I’m ready to go back to 61st Street! I’ve been missing the drama, the gowns, and the history of Old New York that The Gilded Age delivers so well. Creator Julian Fellowes has guided 3 seasons of period drama goodness. The Russell and Van Rhijn/Brook households, along with their staff, serve up entertainment in spades, and the way this season begins proves that hasn’t changed. The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1 kicks off the next part of these characters’ stories with well-modulated drama and superb performances.
MORE: Need to refresh your memory about what happened in Old New York? Just read our review of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 8!
“You deserve to be loved.”
This season understandably starts with a time jump. Remember how Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) revealed her pregnancy in the season three finale? Well, it’s time for the birth. We haven’t missed anything during that time. George (Morgan Spector) and Bertha (Carrie Coon) have not reconciled yet; Larry (Harry Richardson) and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) haven’t either, and Peggy (Denee Benton) and William (Jordan Donica) are still planning their wedding. This episode brings the audience right back into the narrative momentum without missing a beat.
An example of that is the editing in the opening moments here. It cuts between Oscar Van Rhijn’s (Blake Ritson) wedding to Enid Turner-Winterton (Kelley Curran) and Gladys’ difficult birth. Unexpected but narratively rich plot points fill this episode. The writing manages to honor the period setting and feel modern at the same time.
Larry and Marian’s night together is a shipper’s delight but also a brilliant plot device for future episodes. And it wouldn’t be out of place in a contemporary romance. Will we get two second-chance romance tropes this season, one for each generation of the Russell family? For George and Bertha, and for Larry and Marian? I hope so.
Also, the aftermath of Gladys’ birth, which results in her inability to have more children, is authentic to the period but something women of any time period can relate to. Plus, the actors’ performances have never been better. Louisa Jacobson in particular impressed me more than ever. “Ring the Bells” is a terrific start for this season, and I hope all the episodes to come after The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1 can keep it up.
MORE: We still love the idea of a crossover between The Gilded Age and Downton Abbey. Read all about how we think it should go down in our editorial!
My Other Notes
– Not great that the first character we see is Hector’s sister.
– I don’t envy Gladys having a baby back in those times. YIKES.
– LARRY’S LITTLE SMILE WHEN MARIAN LOOKS AT HIM.
– Agnes welcoming the President? Not surprised, LOL.
– YES, HECTOR, SAVE YOUR WIFE!!!!!
– OMG, is that David Letterman and Matt Damon????
– WTF, I’m cackling.
– Oscar and Turner, a lavender match made in scheming heaven, LOL.
– Oh, Marian, come ON. “Moved on” from each other? You and Larry? I don’t think so.
– I think Peggy is going to have to keep putting her future mother-in-law in her place.
– Yep, that’s exactly why I didn’t envy Gladys.
– Larry and Marian dancing together is always magical…SIGH.
– The romantic music and the slow motion? THIS IS CLASSIC TV SHIP CONTENT HAPPENING IN FRONT OF OUR FACES.
– “I’d never admit this to anyone else”…Marian, do you hear yourself?
– Harry Richardson just does that look of love so well.
– They’re in a hotel. Alone. Together. Yeah, in separate rooms, but how long do you think THAT’S going to last?
– OH POOR GLADYS. And she doesn’t even know yet.
– And you know Hector’s sister is going to have something to say about this when she finds out. UGH.
– So I guess this storm is kind of a metaphor?
More of My Notes
– TOLD YA. Go get your girl, Larry!
– HE LIFTED HER UP.
– Oh, this is steamy. I knew #Larian had it in them, if they just tried.
– Marian, you really don’t have to react like this. ADMIT YOU LOVE HIM AND HE LOVES YOU. This situation is much clearer than you think it is.
– George, you can figure out a solution to business problems. You always do.
– Huh, discussion about business monopolies in 2026.
– Do we need to worry about the laudanum he was taking after getting shot last season?
– I like William and Peggy so much.
– There’s Jack! Finally!
– Oh, elitist snobs, huh? Agnes would like them.
– Oh, Armstrong, shut up.
– “The things you don’t know can be learned, but they can’t learn what you’ve got.” YES, YOU TELL HIM, MRS. BAUER.
– PEGGY PUBLISHED A BOOK! I’m so proud!!
– Peggy and Marian’s friendship remains one of the best parts of this show.
– “You deserve to be loved.”
– I love how Peggy’s presence in their lives helps to encourage all the Brook women to grow.
– Ada being such a good person never gets old, actually.
– “Pleasure to meetcha.” LOL.
– JACK AND BRIDGET DANCING.
– Aww, Bridget.
– “We both went into this marriage with open eyes.” Yeah, we can read the subtle subtext there about Oscar. And I’m sure Agnes can too.
– “No barrier ever seems too high when you take it on together.”
– Oh, that’s where the name of the episode comes from.
– I just know Gladys’ reaction when she finds out is going to be BIG drama.
– Favorite gown of the episode: Marian’s blue lace dress from The Night.
The Gilded Age airs on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays at 9 PM.
