The Gilded Age Episode 1.08 Review

“She had no tolerance for scenes which were not of her own making.”

– Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth

The exploits of the rich are largely catastrophic, but they can also be quite absurd. The entire storyline in The Gilded Age about Bertha (Carrie Coon) trying to join the aristocratic old guard, is by far the show’s greatest narrative strength and, at its heart, is absurd. The idea that the old guard has its tight social circles bound by anything resembling moral values is equally absurd. And the lengths to which the likes of Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) go to make sure that people like Bertha cannot be included in their society is, of course, absurd. It’s the most consistency the show has displayed in terms of narrative and character, and when all of it comes to a head as Bertha is basically forced to run through the halls of Mrs. Astor’s Newport home, the execution is perfect.

It’s an acceptable norm that you shouldn’t be in someone’s house without their knowledge. That Bertha shouldn’t be in Mrs. Astor’s home because she is considered socially unacceptable to Mrs. Astor (but her money is) is ridiculous. As Coon runs through the halls amidst a cavalcade of utterly bewildered servants, the physical comedy of her performance is perfection. Her body language carries a mixture of bemusement, hilarity, and a deep sense of utter and undeserved humiliation. Bertha hates to not be in charge, to not shape her destiny and carve out a path based on what she wants and not what others want for her. Now her drive to enshrine her place in the upper echelons of society has been imbued with a relatable “I’ll show you,” and that should be electric.

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The central gay relationship of The Gilded Age is also finally shaping up to have some semblance of a personality. Oscar (Blake Ritson) has a ruthless drive to climb the social ladder and fortify his financial future. It’s a sharp drawing of a character that is honestly quite refreshing considering how gay characters are often treated in period piece dramas. But John (Claybourne Elder)? John’s two most notable traits until this episode were that he looks like the older end of a Sean Cody model and that he is a direct descendant of John Adams. While the former makes John a consistent source of eye candy, who is he? Beyond his love for Oscar, which I haven’t really felt to the degree I ought to, what is he about?

To my immense delight, John has the capacity to be just as prickly (pun intended) as Oscar and he finally shows it. I felt for him when he declared his love for Oscar (although there is absolutely no way no one else in the restaurant didn’t hear him), when he argues that they should be able to live their lives as two men in love. But that’s not what Oscar wants, not the gossip or the idea that the only finances he would inherit are from his mother. (And who knows how much money is left there, anyway.) So John decides to turn up in Newport and delve into his reserve of charm, and now Oscar finds himself in the thralls of a competition. It’s a little absurd, definitely petty, and I love it.

In society climbing, Mr. Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) seems to find his way into every social corner, nook, and cranny in a way that would be impressive if we actually got any insight into how he does it. But the show doesn’t really bother with more of an explanation than “he’s charming” and “he’s handsome” and that simplicity, while disappointing in a narrative with plenty of space, has a ring of truth to it. Handsome white men who are even remotely charming do find open doors where everyone else can often encounter hostility. Aurora (Kelli O’Hara) is clearly worried and, to her credit, it’s not about Mr. Raikes’s social ascension but rather a fear that she shares with Agnes (Christine Baranski). The fear is that he is simply using Marian (Louisa Jacobson) to climb into the upper reaches of society and that he will drop her without battering an eyelid when he finds a better option.

In the more serious realm of the series, Peggy (Denée Benton) finally reveals her secret. That her secret would include a man she fell in love with and a man whom her father disapproved of isn’t particularly surprising. That it included her giving birth to a child, a child her father cruelly took away from her, is more surprising. In an instant, the coldness between Peggy and her father becomes clear. Peggy had made a choice for herself. Whether it was a good choice or not, as much as these decisions can be separated into good or otherwise, it was a one she made for the life she wanted. And her father just came along and took that away from her, erasing her entire agency with a snap of to his fingers. That’s why she wanted Mr. Raikes’s help – so she could find the woman who has her child. 

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This reveal adds additional heft to how much it rankles Peggy when her father patronizes her for wanting to pursue a writing career. That in and of itself is plenty to be upset about but this adds an even deeper layer of mistrust and harm into the equation. Every single time Peggy has made a major decision, her father has done nothing but sharply question her decision, her intelligence, and her agency. And now there’s nothing left there but for her to execute her agency over and over and over again, her father be damned.

In a significant execution of her agency, Peggy is leaving the van Rhijn household behind. Mrs. Armstrong (Debra Monk) deciding to try and besmirch her reputation was the final straw – to continue living in a household where a woman is actively trying to destroy her was beyond the pale. It’s one of the most significant character choices on The Gilded Age yet and bodes well for the show’s ability to commit itself to where characters ought to go, at least for some of its characters anyhow. And for whatever the show’s faults, I am genuinely thrilled at the future Peggy will chart for herself.

Best Gowns:

– Marian’s outfit when she goes shopping at Bloomingdale’s: exquisite.
– But it cannot beat Bertha’s gown when she’s dining at the home of Mrs. Fish (Ashlie Atkinson).

Worst Gowns/Outfits:

That is what these rich white people wore to play tennis in the summer? What on earth?!

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Best Quote:

– Aurora’s response “I’d be safe as brandy if I were” is the funniest way of saying “don’t worry about me going alone with Mr. McAllister (Nathan Lane) – he’s gay”
– “Your mother looks very gay.”

Notes:

– The servant drama this season has been so deeply lacklustre
– As someone with a legal background, the courtroom scene was truly excruciating – more on that next week
– Mrs. Astor paid $200,000 for her Newport Beach house. Calculated for inflation from 1913 (as far back as I could go), that’s about $6 million (or the cost of a modest condo in the Bay Area). Considering the show takes place in 1882, it’s likely even higher than that. 
– The Peshtigo Fire of 1871 was a horrific tragedy and you can read more about it here.



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