The Gilded Age Season 1 Character Review

I’m not sure what made me click on this show, but it has me hooked! The Gilded Age is on HBO Max, Season 1 has 9 episodes. Did I know what I was getting myself into? No, but I love a good history lesson and this time period captured my interest. I had to look up what the Gilded Age period was and found it was the late 1870s to the late 1890s between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. Also worth nothing is the drastic difference between the wealthy and the poor, income inequality.

The first season touches on the railroad industry and shows how these people wanted to keep the wealth in their families as generations continued. Things that stood out to me instantly was the fashion and the decor during this time. Although I had a love hate feeling about Mrs. Russell, I would deem her as best dressed in this series! Let’s get into these characters, there was so much to keep up with and things worth noting.

Mirian

We’re introduced to Mirian in the beginning learning that her father passed away and she has to go live with her aunts in New York. The aunts, particularly Aunt Agnes, isn’t to fond of her brother ( Mirian’s father)because he stole and spent all their money. While Mirian is traveling to New York she meets Ms. Peggy Scott, the black character who isn’t the typical black women they assume she is. Mirian has to navigate living up to her Aunt Agnes standards while choosing what she feels is best for her. We also see Mirian assuming that Ms. Scott is someone who needs saving, thinking all black people are uneducated and poor. Her character means well but she has a lot of adjusting and exploring to do in this new city. In my opinion, I disliked every outfit and hat Mirian wore but I liked that she did what her heart desired even if she had to learn lessons the hard way.

Peggy Scott

Peggy Scott helped Mirian get to New York safely but due to her being black it wasn’t a comfortable ride for Mirian. This is when we see some of the characters feeling a way about Ms. Scott because of her skin color. Her making sure Mirian got to her destination safely warranted her a stay at the aunts home. During her stay we learn that Ms. Scott is educated and comes from a background they didn’t expect because she’s black. Her skills landed her a secretary position for Aunt Agnes. Ms. Scott’s character shows that she is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams of becoming a writer/ journalist and she uses her position to keep pushing for what she wants. Although that’s what she loves and wants, her father doesn’t support her dream and wants her to work for his business. Ms. Scott doesn’t allow the challenges she faces and lack of support to stop her, she minds her black ass business and strives to achieve her goals.

Aunt Agnes/ Aunt Ada

Aunt Agnes is that strict aunt and she influences the ladies in the city. I think of her as the older aunt that’s stuck in her ways and doesn’t accept change. She thinks that she know what’s best for everyone including her younger sister, Aunt Ada, and sometimes she’s spot on but other times she should embrace the new ways of the way things are going. She’s snippy and has a mouth on her but she also stands up for what’s right, in most cases. Aunt Ada is the sweet aunt that encourages you to follow your heart and gives the best advice. Agnes finds herself speaking for Ada treating her like a child or that she doesn’t understand or know certain things. Ada knows a lot more than what people think but she doesn’t want to cause too many problems. I think of these aunts as a ying-yang duo and implementing some kind of balance for Mirian and the workers at the home.

The Russell’s

Whew baby, this family is a lot and I have so many love/hate feelings about how they move. First, I define them as the new money in the city. They’re here to do things differently and challenge what these people think they know about. money and business. Mr. Russell is all about business and doesn’t play about his wife at all! Mrs. Russell is selfish and only cares about how things make her look and how others think about what and how she does things. One thing I can say about Mrs. Russell is she puts that shit on! I love her outfits, I love how she doesn’t do what the others in the city do but her wanting to be accepted and willing to do anything to be accepted is crazy! The way she treats Gladys baffles me and I had to look up how old this girl was because she treated her like she was 12. They’re smart business people but their hard on their children and that’s the part I dislike about them. They came to shake the city up and they keep these people on their toes when it comes to keeping up with Russells, no matter how some of them act like they could care less about what the Russell’s have going on.

These are just some of the characters and I highly recommend you watch this show if you found interest in this character review. If you like a history lesson with some drama included this show is for you. Some people might compare it to Bridgerton, I only watched season 1 of that show so I can’t agree or disagree. The drama, the time period, the lessons and the fashion is what caught my attention, so if you’re interested in any of those things go tune in right now!