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DVD Review: THE GILDED AGE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

Home » DVD Review: THE GILDED AGE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

Oct 22 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

HBO’s The Gilded Age comes from creator/executive producer Julian Fellowes—best known for Downton Abbey—and this period drama certainly has a very similar look and feel (though I do miss those British accents!). The series finds that same blend of humor, drama and soapy goodness, exploring themes of class, race and society within a certain period and historical context. Many of the characters and events are based off of the stories of real people from this post-American Civil War era of opulence, wealth and corruption that Mark Twain called “The Gilded Age”. At the core of the series is this class/social war between old and new New York. With the old guard trying to keep things the same and the new money trying to break into this society, but seen as lesser since they don’t have family who has been in New York for centuries.

In the first season, set in 1882, we entered this world along with Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), who had gone to live with her aunts—widower Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and her younger spinster sister Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). Agnes, who came from “old money” was having a feud with a “new money” family who had just moved in across the street—Industrialist robber baron George Russell (Morgan Spector) who made his fortune in the railroads, and his wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), who was determined to insert herself into the proper social circles, and wasn’t going to let anyone stop her.

The show’s second season picks up a few months after the first season. Bertha Russell has now found her place in this New York society, but there are still some people who refuse to accept those with “new money”. She has been trying to get a box at the Academy of Music, but has been put on a long wait list due to its small and exclusive nature. However, with the new, bigger Metropolitan Opera House being built, she sees this as a chance to get in on the ground floor, and start a war over which venue will become the premiere destination for the elite, gathering the best talent, and playing host to the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb). Meanwhile, George Russell has his own battle brewing, with the railroad workers threatening to unionize. Their son Larry (Harry Richardson) has recently graduated from Harvard with a degree in architecture, and is trying to get his own business off the ground. Bertha sets him up to help a recent wealthy widower Susan Blane (Laura Benanti) redesign her home. However, she regrets this decision when a connection forms with this much older women, and a potential scandal threatens to ruin the name she’s been trying to build for herself.

Meanwhile, there’s also some shake-ups across the street at the van Rhijn-Brook household. An unmarried clergyman from Massachusetts Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard) has become the new rector at the church, and catches the eye of Ada, which seems to threaten Agnes, who has gotten used to having her spinster sister always with and depending on her. Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) decides that he wants to settle down and start a family, despite the fact that he’s closeted, but finding the right woman proves to be more difficult than he expected, and when he does meet Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom), he makes a mistake that could threaten the entire family’s future. At the same time, Marian is also looking for a potential suitor, one of whom may be Dashiell Montgomery (David Furr), a widowed cousin of the van Rhijns who has a teenage daughter Frances (Matilda Lawler) who is one of Marian’s students. And, in order to get away from her demanding parents, Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) returns to working for Agnes, and to her job as a reporter for New York Globe, which allows her to see how society for the Blacks is quite different in the South.

Similar to Downton Abbey, the series also explores that upstairs/downstairs dynamic between the rich and their servants, and some of the situations that arise when dirty little secrets come out. This second season finds van Rhijn footman Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) developing a knack/interest in clocks; George Russell’s valet Mr. Watson (Michael Cerveris) forced to confront his past after running into his daughter while serving at a party; and Bertha’s formerly ambitious lady’s maid Enid (Kelley Curran) re-emerging as the much younger wife of rich widower Joshua Winterton (Dakin Matthews).

As I binged my way through the second season on this DVD release, I found myself thoroughly entertained and captivated by this world and these characters. There are some exciting twists and turns to the season, with episodes often ending on some big reveal or cliffhanger, making you eager to see what happens next. The second season also introduces many fun new characters, and explores some major historical events, such as the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and The Met. Fellowes has a very unique wit and charm to his shows and The Gilded Age has that in spades—I found myself constantly laughing at the witty dialogue. The sets and costumes are also impressive, really bringing this period drama to life—they’ve definitely spent a lot of money to recreate this 19th century New York city block, and fill it with residents in period clothing.

It’s unfortunate that Warner Bros. has only been releasing this series on DVD, despite the fact the the series airs in HD on HBO. (Though it is available for purchase digitally in HD.) The DVD picture quality is generally clean and quite good. While I got used to it quickly, it definitely lacks that extra level of clarity and detail that you got in the original HD presentation. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and showcases the show’s wonderful score. There is also excellent use of the surround channel to provide an immersive experience, whether it’s just the ambiance of the city streets, the people at parties, or the echo of the opera house.

The second season’s 8 episodes are split across 3 discs, which reside on a swinging tray inside a standard-sized DVD case, which is placed inside a cardboard slipcover. The discs contain over 30 minutes of bonus material, which primarily consists of short promotional Q&As with the cast and crew.


What’s Included:

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Available for Amazon Prime