The long wait for The Gilded Age Season 2 is almost over!
In what looks to be an exciting continuation of the American period drama, creator Julian Fellowes, renowned for his work on Downton Abbey, brings back the series for its highly anticipated second season.
HBO released the official premiere date this week, with a new plot description and an exciting new trailer promising more drama and extravagance.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: THE GILDED AGE SEASON 2 EPISODE 1 RELEASE DATE
The historical drama is set to premiere on Sunday, October 29, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, with streaming available on HBO Max. The eight-episode season promises to immerse viewers once again in the opulence and tumultuousness of late 19th-century New York City.
THE GILDED AGE SEASON 1
As we all anticipate the second season of The Gilded Age, let’s take a moment to revisit the lavish world of the first season.
Set in the iconic Gilded Age (1880s NYC), Season 1 introduced viewers to a period of unprecedented societal change, where old traditions clashed with emerging systems, and fortunes were made and lost with stunning frequency.
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The intricate plot weaved through the lives of various characters, each grappling with their ambitions, secrets, and desires in the ever-shifting landscape of high society.
With romance, betrayal, intriguing characters, gorgeous costumes, and intelligent scripts from Fellowes, The Gilded Age proved to be a show with a ton of potential – especially considering the talented ensemble cast and production team.
The official season one synopsis reads:
HBO’s The Gilded Age begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old-money aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook.
Accompanied by Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old-money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George and Bertha Russell.
Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?
For more about season one, don’t miss our review of The Gilded Age and why we found the first season superb and luxurious.
THE OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF SEASON 2
The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost.
Season two of THE GILDED AGE begins on Easter morning 1883, with the news that Bertha Russell’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music has been rejected. Through the eight episodes of the season, we watch as Bertha challenges Mrs. Astor and the old system and works to not only gain a foothold in Society, but to potentially take a leading role in it.
George Russell takes on his own battle with a growing union at his steel plant in Pittsburgh.
In the Brook House, Marian continues her journey to find her way in the world secretly teaching at a girls school while much to everyone’s surprise Ada begins a new courtship. Of course, Agnes approves of none of it.
In Brooklyn, the Scott family begins to heal from a shocking discovery, and Peggy taps into her activist spirit through her work with T. Thomas Fortune at the NY Globe.
THE GILDED AGE SEASON 2 CAST
The large star-studded ensemble cast of the second season includes new and returning cast members.
The announced cast:
- Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell
- Morgan Spector as George Russell.
- Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn.
- Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook.
- Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook.
- Denée Benton as Peggy Scott.
- Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell.
- Harry Richardson as Larry Russell.
- Blake Ritson as Oscar Van Rhijn.
- Ben Ahlers as Jack Treacher.
- Michael Cerveris as Watson.
- Kelley Curran as Turner.
- Jack Gilpin as Church.
- Simon Jones as Bannister.
- Sullivan Jones as T. Thomas Fortune.
- Celia Keenan-Bolger as Mrs. Bruce.
- Debra Monk as Armstrong.
- Donna Murphy as Mrs. Astor.
- Kristine Nielsen as Mrs. Bauer.
- Kelli O’Hara as Aurora Fane.
- Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott.
- Patrick Page as Richard Clay.
- Taylor Richardson as Bridget.
- Douglas Sills as Baudin.
- Nathan Lane as Ward McAllister.
- John Douglas Thompson as Arthur Scott.
- Ward Horton as Charles Fane.
- Erin Wilhelmi as Adelheid.
- Ashlie Atkinson
- Laura Benanti
- Nicole Brydon Bloom
- Christopher Denham
- David Furr
- Matilda Lawler
- Robert Sean Leonard
The only character not returning is Tom Raikes (played by Thomas Cocquerel).
See the official HBO page for character descriptions.
THE GILDED AGE SEASON 2 TRAILER
A societal war is brewing in the exciting new trailer for the second season! The teaser provides intriguing glimpses of all the drama, intrigue, and elegance that lie ahead.
WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE
As the countdown to the premiere date of The Gilded Age Season 2 continues, here’s what we hope to see (and what we don’t).
We hope to see more romance between the characters in the second season! Julian Fellowes is known for creating some of the best romantic TV couples ever to grace the small screen – so our expectations are high.
We also hope to see more of the core female characters: Bertha Russell, Agnes van Rhijn, Ada Brook, Marian Brook, and Peggy Scott because they’re all fabulous, of course!
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We would also like to see more of the “downstairs” group – like in Downton Abbey.
When it comes to what we don’t want to see, we don’t want to see nudity or explicit love scenes. The tiny bit of nudity in Season 1 felt out of place with Fellowes’ style and forced in because it aired on HBO.
So, here’s to hoping HBO lets Julian Fellowes do what he does best: good old-fashioned period dramas full of wit and style.
What do you hope to see in The Gilded Age Season 2? Let us know in the comments.
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