HBO’s “The Gilded Age” opened its fourth season Sunday with a wedding, a tropical storm and a night of passion that could cost one heroine everything. The episode, titled “Ring the Bells,” sets up a season in which the Russell family’s fortunes wobble and the Van Rhijn household prepares to host a president.
The premiere centers on the marriage of Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran), a partnership built on ambition. He brings status, she brings money, and both want a higher place in New York society. The arrangement cracks within hours. Oscar declines Enid’s offer to consummate the marriage and produce an heir, and his mother, Agnes (Christine Baranski), discovers that her new daughter-in-law once worked as a lady’s maid. Series creator Julian Fellowes says he admires people who “rewrite their own lives,” even as the couple’s story shows the rules that boxed them in.
The storm, co-showrunner Sonja Warfield says, reflects real weather from the period, and it strands Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) in a hotel. They sleep together for the first time, and Marian wakes consumed by shame, aware that a lapse in propriety could end her standing. Fellowes says he wanted modern viewers to feel the dangers women faced then.
Elsewhere, Agnes and her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) learn that a heritage society wants Agnes to entertain President Grover Cleveland, with Ada paying the bill. Comedian Jim Gaffigan plays the president later in the season. Across the street, George Russell (Morgan Spector) is separated from his wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon), as Cleveland’s push for anti-monopoly legislation threatens his empire. In England, Gladys gives birth to a son but cannot have more children.
Critics have received the season warmly. Metacritic shows a score of 83 across nine reviews. The Seattle Times says the show has found its stride, while IndieWire calls it frothy, with serious themes that never linger long. Peter Travers gives it 3.5 out of 4 but calls it more fizz than substance. One reviewer notes a sense of completion in the final episode. The season runs eight episodes on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max. Peggy and Dr. Kirkland’s wedding arrives later.
