The Unofficial Gilded Age Aftershow | S2 | Episode 5 

So glad I'm not the only one rooting for "Larrian" ! ❤

Great after show talk! ( This is the first time I've seen it!) I just wanted to say that I've been noticing Marian and Larry since the beginning... Larry's "fling" with Mrs.Blane wasn't going anywhere, and I thought it was funny when Larry introduced Mrs.Blane to Marian .. Mrs.B' seems a bit jealous of larrys beautiful nieghbor from new york😉 not to mention thier natural flow of taking an intrest in each other😊 well im hoping to see more of the guilded age ❤ it's got all of the things that make it a great mix of the things I enjoy in a series with beautiful costumes Thanks so much! I'm very glad I found this!! I subscribed to be sure to watch the next one!!😊 Happy Holidays to you and yours 🎉

You are right. The plots and “ machiavellian storylines” á la Turner and the kitchen staff does seem a bit pedestrian. It’s what makes me fear as to whether or not, there will be a season 3 and a waste of what would otherwise be an incredible opportunity to showcase not just American history but also a good TV show to the world.

Great podcast again! Definitely rooting for Marian and Larry. And want better for Peggy than romance with her married boss in her dream job

Your thoughtful comments are always a welcomed experience for me as I come off the excitement at the end of an episode of the HBO series “ The Gilded Age” and eagerly await the next epidode. As a African American woman I appreciated your observations about the kiss scene between Peggy and T. Thomas Fortune. Your collective critique in my opinion made all the same points that were a source of concern for me as a viewer who was a double major in Africana Stufies and Political Science. The kiss undermined the integrity of both Peggy and Fortune and diminished the terror of the moment. The kiss destroyed the dramatic tension. However I am grateful for the Peggy storyline and continue to regard Julian Fellows and his entire creative team as true masters of the art form. Thank you for your comprehensive reviews which thoroughly enjoy. I especially liked the comments about wedding dress customs of the period.

I love this aftershow! Thanks for the insights every week

As a young woman entering society, you would have been trained in "small talk" along with your training in dress, table manners, dancing and some form of art (singing, piano, needlework, watercolors) so you are considered cultured and accomplished. It would be an embarrassment to your family if you could not "hold your own" in social situations not to mention the impact on your marriage prospects. Re: Peggy: So far, it was just one kiss in as you said, a moment of adrenaline and both jumped back after the exchange. I'm holding judgement on the character of Fortune until I see what happens going forward. Remember, he had been the one with the initial reservations about them traveling together. That said, I agree I would rather this not become the route for a romance story line for Peggy.

Turnerwould make sure he had a good reference and find him a new job with one of her husband’s connections.

Part of the narration of The Age of Innocense (the movie, that is--I haven't read the novel) says that the fashion then was for brides to appear in the season after they married in society wearing their wedding dresses--like at the Academy of Music or at a ball. So they supposedly wore those dresses at least two or three times, if not more. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that, though!

I had the feeling the story was headed to something happening between Fortune and Peggy, but I, too, am not excited by it. I now hope that the misstep will go no further than what was portrayed and how they choose to deal with that. I don't feel it's respectful to a married historical figure (unless it is in the historical record that the person had engaged in infidelities.) I appreciate that the writing at least put the characters in a very emotionally heightened situation to give them an excuse for the poor choice. Is there any record (or period gossip) of a socialite trying to sabotage a rival like in Turner's scheme?

I was also dismayed by the show portraying Fortune as a philanderer. T. Thomas Fortune is an important historical figure, but not one as well-known as he should be. For many people, especially across the world, this show is likely their first introduction to Fortune. There is a level of responsibility that storytellers have when they take on the work of introducing a real-life historical person to a broader audience. In addition, it feels odd that the show is taking such liberties with Fortune's character when the Russell family was created to avoid the need to portray the Vanderbilts in a historically accurate/responsible manner. I fear there may be a double-standard at play here. I mean, contrast the genteel treatment of Stanford White in season one with Fortune--to borrow a phrase from elsewhere on RU-vid--losing focus and a having a consensual workplace kiss. I hope this storyline gets laid to rest and Peggy gets a proper romance soon. Denée Benton would rock a romance arc.

did they need to make the only black protagonist a floosie? Really annoying. Give that subplot to Marian or Ada, for Agnes it would have actually been interesting. Long lost romance of Agnes the poor domestic violence survivor had a fling in her youth. And the fact that he's a real person, even if he was a cheater irl, why shoe horn that in for Peggy? Was she too perfect they felt the need to make her more of a grey character? bleah. I would have preferred if she made another friend Mariam's age and have some jealousy triangle like that.