The Gilded Age

[GreekGod]

Anyone watched the first episode ? The US Downton Abbey set in New York in 1882.

Everyone keeps calling it the "US Downton" I loved it. I think possibly even more than Downton.

I would if it really was like that then in New York ie Old Money - v - New Money and the snobbery that came with that

Me three @TinselAngel

OMG Bannister!! His loyalty so easily swayed by £££, LoooL.

I'm going to rewatch and come back to discuss.

Loved today’s episode….. off to google how many more there are!

How is it that Raikes is able to weasel his way into invitations to the opera and a ball when he is not old money? Is it simply because he is a single man? Or perhaps the invitations come from new money?

I don’t mean those invitations wrangled by Marian.

There are 10 episodes.... season 2 hasn't been confirmed yet!

I was going to post a bunch of spoilers but had second thoughts. I'll wait a bit.

Season 2 was confirmed a couple of weeks ago after the costume designer let slip in an interview.

So glad to have found this thread. I'm hooked on The Gilded Age. I've recorded all the episodes so that I can binge watch it again. I'm in the US, too, and somewhat familiar with the history of some of the real people (like the Vanderbilts) that some of the characters are based on. And yes, I'm just waiting for Bertha to find a British duke for Gladys to marry because surely that's where her story is heading.

@SenecaFallsRedux

So glad to have found this thread. I'm hooked on The Gilded Age. I've recorded all the episodes so that I can binge watch it again. I'm in the US, too, and somewhat familiar with the history of some of the real people (like the Vanderbilts) that some of the characters are based on. And yes, I'm just waiting for Bertha to find a British duke for Gladys to marry because surely that's where her story is heading.

Dukes can be scarce on the ground and would probably aim for a '1st tier' match a la Consuelo Vanderbilt. I'm praying for a battle royale between Bertha Russell and Martha Levinson 'for the hand' of Robert Crawley and a countess' coronet for their respective daughters. I can see Violet encouraging it to get the 'best deal' to shore up the failing Grantham fortune. 😆

Although it doesn't really fit with Downton canon which has Cora born in 1868 and meeting Robert in London and marrying around 1890. But a girl can dream.

I was shocked with Bannister also ! so funny though, wonder who grassed him up ?? ; Agnes is growing on me for some reason (i love her relationship with miss scott) , i really felt for her when she stormed in the Russell's house - I don't think she hates the Russells, i think its more to do with her losing her power and that she knows she has to co-operate with new money as they do have the power now. Loved when she felt embarrassed about her behaviour. Everyone is sussing out the lawyer but i hope Fellowes is not playing with us as he did in Downton and suddenly the lawyer turns out to be a good guy as I really don't like him

@AcrossthePond55 I would love to see an intersection with Downton. We don't know a whole lot about the Dowager's background. Maybe she is a duke's daughter and said duke (in 1882) is penniless and has a son and heir the right age to be a match for Gladys. The duke could be played by Maggie Smith's son, Toby Stephens.

[quote SenecaFallsRedux]@AcrossthePond55 I would love to see an intersection with Downton. We don't know a whole lot about the Dowager's background. Maybe she is a duke's daughter and said duke (in 1882) is penniless and has a son and heir the right age to be a match for Gladys. The duke could be played by Maggie Smith's son, Toby Stephens.[/quote]
One reason we know that Violet isn't a Duke's daughter is because she is not 'Lady Violet', she's (the dowager) Lady Grantham. If she were a Duke's daughter she'd have the title of 'Lady' in her own right.

The Downton wiki refers to her as the daughter of an impoverished baronet.

Ok, I think enough time has passed for me to not worry about posting spoilers about last night's episode.

Dearie me! George got a little shirty with Bertha, didn't he? Maybe he does have his 'limits' for her.

I loved Agnes making a tit of herself at the Russell's luncheon and how smooth George was in handling the interruption. I wonder if there will be any fallout for Bannister, as I'm sure having a well trained English butler is 'de rigueur' in all the best homes. Plus it's so difficult to 'break in' new staff, isn't it? Will Bertha try to pinch him? That would really infuriate Agnes!

I think Raikes 'charmed' his way into the upper circle via Mrs Fish's son. They went to school together and IIRC he spent a few school holidays with the family. I'm sure a charming and attractive bachelor willing to make himself agreeable to his hostess was a welcome addition to any party. Just as I'm sure the society Mamas would know that he has no fortune and will keep a close eye on him around their darling daughters.

The Downton wiki refers to her as the daughter of an impoverished baronet.

Well, I missed that particular factoid.

But, if I may, if she were a Lady in her own right, I think conventional practice would be for her to use her married title, Lady Grantham. If a Lady married a no-title as Mary did, then she would continue to be called Lady Firstname.

I think Raikes is going to turn out to be a bad 'un. Agnes is never wrong.

Dearie me! George got a little shirty with Bertha, didn't he? Maybe he does have his 'limits' for her.

I'm very worried about this - I really don't want that cowbag of a lady's maid to worm her way in if Bertha and George start arguing...

I think it was the jealous American butler who grassed up the English butler.

TinselAngel I agree.
I liked the episode - it's all hotting up. Agnes' face when she was admitted to the Russell's house and saw the grandeur was a picture!
George seemed a bit peed off with the extravagance of Bertha's gifts and her drive for social standing rather than just enjoying their riches. She seems a bit "cold" to me. They will clash over Gladys and Larry's desires for the course their lives should take.

@SapatSea

TinselAngel I agree. I liked the episode - it's all hotting up. Agnes' face when she was admitted to the Russell's house and saw the grandeur was a picture! George seemed a bit peed off with the extravagance of Bertha's gifts and her drive for social standing rather than just enjoying their riches. She seems a bit "cold" to me. They will clash over Gladys and Larry's desires for the course their lives should take.

I don't know if I'd describe Bertha as a cold person per se, but definitely driven and single-minded. In a way she reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara after the end of the war, when she nearly lost Tara. There was plenty of love still in Scarlett, but she tamped it down hard in order to let her ambition 'never to be hungry again' rule her actions. I think that's where Bertha is, she is not going to let her soft heart rule her ruthless head in her social climb.

I think (in my imagination) that 'once upon a time' Bertha was loving and caring to her family, but as George started to get rich she saw that her dream to be 'top tier' was possible, and her ambition took over.

George has kept his humanity, in his own way. Bertha is close to losing hers. And I think that's what George is seeing and doesn't like.

I'm really enjoying it.

Have watched four episodes so far, it's a bit patchy in parts but am enjoying it. Despite its huge budget and CGI, there's something about it that reminds me of American period dramas/westerns of the 1970s especially Mr. Raikes.
I like the little history lessons such as the Statue of Liberty's torch being displayed in a park.
I also read that the costume designer made Bertha's dresses in colours such as electric blues to signify her 'new money'.

The way I see it is that Bertha engineered the whole thing. She made the request to have an English style lunch and knew the butler would reach out to Bannister. Then she'll wade in and offers the gig for him, knowing he won't turn down $100 payment. $100 would have been at least a year's payment if not more?

Next she sends the anonymous letter to Agnes, knowing she'll see red and that will make her to storm over and she also knows Agnes won't make a scene in front of all these top tier guests. Bertha can then pretend that they are very friendly with Van Rhijns as Agnes just casually pops over! As that's how it looks to the other guests.

Bertha's social climbing ambitions know no bounds! She will do anything to be in the Top Tier.

This week's episode was so good, seeing Bannister do a little skip after securing his moonlighting gig made me giggle. I understand that $100 is equivalent to $2.5k in today's money so I don't blame him for his "disloyalty" and his part in "butler-gate" hahahaha.

I'm so pleased that Christine Baranski is playing the role of Agnes, she is brilliant and so many moments: when she scolded & warned Armstrong about her prejudice against Miss Scott (although in 1870 USA I don't believe she would have scolded her, probably just tolerated & ignored Armstrong); her scathing critique of Mr Russell's accountability of the train crash (was she reading the equivalent of the Daily Mail???); and when she stormed across the street a' la Butler-gate to the Russell's residence was chefs kiss perfect.

I suspect Church was the one to snitch on Bannister and send the note to Agnes (he wasn't surprised when Agnes stormed in).

I'm so happy Gladys finally has a friend! She deserves to have a little bit of fun before she's married off.

I'm completely baffled by Mr Raikes, he knows Marion is broke. He knows Agnes has a son so the $$$$ goes to Oscar. Are the writers making a point of showing how social mobility is easier for a man? The future meetings at Mrs Chamberlain's house will be interesting.

My sister came to visit this week, she wasn't aware of this program so I sat with her & rewatched all of the episodes and now she's hooked.

I'm completely baffled by Mr Raikes, he knows Marion is broke. He knows Agnes has a son so the $$$$ goes to Oscar.

Is a puzzlement for sure. The only thing I can figure is that red herrings planted by Fellowes have seriously misled us or that he plans to finagle Agnes into bribing him to to leave Marian alone or that he plans to ruin Marian's reputation to 'force' Agnes to support them in exchange for marrying her. But I think that he overestimates Agnes' wealth. We know that the Van Rhijn fortune isn't what it once was and that Oscar is 'fortune hunting' Gladys. I'd say there's probably only enough left to 'maintain appearances'.