Spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3 episode 7 ahead.
The Gilded Age is carrying the mantle of televised period drama greatness set up by Downton Abbey over a decade ago, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Instead of soap opera sensationalism, tension and high stakes comes in the form of complicated relationships, intellectual manipulation and ever-changing social dynamics. Nobody’s getting involved in nefarious love triangles that make no sense, or having punch-ups on the street simply because there’s nothing better to do. Each step is a calculated one, and it works.
