HBO's "The Gilded Age"...Beautiful To Look At

 Of course, anything that's attached to Downton Abbey causes people to sit up and take notice. It worked on us...we bit.

The new show from the creator of Downton Abbey is called, The Gilded Age and it's a show on HBO. I haven't watched the entire series, but we've seen most of the episodes that are available. I have some thoughts on what I've seen so far...both the good and the not so good.

The Gilded Age is a period story set in America--New York City, specifically--in the later half of the Nineteenth Century. The show's IMDb page describes the show as such:

A wide-eyed young scion of a conservative family embarks on a mission to infiltrate the wealthy neighboring clan dominated by ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell, his rakish son, Larry, and his ambitious wife, Bertha.

We are introduced to the powerful in the city and those vying for a piece of that power. Visually, the show is stunning. The costumes and set design are beautiful. It almost draws you in and allows your brain to swim in a sea of visual wonder. 

Too bad the story can't compete.

I'm not saying the story and the character developments are bad--they're not, necessarily. The characters are interesting and we understand their motivations. It's almost too bad that it's associated with Downton Abbey. To compare this show to Downton Abbey is unfair. Downton has been in our lives for almost a decade. We know those people. Here, we're being thrown into the lives of the New Yorkers. We're forced to understand them quickly, whereas I feel we had time for the characters and storylines at the Abbey to come at us naturally.

One other thing that stuck out between this new series and the British one...the Americans have (or seek...) the same power as the monarchy in England, but it's impure. The American power is corrupt and evil, something full of distain, whereas the British power is honorable, almost sacred. The American's power is used to ruin lives; the British power is used to allow society to function properly. I know I'm simplifying this point, but it's a thought I had while watching the show.

If you want to see a beautiful show, check out The Gilded Age. If you're thinking you'll love it like you love Downton Abbey, maybe you will...hopefully you will.