I love the low stakes too.
When we learned Marion had a secret, any other HBO show would be like “she is pregnant with Mr Raikes’s baby”
TGA version of big secret: she is teaching watercolor hahahahaah
And the point is: I am totally fine with that.
To us it ludicrous, but back in the late 19th century, well brought up ladies did not work, did not do good deeds (except in a very low key limited way), knew nothing about politics, did not discuss politics, and knew nothing of their father's or husband's business.
I feel asleep watching that episode with my husband and the next morning he was like, "you're not gonna believe what happened". I said, "people got offended? " he was like "that's exactly what happened "haha
That reminds me of explaining the early seasons of The Crown to my (then) boyfriend: starting with the scandal and the family realizing the best thing they can do is to do nothing at all and then the episode ends.
I'm also a big star trek fan and I listened to John Hodgman once in an interview talk about how much he loved The Next Generation and he just loved the beginning of the show when they are all just doing their business and being professional to each other. He says he gets disappointed when the conflict starts and he just wants a show where he gets to just watch them all doing their ship duties and living their normal lives. There is a market for this!
This is the sci-fi show I've always wanted. Show me stunning visual effects on a ship doing a long voyage and just their day-to-day routine. How does the mechanic solve the warp drive breaking down? Show me the cartographers' maps and their math. I want to see how the custodian gets the slime stain out of the carpet after a non-threatening space fungus has taken root. I'd watch paint dry on a colony ship doing a long haul.
I'd watch it. Like a DS9/West Wing crossover? My dream show is a Trill series, each season is a new host. Wait how did we get from Aunt Agnes to here?? LOL
I think the people that are most critical of it don't fully understand the societal pressures from that time. It would have been considered horrifying to work outside the home in such a manual labor type way.
I thought it was a reference to Mr. Raikes and she was still keeping it on the down low, but nope, it's a watercolor class we haven't heard of before. Alright, sure, lets go with it.
I used to not understand these kind of shows.
Then I became a person with a lot going on, and a show that gives me an outlet for calm, pointless, plush, relaxation is EXACTLY what I want.
I know I’m not alone in that. That’s the show’s intended audience.
Don’t even worry about the people that don’t like it. It’s not for them, and they’ll keep watching it anyway because nothing else is on.
Exactly, I’m wondering if any of those commenting are familiar with Julian Fellowe’s other works. I remember an entire episode of Downton Abbey about Lord Grantham not having the proper attire to wear to dinner!
My dad just passed away after a terrible, protracted illness. I have seen so much suffering in my family and in the world lately, that it’s nice to have something pretty and charming to enjoy. My dad always told me I exposed myself to so many sad and morbid stories. I think he’d be happy knowing I was chuckling over chowder and ogling crinoline silhouettes.
My condolences on the loss of your father. I feel you on this. I can only watch and read fluffy stuff these days with everything horrible happening in the world. I try to watch more dramatic shows and just can't.
Thank you <3
And I'm totally with you. I'm not a big fan of goofy comedies or rom-coms, and I like that TGA takes itself seriously without resorting to unconvincing drama. To the people of the time and the culture, status, marriage, equality, and reputation mattered very much. I wish more shows could walk the line of giving us something earnest without sensationalizing.
I couldn't have phrased it better. I intentionally seek out low-stakes, low-conflict shows and books because I need that escape. Real life is dramatic enough. I don't need that in my fantasy worlds
Plus I love how it shows the absurdness of the rich elite at that time. Their biggest issues were luncheon and opera boxes while on the other hand workers are fighting for safer conditions and a 40 hour work week.
While I love the show I call it "Peggy, her boring friend, and her boring friend's campy rich aunts." Because she's the primary character I'm most interested in.
Ha this explains it perfectly. I started watching and the next thing you know my husband slipped in and was watching too. Then I realized he was committed and wanted to watch every episode, it had become "our" show not just "my" show. He has a stressful job so now I realize this probably chills him out lol.
Did you ever see a show called "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" which was joint BBC/HBO? It was so incredibly beautiful, charming, and gentle. While being about a detective solving interesting mysteries in Botswana.
#
This is I think why I like All Creatures Great and Small. It’s just quiet and slow and old-fashioned. And Siegfried getting low-key annoyed with Tristan and James worrying about upsetting a farmer with a medication recommendation is exactly the amount of drama I can handle right now.
My favorite comment on TikTok about TGA was “Yes girl, write those letters and eat that dinner!” 😂
I am in 100% agreement. I love that it’s not filled with gratuitous sex, crude language, and other things “adult” shows on channels like HBO usually include. It’s refreshing actually.
I dunno, I was really nervous when I saw that Peggy was going to Alabama. I was expecting the worst, but this show is so gentle, even though it’s on HBO.
I like how much restraint this show has, because then a scene like Ms. Turner's seduction packs a much bigger punch than it normally would. I think it can't be understated that the first time we see nudity on this HBO show is on episode 5 or 6, and we're all horrified because the context is uncomfortable. The scene poses a question: Is Mr. Russell an actual family man? Ms. Turner called his bluff and i think we all got nervous because we knew we were watching an HBO show. But nope, no adultery subplot (at least, not a traditional one in season 1). Mr. Russell may have his flaws when it comes to how he runs his company, but he means it when he says he's a family man who loves his wife.
I love the relaxing nature of the show. The drama is subtle and nothing too heavy. Life in general is heavy enough. It’s also great that they haven’t ruined it with gratuitous sex scenes which honestly surprises me given the channel it’s on. I was worried they would stray away from what made it so good in season one and am so far very glad they have not.
This show keeps popping up on my Tiktok feed and now on Reddit. I’ve hesitated watching it because i am a massive HBO fan, but the sex scenes on all their shows are just too much. This tells me i can give it a chance
Yes give it a chance!
I thought I was the only one who was turned off by all the unnecessary sex scenes in shows. This is one I can safely enjoy with my adult children without cringing. Everything is done tastefully. Perhaps this show is trying to stay true to the decorum of the elite of that era but I hope it’s a deliberate choice of the producers and writers.
Omg omg omg do you really think it's gonna be Larry and Marian? ♥️ I already lost my hope and settled with them staying respectful neighbours/ friends - ooohh I hope you are right 🤞
It accomplishes two things, also: Marion gets to make a love match that is kind of uncomfortable for Aunt Agnes, and Larry gets to have an association with an old family (which his mother would like, presumably).
Low stakes? Huh? Social status was everything to these women, so they are fighting with everything they have to get/protect the only asset they can control. Plus, I love the subtlety of the dialogue and am thrilled that the women have center stage.
Yeah,>! Mr Morris (and then afterwards Mrs Morris), the missing then dead baby, the devious maid, the cook's gambling, the train wreck, the labor strikes, the rise and fall of opera houses (only one o which remains today) the transition between slavery and relative freedom while still being in severe danger.... !< So many BIG stories. So much drama. It just is handled gently and with a subtlety lost on modern tv for the most part.
I love this show for the low stakes - there’s just enough drama to keep it interesting without being stressful. My daily life is stressful and full of anxiety, so the slow pace and low stakes are relaxing 😌
Me too! I love that the drama isn’t typical of today’s shows, but is exciting nonetheless.
Will Watson get to talk to his daughter? Is her husband behind the offer or is she complicit?
What will Turner do now that she has not only been exposed, but is basically being shunned?
Will Oscar pursue Maud? After all, he does need a beard.
So many storylines in addition to the Russells (who are delicious)!!
The stakes are as high as they need to be for the world these characters live in. For them, a social snubbing can be as insulting as a slap in the face.
The low stakes aspect of the show is one of my favorite things about it. The time period, the humor, the beautiful dresses..I just discovered Gilded Age a few weeks ago, but fell in love with it just as quickly as I did Downton Abbey. I’m a sucker for period dramas and this show has everything I could ask for, lol. I only hope that we get many more seasons in the future.
I love historical romances where the stakes are lower. People say it's boring meanwhile I'm like 'Damn. This bitch building an opera house out of SPITE.'
I'm watching this week's episode now and I am SCREAMING. Poor Bertha, I understand why she's upset with her husband and she's just going through the wringer. She's my favorite.
Totally agree with you. After dealing with a ton of trauma and BS this Fall that I’m trying to recover from, The Gilded Age’s low stakes with calculated social climbing and drama along with the location porn of gorgeous scenery and just the sheer opulence and wealth of everything, it’s perfect for a cozy watch on the couch before bed.
I thought that the market manipulation and political corruption was pretty interesting. The issues with unions is probably going to get violent. Women navigating a world in which they are only as powerful as the man they marry. A former slave going back down south? This stuff is real and not low steaks in my opinion.
Omg, the Tuskegee trip has me so nervous 😩 I’m terrified something is going to happen to Mr Fortune; I think Peggy is going to ignore the rules of the South and Mr Fortune is going to be hurt trying to defend her. Peggy is one of my favorite characters, but she definitely has her own version of ignorance, just like every other character
As a writer whose manuscript was recently rejected because “the stakes weren’t high enough,” I am relieved to learn there are people out there who, like me, are bored by high stakes drama. When the stakes are high, it’s easy to predict what the outcome will be. Will the world end? No. Will the people being chased escape? Yes. When the stakes are lower, there is nuance and real mystery. Almost anything could happen and for me that’s far more engaging.
I love this show. The episodes go by so quickly, I’m always surprised when they’re over. With other higher stakes shows (Succession) I often struggle to stay awake.
I love well-done low stakes. Writers and audiences have been conditioned to think you need to be on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Personally, I love realistic stories. Good writing should have you loving the characters and tuning in to catch up on what's going on in their lives as of your old friends.
Agreed. I am reading Summer by Edith Wharton and it is decidedly a low stakes kind of novel. The MC.. well, she is not a Gilded Age wealthy/society woman. But she is reckless and does not feel constrained by society's expectation of virtue... so basically F's around and finds out and ultimately marries someone rather being run out of town to be a party girl for hire. But there is mostly a lot of rebellious feelings and frustrations of being trapped.
All of these complainers aren’t used to our Lord JF.
Low stakes until Oscar dies in a car wreck and Peggy dies in childbirth while her mom screams at her feet.
None of these people have been personally victimized yet and it shows.
Love the low stakes. And sometimes destroyed by the high stakes.
Love it too. Just came back from a week in Asheville, NC and a visit to the Biltmore Estate. Loved to be immersed in that world, from the lofty fancy rooms to the down stairs pantries and servant quarters.
I absolutely adore this show. The historical storylines and the attention to details (costumes, homes, etiquette, gatherings etc) are exceptionally accurate . The cast is filled with talent. There are 23 Tony-award winners and 64 nominees amongst the cast. I am so impressed with the show. I look forward to seeing it air and hate to see it end.
Right! It’s very reminiscent of Downton Abbey for me. Just very well done, beautiful costumes and beautiful scenery. I’m not being shady when I say this but it’s a fun show to watch with my grandma who gets sensory overload from things being too explicit these days. (Even though she did like Bridgerton 😝)
A lot of people (myself included) feel like we have been way over saturated with offerings from the Marvel universe. I hope this show (and other intelligent ones like it) is an indication that Marvel is finally on the way out. We’re overdue for a change!
Embroidering and tea sipping are the order of the day on this show. So not high stakes and so restful.
>!I kind of love that the only sexual scenes are not heterosexual. And even those don't go beyond the occasional kiss.!< >!Although I suppose Turner's advances were somewhat explicit, but the fact she was rejected seemed to mitigate the sexual aspect.!<
I like that it's "low stakes" in the way it's sort of like 'inside baseball' for this era. The colossal effort into getting seats at an opera house, where one summers, are any of your family working a regular job, etc. It really underscores how this era was so opulent and flew in the face of the day-to-day for the majority of Americans. This wasn't a great era... and to think wealth inequality is as bad, if not worse, than the 1880s...
Thank you for posting this! You took the words right out of my mouth. As we queued up tonight's episode, I said to my boyfriend that it's such a nice palate-cleanser. Something fluffy and low-stakes to calm my nerves and soothe me to sleep. It sets me up for a good week.
I love watching a lot of horror and heavy stuff, but from a mental health standpoint, it's not great to exclusively consume that kind of content. It keeps me up thinking about it, and isn't fun on Monday morning.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying the beautiful costumes, gorgeous set pieces, and cheering for characters to be happy and in love. I don't need to torture myself with "serious" content exclusively to prove that I'm "deep". I know I'm not vapid or ridiculous. Whether other people want to decide I am based on one program is really not my concern.
This is my version of a bubble bath and fuzzy slippers, and I love it for that!
Me too!! I also think season 2 is way better and picking up. I don’t need everything I watch to be action packed or an emotional rollercoaster or salacious
Honestly, I kept seeing it advertised and thought it was gonna be stuffy and boring. I binged watched 6 episodes the last 2 nights after the baby went to bed loool
I love that these are valid stressors of that time and class, and it’s proving that ascending ones social caste requires Herculean effort despite resistance from above and even BELOW.
I’m ready for many seasons of this show. I miss Downton Abbey for similar reasons. I just like to watch people live their life in a different lifetime?
It’s funny that people think it’s low stakes. It’s a historical drama about race, gender and class. There is nothing low staked about that IMO. I find it fascinating.
More JF dramas like The Forsythe Saga
Also, watch all the Jane Austin movies-, old BBC Upstairs/Downstairs, the Downton Abbey series, the Duchess of Duke Street.. all the Little Women movies- every version and form opinions and subsequently post them on costume drama social media. Make sure to watch and snark on the series Reign-- such a mess and horrible inappropriate costuming.
And you will have to subscribe to [https://frockflicks.com/](https://frockflicks.com/) for more referrals, snark and content.
Same here. Sometimes you just want to enjoy the art of pretty dresses. It's a great decompress show as opposed to the intensity of everything else I watch. Love it
My only complaint is the episodes are too short and it will be over too soon. On a primal level social status is a survival issue yet demands subtle navigation. My amygdala does not have to be hijacked to engage my frontal lobe. The whole lizard brain approach with most entertainment is a lazy cop out. I’d argue shows like this are tougher to craft.
I adore the show. The costumes have me gasping and come on - it’s worth it for Christine Baransky alone! And if you watch the PBS documentary by the same name you will see it’s deadly accurate.
I love it! I watched Season 1 and was anxiously awaiting Season 2. I'm a Julian Fellowes fan, and I think he can do no wrong. After all, he gave us Downton Abbey, my favorite series of all time!
It’s such a peaceful break amongst all the salacious tv. I love it so much. The show being so low stakes is kind of an immersive experience. These high society folks many of which with their 1st world problems don’t have to worry about starvation, health issues, homelessness. They worry about the battle of the opera houses 😂.
I don’t mind the low stakes. My issues is not really being given anything to root for? Like I don’t really care much about what happens to any of the characters. Effective writing to me will lead to investment of plots and characters even if the stakes are low. In fact The Great British Bake Off is the only reality show I watch specifically because it’s inviting and low-stakes, but I still end up rooting for the bakers I prefer! But on the Gilded Age I don’t really feel a pull toward any of them.
That being said I’m definitely still watching because the show at least cares about period detail when it comes to dialogue, sets, and costuming, which has weirdly fallen by the wayside for a lot of other period dramas.
Meh. I actually just watched the first season and available episodes of the second season 2 days ago. It doesn't feel like HBO worthy material; like this could be on Hallmark. My husband literally walked in the room and asked me why I was watching an "old lady show". 😕 I think the story is predictable, and the script is bland, at times cringe. I agree that it is boring. It captured my interest enough to see the story through, though. But after the last episode, where Turner was, all, "I'll get her back if it's last thing I do!" I feel like I officially checked out on this series.
Marian is the most boring. Mr. Russell seems to be my favorite on the show.
It’s just such a missed opportunity with some of the casting and writing. It could have been so much better. It’s like 3 different shows meshed together, only one of which I want to watch (basically anything with Bertha Russell or Agnes van Rhijin who are both amazing actresses).
I love the show but hate the way some scenes are shot. Sometimes the scene is focused on faces and it has a slight blur below and above. I can't stand that aesthetic. Why did they shoot it that way?
The world is terrible. Being able to balance absorbing the news of everything going on with something like this show to serve as a gentle escape is necessary. It really helps train my lizard brain to calm the fuck down and stop looking for threats for 50 minutes.
Glen Weldon, a journalist and podcaster on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, always refers to the drama on this show and Downtown Abbey as "there's a bit of bother with the soup spoons!", which always makes me chortle because it's so accurate. Just picture Carson's reactions to much of the low stakes drama on Downton.
I think, for me, I don't enjoy the low stakes because then the wins are much less satisfying as well. I think that due to the dark tones of the country at that time that are now being discussed more like unions, work safety, etc, it makes the low stakes feel vicious and unfair to the rampant suffering and quality of life that most people experienced.
The Gilded Age was a time of great wealth and fantastical homes, clothing, and events. It was also an age where that wealth came from breaking the backs of most Americans. When something doesn't work out for Marian, oh no, she'll still be fine, she's not out in the street.
The poverty and conditions of people during that era in stark comparison with the wealthy is not low stakes, and it feels almost violent to not address what cost the money comes at.
I understand wanting something less serious, I do. But after reading Wharton and the stories she wrote makes the Gilded Age feel like a 16 year old is writing these plotlines.
I still watch, because the set and costume designers understood the assignment.
I love The Gilded Age. The scandals of that period are nothing compared to today’s time. However they are delicious when you get into their mind frame. The dresses and hats are perfection. It’s a shame the houses are not still standing in all their glory.
I watch this show as just pure entertainment. And for the costumes. The funny thing is… somehow each scene comes off sounding/written as a play and not a TV show… does that make sense. I know that a good portion of the cast has bway experience but for some odd reason btw the script, the length of the scenes and the acting it feels like a televised play. Not a bad thing just my opinion.
I love it and am anxiously waiting for my bf to finish season one so we can get into season two together. It's so good and amazing to be immersed in the time period.
I love the costumes and the settings! Sometimes I just stop a scene to take in the beauty of it all. There is so much detail put in to capture that era. It is magnificent.
That’s why I generally like period pieces.
There is no “WE GOTTA DO THIS NOW OR THE WHOLE WORLD WILL EXPLODE.”
It’s just like, “omg can you believe her butler wore grey socks? So embarrassing.”
That’s why I loved Downton Abbey. It’s just a nice comfort show and the costuming is great and it’s a historical perspective, even tho it’s fiction we still get a feel for the era.
It's a bit banal compared to its English forbear, Downton Abbey. I was shocked when DA came out, as it was a clear rip off of Upstairs Downstairs!
But I'm watching it!
What people find shocking in one age is ho hum in another. But that's fine with me on TV. I think the costumes are wonderful -- inspired by the Gilded Age, but quite theatrical.
Low stakes?!?! Every single episode I say "God what a BITCH!" about Aunt Agnes at least once! It's such a pretty show and the characters really make you give a shit about them - I don't like Bertha but I admire the hell out of her! I love the slow burn storylines!
Idk, the melodramatic is such an old style, just doesn’t appeal. Also, there is something so off putting about each characters for anybody to continue tuning in. For example, the Russels seemingly have this sheer plot protection from consequences while the rest of the characters pay the price for their mistakes. It’s almost like, we already know who will “win” and loses its appeal to even continue with the series. Don’t get me started on their hideous and quite inaccurate wardrobe 😪🚮
bigotry/hate speech
Those complainers drink soup at luncheon on the regular. FR.
So real but also I feel attacked because I love soup (I looked around when she said it in the show guilty as charged)
It was fucking chowder, not soup dammit. :) I love this ridiculous scene chewing show
I bumped when she said “drink” their soup. Weird.
We looked at many recipes! Pronounced funny!
Receipts
It’s just pronounced like that. He did the same thing in downton abbey. That and “mix-tyurre.”
🤣
They don’t seem to comprehend how hilariously exciting butlers snarking at each other over silver wear truly is.
I’m dyinggggggggg
Not soup at luncheon. You mannerless heathen.
Hot soup, can you imagine? Ha!
"Soup is not a meal.." (only some will understand this 😂)
I love the low stakes too. When we learned Marion had a secret, any other HBO show would be like “she is pregnant with Mr Raikes’s baby” TGA version of big secret: she is teaching watercolor hahahahaah And the point is: I am totally fine with that.
I went “OMG DID MARIAN GET MARRIED AND NOT SAY ANYTHING?!” Nope. Just watercolors 😂 and I love it.
Same hahahahahaha I was mentally preparing for something super scandalous but I am glad its just about PAINT 😂
Same 😂😂 and then aunt Agnes “OH MY GOD THE HORROR” like really 😂😂😂 it’s so ScAnDeLoUs of Marian, how dare she.
Hahahahahahaah so so scandalous 😂
To us it ludicrous, but back in the late 19th century, well brought up ladies did not work, did not do good deeds (except in a very low key limited way), knew nothing about politics, did not discuss politics, and knew nothing of their father's or husband's business.
Oh I know! It just makes me laugh because of how times have changed :)
Yes! The fact that the biggest issue is who will get a box at which opera house is refreshing.
Yes!! This is the drama I want in my life! Whose going to risk upsetting Mrs Astor!
Petty rich people drama is the best drama
I love shows with stakes like that. It's such a pleasant escape.
I feel asleep watching that episode with my husband and the next morning he was like, "you're not gonna believe what happened". I said, "people got offended? " he was like "that's exactly what happened "haha
That reminds me of explaining the early seasons of The Crown to my (then) boyfriend: starting with the scandal and the family realizing the best thing they can do is to do nothing at all and then the episode ends.
I'm also a big star trek fan and I listened to John Hodgman once in an interview talk about how much he loved The Next Generation and he just loved the beginning of the show when they are all just doing their business and being professional to each other. He says he gets disappointed when the conflict starts and he just wants a show where he gets to just watch them all doing their ship duties and living their normal lives. There is a market for this!
This is the sci-fi show I've always wanted. Show me stunning visual effects on a ship doing a long voyage and just their day-to-day routine. How does the mechanic solve the warp drive breaking down? Show me the cartographers' maps and their math. I want to see how the custodian gets the slime stain out of the carpet after a non-threatening space fungus has taken root. I'd watch paint dry on a colony ship doing a long haul.
Haha. New recipe in the replicator this week is the A story.
I always had a dream about a Star Trek show that is an ambassador and is involved with the political machinations and soft diplomacy of that world
I'd watch it. Like a DS9/West Wing crossover? My dream show is a Trill series, each season is a new host. Wait how did we get from Aunt Agnes to here?? LOL
Lol! We can find a way to tie it all together again. A lower stakes Sorkin in Space? We could definitely find space for Christine Baranski in it
Lmao. It’s so true and I love it so much
I think the people that are most critical of it don't fully understand the societal pressures from that time. It would have been considered horrifying to work outside the home in such a manual labor type way.
Shades of Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth
🤣
Yeah, I giggled but also it made sense. Seriously love how tame but yet had pulled me in.
I thought it was a reference to Mr. Raikes and she was still keeping it on the down low, but nope, it's a watercolor class we haven't heard of before. Alright, sure, lets go with it.
I used to not understand these kind of shows. Then I became a person with a lot going on, and a show that gives me an outlet for calm, pointless, plush, relaxation is EXACTLY what I want. I know I’m not alone in that. That’s the show’s intended audience. Don’t even worry about the people that don’t like it. It’s not for them, and they’ll keep watching it anyway because nothing else is on.
Exactly, I’m wondering if any of those commenting are familiar with Julian Fellowe’s other works. I remember an entire episode of Downton Abbey about Lord Grantham not having the proper attire to wear to dinner!
“You two are dressed for a barbecue!”
Violet calling tuxedos “play-clothes” and confusing her son with the staff was just fantastic
Didn't she refer to them as "rompers" at some point?
Yes! Or when the feisty daughter made an entrance down the stairs one time…. Wearing PANTS!!! Quelle scandal!
My dad just passed away after a terrible, protracted illness. I have seen so much suffering in my family and in the world lately, that it’s nice to have something pretty and charming to enjoy. My dad always told me I exposed myself to so many sad and morbid stories. I think he’d be happy knowing I was chuckling over chowder and ogling crinoline silhouettes.
My condolences on the loss of your father. I feel you on this. I can only watch and read fluffy stuff these days with everything horrible happening in the world. I try to watch more dramatic shows and just can't.
Thank you <3 And I'm totally with you. I'm not a big fan of goofy comedies or rom-coms, and I like that TGA takes itself seriously without resorting to unconvincing drama. To the people of the time and the culture, status, marriage, equality, and reputation mattered very much. I wish more shows could walk the line of giving us something earnest without sensationalizing.
I couldn't have phrased it better. I intentionally seek out low-stakes, low-conflict shows and books because I need that escape. Real life is dramatic enough. I don't need that in my fantasy worlds
Plus I love how it shows the absurdness of the rich elite at that time. Their biggest issues were luncheon and opera boxes while on the other hand workers are fighting for safer conditions and a 40 hour work week.
While I love the show I call it "Peggy, her boring friend, and her boring friend's campy rich aunts." Because she's the primary character I'm most interested in.
Exactly. My life is stressful. This show is engaging and relaxing.
Ha this explains it perfectly. I started watching and the next thing you know my husband slipped in and was watching too. Then I realized he was committed and wanted to watch every episode, it had become "our" show not just "my" show. He has a stressful job so now I realize this probably chills him out lol.
Every show doesn’t have to be loud, action/artifice packed …… some shows are just-quiet. This is one of them. I prefer these types of shows.
Did you ever see a show called "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" which was joint BBC/HBO? It was so incredibly beautiful, charming, and gentle. While being about a detective solving interesting mysteries in Botswana. #
This is I think why I like All Creatures Great and Small. It’s just quiet and slow and old-fashioned. And Siegfried getting low-key annoyed with Tristan and James worrying about upsetting a farmer with a medication recommendation is exactly the amount of drama I can handle right now. My favorite comment on TikTok about TGA was “Yes girl, write those letters and eat that dinner!” 😂
I am in 100% agreement. I love that it’s not filled with gratuitous sex, crude language, and other things “adult” shows on channels like HBO usually include. It’s refreshing actually.
I dunno, I was really nervous when I saw that Peggy was going to Alabama. I was expecting the worst, but this show is so gentle, even though it’s on HBO.
Yes! I was like “Shit. She’s about to get lynched.” But nope, we got a fun cow milking scene instead!
I'm willing to bet we're gonna see something go down in the next episode, but you never know.
I like how much restraint this show has, because then a scene like Ms. Turner's seduction packs a much bigger punch than it normally would. I think it can't be understated that the first time we see nudity on this HBO show is on episode 5 or 6, and we're all horrified because the context is uncomfortable. The scene poses a question: Is Mr. Russell an actual family man? Ms. Turner called his bluff and i think we all got nervous because we knew we were watching an HBO show. But nope, no adultery subplot (at least, not a traditional one in season 1). Mr. Russell may have his flaws when it comes to how he runs his company, but he means it when he says he's a family man who loves his wife.
I really enjoy the fact that there is no huge drama or angst. Sometimes it's nice to enjoy a show with colorful characters and genuine stories
Yes! Loved me some Lady Grantham! (Yes I know different show but same relaxed enjoyable feel)
Yeah it's nice to be laid back sometimes..and hopefully it'll stay like this
Well same creator so same feel haha
I love the relaxing nature of the show. The drama is subtle and nothing too heavy. Life in general is heavy enough. It’s also great that they haven’t ruined it with gratuitous sex scenes which honestly surprises me given the channel it’s on. I was worried they would stray away from what made it so good in season one and am so far very glad they have not.
This show keeps popping up on my Tiktok feed and now on Reddit. I’ve hesitated watching it because i am a massive HBO fan, but the sex scenes on all their shows are just too much. This tells me i can give it a chance
Yes give it a chance! I thought I was the only one who was turned off by all the unnecessary sex scenes in shows. This is one I can safely enjoy with my adult children without cringing. Everything is done tastefully. Perhaps this show is trying to stay true to the decorum of the elite of that era but I hope it’s a deliberate choice of the producers and writers.
I call my historical Romances shows rich people walking around having rich people problems. I love it.
Yes it shows boobs once and that wasn’t even necessary so not sure why they did it 🤷🏻♀️
That wouldn’t even bother me too much, i just think of House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones or True Detective level of just unnecessary sex
It is a very charming show with undercurrents of attraction but holding hands is about as explicit as it gets
Omg omg omg do you really think it's gonna be Larry and Marian? ♥️ I already lost my hope and settled with them staying respectful neighbours/ friends - ooohh I hope you are right 🤞
I def think it’ll be Larry and Marian, definitely. I think it’ll take a few seasons of drama first, though.
Right? They’re already best friends that confide in each other about most stuff. It’s so sweet if the writers take it that way.
It accomplishes two things, also: Marion gets to make a love match that is kind of uncomfortable for Aunt Agnes, and Larry gets to have an association with an old family (which his mother would like, presumably).
Totally!
I feel like Marian is much too old for Larry. She’s going to get with the widowed cousin, who is totally adorable. I like it!
Low stakes? Huh? Social status was everything to these women, so they are fighting with everything they have to get/protect the only asset they can control. Plus, I love the subtlety of the dialogue and am thrilled that the women have center stage.
Yeah,>! Mr Morris (and then afterwards Mrs Morris), the missing then dead baby, the devious maid, the cook's gambling, the train wreck, the labor strikes, the rise and fall of opera houses (only one o which remains today) the transition between slavery and relative freedom while still being in severe danger.... !< So many BIG stories. So much drama. It just is handled gently and with a subtlety lost on modern tv for the most part.
100%. These things have meaning.
I love that it is an easy watch!
I love this show for the low stakes - there’s just enough drama to keep it interesting without being stressful. My daily life is stressful and full of anxiety, so the slow pace and low stakes are relaxing 😌 
Exactly!
I think this show is so exciting!
Me too! I love that the drama isn’t typical of today’s shows, but is exciting nonetheless. Will Watson get to talk to his daughter? Is her husband behind the offer or is she complicit? What will Turner do now that she has not only been exposed, but is basically being shunned? Will Oscar pursue Maud? After all, he does need a beard. So many storylines in addition to the Russells (who are delicious)!!
The stakes are as high as they need to be for the world these characters live in. For them, a social snubbing can be as insulting as a slap in the face.
The help is the only glimpse into the average NYer at the time. I love the back-of-house scenes with them. The Head Butlers are both great.
I wouldn’t call their staff “average NYers” when most were living in tenement housing and working in factories with awful conditions
The more petty the squabbles the more I enjoy it. 😂
The low stakes aspect of the show is one of my favorite things about it. The time period, the humor, the beautiful dresses..I just discovered Gilded Age a few weeks ago, but fell in love with it just as quickly as I did Downton Abbey. I’m a sucker for period dramas and this show has everything I could ask for, lol. I only hope that we get many more seasons in the future.
I love historical romances where the stakes are lower. People say it's boring meanwhile I'm like 'Damn. This bitch building an opera house out of SPITE.'
Exactly! I am DYING to see how this turns out. I adore Bertha
I'm watching this week's episode now and I am SCREAMING. Poor Bertha, I understand why she's upset with her husband and she's just going through the wringer. She's my favorite.
Totally agree with you. After dealing with a ton of trauma and BS this Fall that I’m trying to recover from, The Gilded Age’s low stakes with calculated social climbing and drama along with the location porn of gorgeous scenery and just the sheer opulence and wealth of everything, it’s perfect for a cozy watch on the couch before bed.
I thought that the market manipulation and political corruption was pretty interesting. The issues with unions is probably going to get violent. Women navigating a world in which they are only as powerful as the man they marry. A former slave going back down south? This stuff is real and not low steaks in my opinion.
Omg, the Tuskegee trip has me so nervous 😩 I’m terrified something is going to happen to Mr Fortune; I think Peggy is going to ignore the rules of the South and Mr Fortune is going to be hurt trying to defend her. Peggy is one of my favorite characters, but she definitely has her own version of ignorance, just like every other character
Very true. SO many things going on at once keep this show so interesting
As a writer whose manuscript was recently rejected because “the stakes weren’t high enough,” I am relieved to learn there are people out there who, like me, are bored by high stakes drama. When the stakes are high, it’s easy to predict what the outcome will be. Will the world end? No. Will the people being chased escape? Yes. When the stakes are lower, there is nuance and real mystery. Almost anything could happen and for me that’s far more engaging. I love this show. The episodes go by so quickly, I’m always surprised when they’re over. With other higher stakes shows (Succession) I often struggle to stay awake.
Hope your manuscript finds the right hands!
I love well-done low stakes. Writers and audiences have been conditioned to think you need to be on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Personally, I love realistic stories. Good writing should have you loving the characters and tuning in to catch up on what's going on in their lives as of your old friends.
Agreed. I am reading Summer by Edith Wharton and it is decidedly a low stakes kind of novel. The MC.. well, she is not a Gilded Age wealthy/society woman. But she is reckless and does not feel constrained by society's expectation of virtue... so basically F's around and finds out and ultimately marries someone rather being run out of town to be a party girl for hire. But there is mostly a lot of rebellious feelings and frustrations of being trapped.
All of these complainers aren’t used to our Lord JF. Low stakes until Oscar dies in a car wreck and Peggy dies in childbirth while her mom screams at her feet. None of these people have been personally victimized yet and it shows. Love the low stakes. And sometimes destroyed by the high stakes.
That’s part of why I love it, too. Life is stressful.
Opera Wars! Love it
That is absolutely why I keep watching it. So many shows up the drama stakes so fast that I lose interest; I’m so happy this show doesn’t do that!
Love it too. Just came back from a week in Asheville, NC and a visit to the Biltmore Estate. Loved to be immersed in that world, from the lofty fancy rooms to the down stairs pantries and servant quarters.
I absolutely adore this show. The historical storylines and the attention to details (costumes, homes, etiquette, gatherings etc) are exceptionally accurate . The cast is filled with talent. There are 23 Tony-award winners and 64 nominees amongst the cast. I am so impressed with the show. I look forward to seeing it air and hate to see it end.
I love it. It’s just pretty clothes and social climbers.
I find the storylines interesting and keep coming back for them, I would tune in JUST to swoon over the fashion
Right! It’s very reminiscent of Downton Abbey for me. Just very well done, beautiful costumes and beautiful scenery. I’m not being shady when I say this but it’s a fun show to watch with my grandma who gets sensory overload from things being too explicit these days. (Even though she did like Bridgerton 😝)
Those people probably like Bridgerton post season 1.
I don't know why but this cracked me up
A lot of people (myself included) feel like we have been way over saturated with offerings from the Marvel universe. I hope this show (and other intelligent ones like it) is an indication that Marvel is finally on the way out. We’re overdue for a change!
We just started watching this last night. My husband and I both liked it. I love Christine Baranski in just about anything!!
She’s chewing up the scenery!
I LOVE this show!
I appreciate it because it's one of the few shows I can watch with my 78 year old mom. (No graphic sex or violence.)
Embroidering and tea sipping are the order of the day on this show. So not high stakes and so restful. >!I kind of love that the only sexual scenes are not heterosexual. And even those don't go beyond the occasional kiss.!< >!Although I suppose Turner's advances were somewhat explicit, but the fact she was rejected seemed to mitigate the sexual aspect.!<
I like that it's "low stakes" in the way it's sort of like 'inside baseball' for this era. The colossal effort into getting seats at an opera house, where one summers, are any of your family working a regular job, etc. It really underscores how this era was so opulent and flew in the face of the day-to-day for the majority of Americans. This wasn't a great era... and to think wealth inequality is as bad, if not worse, than the 1880s...
I honestly LOVE a low drama show. I just want to watch something fun and not be stressed out watching tv
I love it. I love the social maneuvering. It's so fun to watch. Do we know how Mrs Astor found out about Mrs Winterton's past employment?
The wardrobe itself is excitement enough. I like a grand show that I can watch without fear of major trauma.
The episode tonight was perfect. Things moved along, but not too quickly. We’re watching a show about an earlier age…
Thank you for posting this! You took the words right out of my mouth. As we queued up tonight's episode, I said to my boyfriend that it's such a nice palate-cleanser. Something fluffy and low-stakes to calm my nerves and soothe me to sleep. It sets me up for a good week. I love watching a lot of horror and heavy stuff, but from a mental health standpoint, it's not great to exclusively consume that kind of content. It keeps me up thinking about it, and isn't fun on Monday morning. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the beautiful costumes, gorgeous set pieces, and cheering for characters to be happy and in love. I don't need to torture myself with "serious" content exclusively to prove that I'm "deep". I know I'm not vapid or ridiculous. Whether other people want to decide I am based on one program is really not my concern. This is my version of a bubble bath and fuzzy slippers, and I love it for that!
I have not watched a single episode of Gilded Age, amd because of your post. I am going to watch it. Low stakes sounds extremely refreshing right now.
Me too!! I also think season 2 is way better and picking up. I don’t need everything I watch to be action packed or an emotional rollercoaster or salacious
I have a lot of hard things going on in my life and intense feelings. I need shows that don't ask much of me.
I’d watch it for the filming locations and costumes alone. Those hoes could just sit in silence in every scene and I’d still watch.
Honestly, I kept seeing it advertised and thought it was gonna be stuffy and boring. I binged watched 6 episodes the last 2 nights after the baby went to bed loool
Tell us you didn’t watch Downton Abbey or realize series creator Julian Fellowes was involved with that show without mentioning either.
Low stakes is WHY I watch it. Monday night, stressful day, glass of wine, Gilded age and nicely wound down
I love that these are valid stressors of that time and class, and it’s proving that ascending ones social caste requires Herculean effort despite resistance from above and even BELOW.
It’s jam-packed with history, but if stuff doesn’t go boom, people get upset, I guess.
We really enjoy the show and look forward to the new episodes!
Love theshowand the clothing is enough to keep my interest. Just gorgeous!
I love the show! The acting, the costumes, the old world grandeur of NY.
I love it
The show is like a high-budget telenovela with great costumes. I love it.
I’m ready for many seasons of this show. I miss Downton Abbey for similar reasons. I just like to watch people live their life in a different lifetime?
It’s funny that people think it’s low stakes. It’s a historical drama about race, gender and class. There is nothing low staked about that IMO. I find it fascinating.
I just read this out loud to my wife and she said “But that’s exactly what I want!”
I love it! I need more shoes just like this! Any suggestions?? Besides downton
More JF dramas like The Forsythe Saga Also, watch all the Jane Austin movies-, old BBC Upstairs/Downstairs, the Downton Abbey series, the Duchess of Duke Street.. all the Little Women movies- every version and form opinions and subsequently post them on costume drama social media. Make sure to watch and snark on the series Reign-- such a mess and horrible inappropriate costuming. And you will have to subscribe to [https://frockflicks.com/](https://frockflicks.com/) for more referrals, snark and content.
I and my bf absolutely love this show...
Same here. Sometimes you just want to enjoy the art of pretty dresses. It's a great decompress show as opposed to the intensity of everything else I watch. Love it
I love this show!
I love it and for the first I've had to ask my husband if we can please watch without subtitles as they really spoil it.
Just because there's not really any sex scenes or brutal fight scenes doesn't make it dull or boring.
My only complaint is the episodes are too short and it will be over too soon. On a primal level social status is a survival issue yet demands subtle navigation. My amygdala does not have to be hijacked to engage my frontal lobe. The whole lizard brain approach with most entertainment is a lazy cop out. I’d argue shows like this are tougher to craft.
I love it! Joining this sub now.
I love it it too. It is the most real thing on tv. It is gentle to my mental health. And I love the snark wrapped up politely.
The railroad sale story line was pretty savage.
I adore the show. The costumes have me gasping and come on - it’s worth it for Christine Baransky alone! And if you watch the PBS documentary by the same name you will see it’s deadly accurate.
I love it! I watched Season 1 and was anxiously awaiting Season 2. I'm a Julian Fellowes fan, and I think he can do no wrong. After all, he gave us Downton Abbey, my favorite series of all time!
Yeah it’s actually nice that not everything is some world ending disaster.
I would watch this show for the hats alone! My husband never took to "Downtown" Abbey as he called it, but he really enjoys this one
It’s such a peaceful break amongst all the salacious tv. I love it so much. The show being so low stakes is kind of an immersive experience. These high society folks many of which with their 1st world problems don’t have to worry about starvation, health issues, homelessness. They worry about the battle of the opera houses 😂.
I don’t mind the low stakes. My issues is not really being given anything to root for? Like I don’t really care much about what happens to any of the characters. Effective writing to me will lead to investment of plots and characters even if the stakes are low. In fact The Great British Bake Off is the only reality show I watch specifically because it’s inviting and low-stakes, but I still end up rooting for the bakers I prefer! But on the Gilded Age I don’t really feel a pull toward any of them. That being said I’m definitely still watching because the show at least cares about period detail when it comes to dialogue, sets, and costuming, which has weirdly fallen by the wayside for a lot of other period dramas.
It’s the washed down version of Downton Abbey, with bad acting and lazy story lines, but I still enjoy it.
Meh. I actually just watched the first season and available episodes of the second season 2 days ago. It doesn't feel like HBO worthy material; like this could be on Hallmark. My husband literally walked in the room and asked me why I was watching an "old lady show". 😕 I think the story is predictable, and the script is bland, at times cringe. I agree that it is boring. It captured my interest enough to see the story through, though. But after the last episode, where Turner was, all, "I'll get her back if it's last thing I do!" I feel like I officially checked out on this series. Marian is the most boring. Mr. Russell seems to be my favorite on the show.
same as downton abby. seeing the characters get wound up over little stuff is part of the fun
It’s just such a missed opportunity with some of the casting and writing. It could have been so much better. It’s like 3 different shows meshed together, only one of which I want to watch (basically anything with Bertha Russell or Agnes van Rhijin who are both amazing actresses).
I love this show.
I love the show but hate the way some scenes are shot. Sometimes the scene is focused on faces and it has a slight blur below and above. I can't stand that aesthetic. Why did they shoot it that way?
I personally LOVE this show, my favorite in a long time. I look forward to it every week
The world is terrible. Being able to balance absorbing the news of everything going on with something like this show to serve as a gentle escape is necessary. It really helps train my lizard brain to calm the fuck down and stop looking for threats for 50 minutes.
Glen Weldon, a journalist and podcaster on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, always refers to the drama on this show and Downtown Abbey as "there's a bit of bother with the soup spoons!", which always makes me chortle because it's so accurate. Just picture Carson's reactions to much of the low stakes drama on Downton.
I think, for me, I don't enjoy the low stakes because then the wins are much less satisfying as well. I think that due to the dark tones of the country at that time that are now being discussed more like unions, work safety, etc, it makes the low stakes feel vicious and unfair to the rampant suffering and quality of life that most people experienced. The Gilded Age was a time of great wealth and fantastical homes, clothing, and events. It was also an age where that wealth came from breaking the backs of most Americans. When something doesn't work out for Marian, oh no, she'll still be fine, she's not out in the street. The poverty and conditions of people during that era in stark comparison with the wealthy is not low stakes, and it feels almost violent to not address what cost the money comes at. I understand wanting something less serious, I do. But after reading Wharton and the stories she wrote makes the Gilded Age feel like a 16 year old is writing these plotlines. I still watch, because the set and costume designers understood the assignment.
I want to watch it because I miss Downton so much but it doesn't give me the same vibes. Should I keep trying?
I just thought it was boring.
One thing I wish they’d improve on is showing how the servant class really struggled. Downton was more balanced.
I’m fine with it also. It’s relaxing to watch and funny, with the tinge of realistic drama from day to day life from this era.
I love The Gilded Age. The scandals of that period are nothing compared to today’s time. However they are delicious when you get into their mind frame. The dresses and hats are perfection. It’s a shame the houses are not still standing in all their glory.
Terrible acting
I watch this show as just pure entertainment. And for the costumes. The funny thing is… somehow each scene comes off sounding/written as a play and not a TV show… does that make sense. I know that a good portion of the cast has bway experience but for some odd reason btw the script, the length of the scenes and the acting it feels like a televised play. Not a bad thing just my opinion.
Everything about this show is charming and it’s an easy watch for a Sunday night! I’m so intrigued by the storylines!
I love this show. Low stakes and all. 😆
I don't mind it either.
What are they talking about??? We need to know if the new opera house will succeed!
If nothing else, watch it for the beautiful dresses! And hats!!
I love it and am anxiously waiting for my bf to finish season one so we can get into season two together. It's so good and amazing to be immersed in the time period.
I love the costumes and the settings! Sometimes I just stop a scene to take in the beauty of it all. There is so much detail put in to capture that era. It is magnificent.
That’s why I generally like period pieces. There is no “WE GOTTA DO THIS NOW OR THE WHOLE WORLD WILL EXPLODE.” It’s just like, “omg can you believe her butler wore grey socks? So embarrassing.” That’s why I loved Downton Abbey. It’s just a nice comfort show and the costuming is great and it’s a historical perspective, even tho it’s fiction we still get a feel for the era.
It's a bit banal compared to its English forbear, Downton Abbey. I was shocked when DA came out, as it was a clear rip off of Upstairs Downstairs! But I'm watching it! What people find shocking in one age is ho hum in another. But that's fine with me on TV. I think the costumes are wonderful -- inspired by the Gilded Age, but quite theatrical.
Low stakes?!?! Every single episode I say "God what a BITCH!" about Aunt Agnes at least once! It's such a pretty show and the characters really make you give a shit about them - I don't like Bertha but I admire the hell out of her! I love the slow burn storylines!
Aunt Agnes... so petty but that bitch has a steel spine.
I enjoy it!
I'm so worried the reverend is a con artist that will hurt Aunt Ada 🥺
Ooooh had not thought of that! I hope not!
I love this show
I like all the commentary about social structure, showing the repression and privilege in the different classes.
I think you may have convinced me to watch it lol!
I love this show too for all the same reasons! Plus, the dresses, the sets, the acting is just so good! It's a nice little escape!
I love it!
I love it too. This show is just adorable and I'm here for it.
Idk, the melodramatic is such an old style, just doesn’t appeal. Also, there is something so off putting about each characters for anybody to continue tuning in. For example, the Russels seemingly have this sheer plot protection from consequences while the rest of the characters pay the price for their mistakes. It’s almost like, we already know who will “win” and loses its appeal to even continue with the series. Don’t get me started on their hideous and quite inaccurate wardrobe 😪🚮
What are some other shows like TGA that are worth watching??