Second Season of 'The Gilded Age' Delights with Improved Storylines and Increased Social Commentary

Season Two Pivots to a Lighter, Soapy Tone Acknowledging Flaws from its Debut, While Expanding its Engaging Subplots and Addressing Themes of Class and Race in 1880s New York City

• The second season of 'The Gilded Age' enhances the show's identity, moving away from lofty literary ambitions, by embracing a soapier, lighter tone and focusing more on its engaging subplots.
• The storyline has developed to reflect social and economic issues of 1880s New York City, including class struggle, racial violence, labor disputes, and the struggle for upward social mobility.
• Character Bertha Russell, played by Carrie Coon, remains a pivotal and complex figure, embodying the narrative of new rich individuals challenging the entrenched barriers of the American aristocracy.
• The series also explores the growing influence of new money, as represented by the Russell family, against the established 'old money', exemplified by the character Mrs. Astor, and their respective battles for social recognition in high society.
• The series employs a bigger cast and more varied storylines, including a romantic subplot, bankruptcy, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and historical figures such as Oscar Wilde, enriching both the spectacle and narrative complexity of the season.

3 Articles

Washington Post Vanity Fair Vogue