Image via Wikimedia Commons.
The Gilded Age returns tonight, Sunday, November 1, with its Season 4 premiere, and the early verdict from critics is glowing. Episode 1, titled “Ring the Bells,” airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streams on HBO Max, opening an eight-episode season that will roll out weekly on Sundays.
The new season picks up with the Russell marriage in trouble. Bertha Russell, played by Carrie Coon, is shown in a different light this time — a mother before a social climber, according to early reviews — while George Russell, played by Morgan Spector, carries the strain of last season’s split into every scene. One early review calls the premiere “just fun” and praises costumes that somehow top every season before it, singling out Marian’s and Mrs Winterton’s looks.
There are new faces to watch for as well. Hattie Morahan joins as Lady Sarah, the Duke’s sister, while Jim Gaffigan plays President Grover Cleveland, whose coming visit already has the van Rhijn household in an uproar even before he arrives. Oscar van Rhijn and Enid, Mrs Winterton — played by Blake Ritson and Kelley Curran — emerge as the season’s scheming partnership, and Louisa Jacobson’s Marian earns some of her best notices yet.
The critical picture so far is unusually strong: the season holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes across its first 12 reviews, with AwardsWatch awarding it an A−, IndieWire a B, and several outlets four stars or more. Reviewers agree the show has found its stride as a lavishly costumed, beautifully acted period soap, with one calling Season 4 the show operating at the absolute peak of its powers.
It is a big weekend for television premieres, following Saturday Night Live’s Halloween episode on Saturday night. Fans catching up on the season so far can revisit our full Season 4 premiere guide with the cast, time and episode schedule.
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