The Gilded Age Review: Irresistible Change (Season 1 Episode 7)
The Gilded Age Season 1 Episode 7, “Irresistible Change,” offers glimmers of hope and mobility for the characters.
On this episode, Mr. Russell’s pending PR scandal following the tragic accident is pushed aside for budding romances, servant scandals, and Thomas Edison’s marvelous lightbulb invention.
The show has taken a few episodes to fully establish the good and bad guys, although much of that is still up for debate. Even though he is likable, Tom Raikes seems dull. His classic American go-getter attitude is almost too similar to well-mannered and ever kind Marian.
Marian and Tom are both trying to be liked by everyone and fit it. If Marian wants to forge her own path among the New York elite, maybe she should look for someone who is a little more adventurous and wild, because right now, she’s blindly accepting everything that Tom tells her.
It’s the classic case of does she actually love Tom or does she just love the idea of him (and the idea of being loved).
Both Russell children are starting to develop into their own, defying their parents who see them as pawns in their rise through New York society.
There’s new hope for Gladys thanks to her strategic friendship with Carrie Astor, who persuades Mrs. Russell to finally host Gladys’s debutante ball. Like Gladys, her brother Larry looks to defy his parents’ expectations to pursue a job in architecture.
It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Marian keeps running into Larry Russell. The two seem similar in spirit, looking to forge their own unconventional paths in the city. Maybe, we could have a love triangle in the near future.
I’m not convinced Marian is completely in love with Tom Raikes. Her body language suggests timid-ness, and she seems hesitant against Tom’s passionate words while they have their date at Mrs. Chamberlain’s house.
Mrs. Chamberlain: Make sure you are very much in love, as I was, or there may come a day when the road you’ve taken does not seem worth it.
Mrs. Chamberlain sees a lot of herself in Marian, divulging details of her marriage and helping her navigate the different faces of society. Her words sound like a warning towards the couple: don’t be blinded by love and make the same mistakes.
Marian is naive. Mrs. Chamberlain sees this and invites Tom Raikes for the rendezvous to allow Marian to explore and see what’s best for her. The love story, so far the most developed of the series, needs to become more interesting. It has taken Fellows seven episodes for a relationship to predictably lead to a proposal.
We’ll see how that slightly lack-luster love story unfolds, and maybe another character could come in to stir the pot.
The Gilded Age creator Julian Fellows loves some good downstairs servant drama. What’s the mystery with Oscar and Turner? Oscar is generally likable as the wild rebel child, yet conniving Turner doesn’t have the best motifs beyond meddling for the sake of meddling.
Oscar’s secretly gay, and per the era, needs to keep this a secret. He over compensates hiding his identity by flirting with everyone, appearing as a playboy much to his mother’s dismay.
Turner’s sexually promiscuous, with the bold desire to use her beauty to advance her social status. It’s unclear what exactly she wants by seducing Mr. Russell or mingling with Oscar, but the two rebels seem to find a use for one and other’s information.
With this mysterious plot, Fellows crosses the ultimate social barriers; the old money with new money’s ladies maid.
After Turner’s sacking, let’s hope she sticks around since Oscar and her are two of the more interesting and modern characters of the show.
Ward McAllister: This is a turning point in history, Mrs. Russell
Edison’s light show happens in real life. He lit up the New York Times building from the Pearl Street Station on September 4th, 1882. Instead of at night, it was during the day, but fictional changes lead to intrigue.
There’s a lot of hope for the characters at the light show, an event that marks a new era. Notably, Peggy and Mr. Fortune stand in a segregated area, a reminder that while America shows promise with technology and modernity, many problems persist. It recalls a scene in the previous episode when a taxi driver refuses to drive Peggy.
The series makes a strong juxtaposition to highlight racial problems in the society. There’s so much mobility and innovation in America, yet Black people cannot stand with white people to watch this innovation happen. It’s a smart move by Fellows to emphasis this reality.
However, could this light show (dare I say date?) mark a budding romance between Peggy and Mr. Fortune? The Gilded Age could definitely use more romance.
The Russells watch and admire what looks to be the future, forgetting about their scandalous woes. Their party stands above the crowds in their carriages, symboling the growing power and wealth of the Gilded Age playmakers.
Where there is hope, there is also change moving forward with the show.
Other Observations:
- Taking style inspiration from Marian’s green and white striped dress that she wears while walking Pumpkin. That hat is everything.
- I hope we start to see more of Jack Treacher, the Van Rhijns’ footman. I am really rooting for his success, especially after the drama with Bannister.
- It’s fun to see the small real-life references that Fellows includes, like Mrs. Chamberlain’s Degas ballerina sculpture. Could it be the same that eventually ends up at the Met Museum?
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What did you think of this episode of The Gilded Age? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Gilded Age airs Mondays at 9/8c on HBO Max.
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Addie Christianson
Addie is passionate about costume dramas, and loves a good British period piece. She is an avid traveler who also enjoys to writing about culture, lifestyle, and fashion. Find more of her work on her website www.addiechristianson.com