TV Show review
Review basis: 3 seasons, 25 episodes · through August 10, 2025
January 24, 2022 · TV-14 · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Gilded Age is a period drama set in 1880s New York about old-money families clashing with ambitious new-money arrivals. It follows young Marian Brook moving in with her aunts and getting pulled into high society battles led by ruthless social climber Bertha Russell. Prominent Black character Peggy Scott works as a secretary and pursues writing and journalism while facing racism, and a recurring storyline follows closeted gay man Oscar van Rhijn navigating secret relationships. Later seasons give more attention to Black elite society, colorism, and women's social power.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Gilded Age.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent African-American lead character Peggy Scott in a central intersecting role as aspiring writer and secretary, with dedicated Black family and Black elite storylines running through all seasons. Visible casting emphasis on Black professionals alongside the main ensemble.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional comments on racism, women's limited options, class exclusion, and hints of suffrage. Dialogue stays mostly era-appropriate social friction rather than modern activist lectures or heavy messaging.
Identity-driven story themes
Dedicated arcs center Black women's professional ambitions and upper-class Black life (developed to give stories outside slavery). Prominent recurring storyline for closeted gay man Oscar with secret relationships and era-specific risks. Multiple arcs highlight women's social power and personal agency.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Portrays rigid old-money traditions and marriage pressures as limiting for some women. New money ambition and capitalist drive often appear dynamic or sympathetic. No strong modern anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchy, or systemic Western framing.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. Original historical fiction series with no established characters, canon, or real historical figures altered for identity-driven reasons.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Sparse comments about race handling feeling unrealistic or overly positive for the period. No major anti-woke campaigns or widespread complaints framing the show as activist or DEI propaganda.
Creator track record context
Julian Fellowes has a low woke record centered on traditional institutions and heritage storytelling. Moderate lift from co-writer Sonja Warfield's focus on Black stories, director Salli Richardson-Whitfield's diversity credits, feminist filmmaker Deborah Kampmeier, and casting directors with explicit DEIA commitments.
Production
