The definition of Opera is that in Latin it is the plural of Opus (work) and that it is a theatrical artistic genre that consists of a staged drama accompanied by music. And in the operatic season of The Gilded Age, the action doesn’t just revolve around the construction of a new theater, but the family drama surrounding the Russells. Things are tense there with the competition between Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and Caroline Astor (Donna Murphy). Enid Turner-Winterton’s (Kelley Curran) intrusion has turned into a new, lower-key battle, one that’s more cartoonish than expected but also hectic.

First of all: thank you, Mr. Winterton (Dakin Matthews) for revealing Turner’s first name to us, which was obviously a mystery until yesterday. Enid is a cartoon villain, with a witch-of-the-West look, from The Wizard of Oz. She is just evil, 24 hours without rest. After ‘losing’ in George’s (Morgan Spector) seduction game in the first season, she turned things around and found a rich husband, but what’s the point in securing her life if you don’t put her at risk to humiliate her? The old boss?

The dispute between Bertha and Enid is fiercer than that between Bertha and Caroline, confirming the thesis of the more traditional that the new people are adept at gossip and embarrassing situations, in other words, “they have no class”. Enid – I love my newly adopted intimacy with Turner! – continues snubbing Bertha, because she knows how much Bertha wants to be accepted by Caroline and can’t. But always the victim of misunderstandings, she falls into yet another common situation that brings her down. We see that Caroline is ultra-aware of Enid’s former position as a chambermaid, something we would have to assume EVERYONE would know, but somehow the current Mrs. Winterton thinks she’s a secret. She circulated as a servant among all the characters, what kind of secret would that be? Anyway, it’s effective for her husband, who doesn’t understand how he and his new wife are now barred from the Music Academy. Enid immediately assumes that everyone is blind, but that Bertha warned Caroline. And like Khan from Star Trek: she wants revenge!

The closest opportunity is dinner for the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), where Enid will showcase the newfound proximity to the nobility that she thinks she achieved when she traveled through Europe on her honeymoon. But of course, the Russells are more agile: not only are they invited, but Bertha quickly changes seats at the table, standing next to the Duke instead of Enid, who was next to a surprised but discreet Oscar Van Rhijn (Blake Ritson ). Obviously, the Duke is enchanted by Bertha, half reveals his contempt for Enid, and agrees to stay at the Russells’ house in Newport. Enid is livid with yet another “defeat” and vows to take revenge again (from the trailer, maybe she can?). It’s no use even for Mr. Winterton to despise “this duke”, remembering that “there are other dukes”, but Enid wants this one and wants to take it away from Bertha. We’ll see the next act, or episode, next week. What we can anticipate is that Enid has little to offer the English nobleman: in another’s time, they came to New York looking for fortunes and marriages, and Bertha has a Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) ready to play.

Upon gaining access to the Duke, George is finally ‘forgiven’ by Bertha, who warns that she will not tolerate a second omission on his part. She believed that there was nothing between him and the maid, but she could not accept his secret. George is already ‘villainized’ by the press in direct reference to Jay Gould, but I love that he has precisely highlighted the irony of the worldwide attraction of independent countries to the British Monarchy. When explained the protocol of how to speak or address the Duke, he asks the obvious: wasn’t American independence precisely because it refused to revere the English nobility? Anyway, George, I’m sorry to say that even in the 21st century people are still obsessed with titles and stupid rules.

The Russells’ drama doesn’t stop there. Larry (Harry Richardson) and Susan Blane’s (Laura Benanti) romance is so blatant that it made news in New York, miles away from Newport. We see him declaring himself to Susan, but Bertha immediately cuts the story short by calling the widow for a frank conversation and bluntly telling her to get out of her son’s life. It was just in time because Larry was contemplating marrying Susan and was devastated. Let’s stop for a moment and comment that just as it was in his time, in The Gilded Age between “Hello” and “Will you marry me” are mere minutes, and today it is really bizarre. So far, we have not seen one relationship with a future, but about four “almost marriages”. I was devastated that HBO Max’s trolling in the trailers, exploiting our rooting for Larry and Marian Brooks (Louisa Jacobson) is just that, torment. In history, they couldn’t be more indifferent to each other! Even worse, Susan is really like a suffering older woman who will have to give up her young lover… wait! Opera!!! The scenes and plot are from an opera! La Traviata! Do I have to worry about Susan’s health?

Meanwhile, Marian is finally catching on to Dashiell Montgomery’s (David Furr) siege and is less than thrilled about the prospect of being proposed to. This modernity and the insistence on marrying for love makes no sense, but it is to give her yet another reason to fight with Agnes (Christine Baranski), about to assume her role as an antagonist by once again ruining Ada (Cynthia Nixon)’s unrealistic and almost foolish dreams to get married. As I’m cynical and picked up on Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) straight away, I’m also suspicious about Pastor Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard) and his agility in identifying Ada’s neediness, his ability to take her out of Agnes’ control and don’t waste any time and ask her to marry him as soon as he can. The man hasn’t arrived in New York for more than two episodes and he’s already ready for the altar! In the trailer for the next episode we see that Agnes will once again warn that Ada has no dowry, but will this time the information have the same effect?

The only one taking the time to ask for Maud Beaton’s (Nicole Brydon Bloom) hand is Oscar, who remains suffering and quiet. I feel for him, a lot! Because romance once ruled The Gilded Age, we already know the employees love it too. Monsieur Baudin (Douglas Sills) asks Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) out and she accepts. Love is in the air!

Even in Alabama, on a peaceful trip so far, we have an increasingly excited Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) – and exciting – the married T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones). Now let’s get to the theories: in the first season, it was clear that there was an atmosphere between the two, starting with their mutual personal admiration. We know that Peggy doesn’t stick to conventions: she ran away with her boyfriend, got married, had a son, and when her father managed to annul the union (I still don’t understand how he thought that having a single mother-daughter was better than a married daughter if he followed the rules of the period) so a ring on your crush’s finger isn’t really an obstacle. Even Marian has already figured it out and warned her to avoid confusion, but that’s what Peggy seems to like about the potential relationship between them. But come on: until now, we didn’t even know there was a Mrs. Sullivan! And we continue without knowing. I bet our journalist is a widower and that yes, we will have a happy romance between him and Peggy. He mentioned his son’s death and then changed the subject, I suspect that Mrs. Sullivan is not among us either. I’m sorry for her, for him, but my girl Peggy is lacking hope and happiness. I’m going to stick to that theory.

Meanwhile, only Watson (Michael Cerveris) continues in the personal drama that I swear is already irritating. So much suffering and secrecy, lost glances in the afterlife are endlessly boring: either he leaves and protects his daughter or puts his foot down and lives his life. He is out of tune with the series.

With that, we say goodbye wanting (a lot) more from The Gilded Age. I’ll comment on next week’s teaser separately… but ending the prologue, the first act promises exciting moments!

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