The Gilded Age returns, sharper, funnier, and more ambitious than ever

In 1880s New York, a fortune could buy you a mansion but not an invitation. Four seasons in, Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age is still serving piping-hot afternoon tea, with Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, and Louisa Jacobson leading one of the most crowded drawing rooms on television.

The plot: The city’s old-money guard is losing ground to a new class of railroad and industrial fortunes. Marian Brook (Jacobson) moves in with her wealthy, conservative aunts, Agnes van Rhijn (Baranski) and Ada Brook (Nixon), after her father’s death. Across the street, the Russells have the money but none of the invitations. Bertha (Coon) is determined to force her way into society while her husband George (Spector) builds his empire.

Season four is the reckoning. HBO’s logline says Bertha changed society at a cost, and the producers’ theme is: be careful what you wish for. Expect old ambitions to come due, with marriage on everyone’s minds and Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran) scheming to change their fortunes.

What we liked: The Gilded Age is by far one of the most refreshing shows on television right now. It puts its characters first, and its plots are slow burns with real payoff and no shock-value storytelling. The production is exquisite, from the costumes to the score to the performances, especially from Baranski, Jacobson, and, this season, Ritson. It handles class, romance, feminism, racism, and society with a deft touch, and it’s often very funny. It’s early in the season, but we’ll wager this is the show’s best and biggest yet.

The verdict: It’s absolutely worth your time. The narrative is cohesive, and the show is witty, emotional, and high-stakes in equal parts. If you’ve never watched, the earlier seasons are an easy binge. If you have, the new season rewards your patience.

WHERE TO WATCH- The Gilded Age is streaming on OSN+, with episodes dropping weekly on Mondays. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:05).