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The late 19th century was a time fizzling with chaos and uncertainty.
You see early iterations of things we take for granted in modern culture mass media!
and some incredibly weird shit that never happened again.
The hats are insane with a high degree of fidelity.
I enjoy bouncing it off my brain like raindrops on Teflon.
Still, something feels off, if not in the details, thenthe vibe.
This season (spoiler!
)ends on a happy note, which inThe Gilded Agemeans Cynthia Nixon jubilantly announces nothing needs to change!
The concept of homosexuality as we know it was in its formation.
That medical conceptualization was starting to become known among usually elite reading publics.
In one conversation, Oscar says he intends to marry a woman while Adams plans to remain a bachelor.
There might be speculation and gossip about his bachelorhood.
They talk, and later, we learn the man lured Oscar into an alley and mugged him.
According to Murphy, bars for same-sex flirtation existed as early as the 1880s.
Theres a social urban history that in many ways precedes this medical history.
In contrast to his established role in upper-class society, characters like Oscar would be more peripheral downtown.
Whats missing fromThe Gilded Ageis a fuller view of that world.
A married woman shouldnt get a job.
The single woman has a lot more options, she says.
Its also worth noting that Peggys social milieu isnt representative of Black life in New York as a whole.
The vast majority of working-class people dont live in that area, says Harris.
Black women are maids, theyre cooks, theyre laundryists, theyre engaging in the informal economy.
Russell calls a halt.
(How could I?
These men have families!)
Rarely were encounters between workers and employers so neatly staged.
You and I would go into the street.
Its a big deal.
Its not just the railroad guys; the community is also there.
The strike is preceded by a scene in which George Russell visits the home of labor leader Henderson.
Its quite nicely furnished, she says.
They should be able to buy parlor pianos and nice shirts and pretty doilies and whatever.
These are kind of aspirational furnishings, she adds.
Hes relatively well-off, considering, but precarious.
Its really easy to slide, says Currarino.
Especially if youre kind of marginal.
You dont own any property, especially if youre a woman on your own.
How do you get another job?
Whos going to vouch for you?
Elites complain endlessly about the servant problem.
Theres just not enough.
How do you get a good servant?
What they really mean is that theres not enough servants to hire at that wage.
That struck me as,Oh, come on.
Thats a modern thing, says Unger.
There are certain things that might have been said privately, but not in a public way like that.
That would be disrespectful to her husband and to all the other men involved in that project.
Its not just about giving women credit; its that giving women credit takes away credit from the men.
Would you rather it had never been built?
To Unger, the storyline reflects that this really was an amazing age of technology and discovery.
This country goes from a rural agrarian nation to this urban industrial giant practically overnight.
What about showing every step of Jacks induction into the Uhrmacher Verein der Stadt New York?
Nathan Lanes accent
Is it Southern?
I have no idea, says Unger.
Counters Murphy: I think its really well-pitched for this show.
He understandsThe Gilded Ageas a kind of camp melodrama.
