soap operas and toffee. Well, I have to report it is an addiction I have now conquered.

Whatever else Aunt Agnes, Ada, Marian, Bertha and George Russell, Gladys, Larry, Oscar, Sylvia Chamberlain, Aurora Fane, Ward McAllister, Mrs Astor, Peggy and her parents and, of course, all the gang down there in the kitchen get up to, I shall be none the wiser.

If something very dramatic and serious happens, give me a shout. But otherwise I shall leave this fluffy nonsense to you while I take off in search of more interesting fare.

NB This review has been edited from the original piece I submitted.