I’m finally catching up on HBO’s The Gilded Age — yes, two years late — and starting right at the top with Season 1, Episode 1, “Never the New,” which aired January 24, 2022. This episode sets the chessboard for old money vs. new money in 1880s New York, and trust me, no one’s playing nice. We’ve got Marian Brook losing everything, moving in with her aunts Agnes and Ada, and meeting Peggy Scott, who’s instantly one of the most interesting characters in the room. Across the street, the Russells move in — George the railroad tycoon, Bertha the social climber, Larry the charmer, and Gladys the sheltered debutante-to-be. Parties flop, schemes get set in motion, and we meet Mrs. Astor herself. I’m breaking down the plot, the characters, the social games, and why this era was called the Gilded Age in the first place.

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