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.

Dame Maggie Smith...Happy Birthday!

It's winter break for all those students out there, from kindergarten to college. We have a couple of college students living under our roof, my son is close to earning his first degree--my daughter just started her college career. And because my daughter no longer is attending classes, doing homework, or performing in shows, she's spent time with my wife and me bing watching shows.

And one of those shows is Downton Abbey. She's never seen it and we thought it would be something she'd like.

We were right.

It is an amazing show where the acting matches the writing and both are stellar--it's not often that happens. Based on my daughter's reaction to the show, I believe her favorite character is that of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, expertly portrayed by Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, who just happens to have a birthday today.

She is an absolute joy to watch.

I can't say that I'm a "super fan" of the actress. I know I've seen her in several movies, but before she embodied another classic character, Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series, I probably saw her in several productions and didn't know it was her. In Downton Abbey, Dame Smith has the best lines, and looks to be having the most fun of any actor on set. Of course, I don't know that for sure, but we'd like to think so. 

And so I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to an actress who has entertained millions and will continue to do so as long as people watch her shows. May you have many, many, many more.