There are few things I enjoy more than settling in for a good soapy period drama, preferably one involving extravagant gowns, vicious social maneuvering, forbidden romances and people getting spectacularly worked up over who gets invited to dinner. So of course, I'm a big fan of “The Gilded Age.” Four seasons in, I'm still thoroughly invested. I've been looking forward to this new chapter for months, and I'm happy to report that HBO's lavish historical drama has delivered another delicious helping of everything I love about it.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Verdict: “The Gilded Age” season 4 is another lavish, deliciously soapy treat, with juicy new conflicts and a terrific ensemble that makes even the smallest social squabbles entertaining. A few storylines stumble, but I'm still more than happy to spend another season among New York's most extravagantly dressed troublemakers.
Release schedule: Episode 1 on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 9 p.m. ET
Where to watch: HBO and HBO Max
The new season picks up several months after the events of season 3, with the usual assortment of New York's elite navigating romance, family squabbles, and the delicate business of maintaining their social standing. Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and George (Morgan Spector) are facing serious marital difficulties, while their daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) is preparing for motherhood in England.
Across the street, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) is adjusting to a household where she no longer calls all the shots; Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) is balancing her writing ambitions with her relationship with Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica); and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) remain frustratingly complicated.
There's plenty happening across these interconnected households, and while some storylines are more compelling than others, season 4 finds the show giving its best characters fresh reasons to scheme, spar, and occasionally make me want to yell at the television. I've seen all eight episodes, but I promise not to reveal too much, as this is a show's plot turns are best enjoyed weekly.
Warning: Light spoilers ahead (not much beyond the trailer)
A power couple unravels and old money swoops in
One of the things I've always loved about “The Gilded Age” is its ability to make seemingly trivial matters feel enormously consequential. A dinner invitation can become a declaration of war.
Season 4 also introduces some genuinely compelling stakes, particularly for the Russell family. I've always enjoyed watching Bertha and George operate as an unstoppable power couple, with her social ambition and his business acumen making them practically invincible. So, seeing them at odds is painful. At the same time, I have to admit that their relationship was in danger of becoming a little too perfect. Now, with their marriage under strain, both have to reckon with what happens when their greatest ally becomes their biggest obstacle.
Coon remains an absolute force as Bertha, who is accustomed to getting what she wants and isn't particularly good at taking no for an answer. Spector gets some terrific material, too, as George grapples with the consequences of getting shot and mounting professional pressures. Their chemistry remains one of the show's biggest assets, and I desperately want these two crazy kids to work things out. But I'm also enjoying the fact that the show isn't making it easy for them.
Meanwhile, Agnes has her own ambitions to pursue, setting up a delicious clash of wills as she and Bertha vie for the opportunity to host President Grover Cleveland (guest star Jim Gaffigan). Baranski is always a treat, particularly when Agnes has a reason to be indignant and mouth off. Seeing these two formidable women competing for the same prize is exactly the sort of society skirmish I break out the popcorn for.
Marriage on everyone's minds
One of the best facets of “The Gilded Age” is its exploration of the world of upper-class Black Americans, and season 4 blessedly gives us more of that. Peggy's growing success as a writer brings new complications as she navigates her upcoming marriage to William and the expectations of his family, particularly his mother, Elizabeth Kirkland Phylicia Rashad), who would make everyone in the r/JustNoMIL subreddit quake. Rashad is simply divine in the role, and I relish seeing her face off against both Peggy and Peggy's mother, Dorothy (Audra McDonald).
Then there's Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran), whose unconventional partnership is quickly becoming a favorite storyline. The two make a formidable team, and I love watching them scheme their way toward greater influence in New York society. They're a bona fide power couple in the making; long may their unholy alliance reign.
The show also continues to get plenty of mileage out of the household dynamics between Agnes and Ada (Cynthia Nixon). Baranski and Nixon are such a wonderfully entertaining pairing that I could watch them bicker over curtains for an entire episode. Even the lighter storylines involving the servants and their increasingly complicated lives add to the show's rich ensemble feel. Not every subplot lands with equal force, but there's rarely a dull moment.
My biggest frustration remains Marian and Larry, whose romantic entanglement continues to test my patience. I understand that a TV romance needs obstacles, but at some point, the writers have to give these two a break. Their continued complications seem so contrived. Come on, already!
Verdict: 'The Gilded Age' season 4 is another sumptuous treat for period drama lovers
Still, I have few complaints about "The Gilded Age" season 4. The production design and costumes are a feast for the eyes. This is the kind of show where I want to pause every few minutes just to admire someone's dress or the sheer extravagance of a dinner table. The performances are equally strong, with Coon, Baranski, Benton and Rashad among the standouts.
What I appreciate most is that “The Gilded Age” knows exactly what it is. It can explore serious subjects like race and women's independence while also giving us extravagant parties, romantic scandals and enough high-society backstabbing to fill several lifetimes. Sometimes I want challenging prestige television; other times, I just want to watch Christine Baranski deliver a devastating put-down in a spectacular hat. There's room for both. So, take a glass of champagne and enjoy.
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