Are you missing The Gilded Age?

I’m still reeling from the fact that we’ll have to wait at least a year and a half to see all the characters again — especially matriarch Agnes van Rhijn, who only shows up to deliver zingers. She’s never wrong, even when she is. And Christine Baranski balances drama and comedy like no one else.

Over the course of three seasons, Agnes has gone from wealthy to practically poor, now relying on the goodwill of her sister Ada, who took a long time to find her own leadership style. Of course, Ada’s blunders — along with Marian’s and even Oscar’s — have given Agnes plenty of opportunities for unforgettable lines. Let’s look back at 15 of them!

1 – When Agnes Gets Excited

“I haven’t been thrilled since 1865.”

This is one of Agnes’s most memorable lines, from Season 1 of The Gilded Age.
She says it in Episode 4 (“A Long Ladder”), responding with sarcasm to an attempt to get her excited about a social event. A perfect one-liner that sums up her perpetual sternness.

2 – Agnes, the Infallible

“I am never wrong.”

In Episode 6, Agnes is on fire. When Marian insists on defending Tom Raikes — whom Agnes quickly pegged as an opportunist — she shuts her down with this dry remark, reminding her that her judgment of character never fails.
One of the season’s most iconic moments, because it captures Agnes’s self-confidence perfectly. And yes, she was right. And yes, she repeats this signature phrase in Season 3, when she admits that Marian was wrong to try to follow her advice. After all, it was Marian who erred, never Agnes.

3 – Agnes’s Guillotine Moment

“Heads have rolled for less.”

In the episode that actually takes its title from this legendary line, Agnes feels betrayed by Bannister, the butler, who secretly takes a side job at the Russells’ house. When she confronts him without thinking it through, she’s caught off guard and has to retreat, leaving him with this not-so-subtle threat.

4 – The Daily Wine Defense

“Let the sober circus begin!”

When Ada tries to impose total sobriety on the Van Rhijn household — banning alcohol even from the staff — nobody supports her. At the Temperance meeting, Agnes can’t resist venting, and Marian has to hide a laugh: it’s one of the rare moments she sides with her cranky aunt.

5 – Another Way to Prove Herself Right

“It is just possible an earthquake may destroy New York, but it is not likely.”

Still in Season 1, Agnes is repeatedly questioned about her (bad) opinion of Tom Raikes. But of course, she was right!

6 – Change Is Never Positive at First

“Good came from the American Revolution, but it was difficult to live through, all the same.”

Agnes comments on social and political change — warning Marian and Ada that even progress comes with pain and instability. It’s her way of applying the lesson of the American Revolution to her resistance against the rise of “new money” and New York’s transformations in the late 19th century.

7 – On “Liking” Caroline Astor

“She is a fact of life that we must live with.”

As a newcomer, Marian struggles with the many seemingly petty rules, often dictated by the fearsome Mrs. Astor — or “Lina,” as Agnes calls her. But in the Van Rhijn household, the rules are clear: you don’t follow her because you agree, but because you recognize her influence.

8 – Prejudice in One Line

“I am not concerned with facts, not if they interfere with my beliefs.”

“The definition of prejudice in a nutshell,” declares Oscar when his mother refuses to hear anything that might disrupt her worldview. At least Agnes always knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it.

9 – Always Right

“Benedict Arnold had a reason when he tried to sell West Point to the British.”

Agnes is always right because her cynicism keeps her sharp. When Ada argues that sometimes people have their reasons, Agnes invokes the historical figure of Benedict Arnold — the Revolutionary War general branded as America’s greatest traitor after trying to hand West Point over to the British in 1780. Everyone has a rationale, she warns, but not every motive is noble or well-intentioned.

10 – On the Rush of Change

“Revolutions are launched by clever people with strong views and excess energy.”

Even in Season 3, Agnes holds firm to her cynicism: change, she insists, is driven by people who think only of the present, not the future. She warns Ada that revolutions are rarely peaceful.

11 – Why She Likes Peggy

“If you don’t want to be disappointed, only help those who help themselves.”

Though accused of being old-fashioned, Agnes is arguably the most modern character in The Gilded Age, supporting Peggy Scott, a young Black woman striving to be a writer and claim her place in society. Agnes recognizes her strength and ideals and encourages her to keep fighting.

12 – Marriage Is Complicated

“Love seldom survives marriage.”

Agnes worries about Marian, who “must” marry to have a place in society — even if it means choosing with her head instead of her heart. Agnes fears that if Marian follows love, she’ll make mistakes.

13 – Surprised by Ada

“Hardened criminals had answered fewer questions at the dock.”

When Ada meets Luke Forte, she barely hides her eagerness to learn everything about him. Agnes is caustic, but really advising her sister to be more subtle with the reverend.

14 – The Threat of Changing Her Mind

“You are forcing me to reevaluate your character.”

When Ada once again acts impulsively, Agnes — always averse to change — delivers one of her greatest threats: to rethink her opinion. In her world, that’s no compliment.

15 – Agnes’s Greatest Advice

“To act on impulse is to make oneself a hostage to ridicule.”

In a rare vulnerable moment, regretting having acted rashly, Agnes delivers her most timeless piece of advice — one that applies just as well in the 21st century.

Did I leave out a favorite line? Which one? Share it with me!