The Gilded Age season 4 gets positive early reviews ahead of 1 November HBO premiere
Critics at IndieWire, Screen Rant and Collider review HBO's The Gilded Age season 4, which premieres 1 November. All three are largely favourable, centring on the Russells' marital rift and a presidential dinner, while noting a crowded cast.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Reviews of The Gilded Age season 4 from IndieWire, Screen Rant and Collider are largely favourable ahead of its HBO premiere on Sunday, 1 November. IndieWireLC ““The Gilded Age” Season 4 premieres Sunday, November 1 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.” Read at IndieWire ↗ Screen RantN “The Gilded Age season 4 premieres Sunday, November 1st, with new episodes weekly on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Left · 1IndieWire says new episodes will be released weekly through a finale on 20 December. IndieWireLC “New episodes will be released weekly through the finale on December 20.” Read at IndieWire ↗ Mixed · 2The series is created by Julian Fellowes, who co-writes with executive producer and co-showrunner Sonja Warfield. IndieWireLC “creator Julian Fellowes and his co-writing executive producer Sonja Warfield” Read at IndieWire ↗ Screen RantN “Julian Fellowes and his co-showrunner, Sonja Warfield” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 3All three reviews say the season picks up with Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and her husband George (Morgan Spector) separated after season 3. Bertha is in England with their pregnant daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), while George is in New York dealing with business trouble. IndieWireLC “Bertha is on the other side of the ocean, caring for a very pregnant Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), while George is in the States” Read at IndieWire ↗ ColliderN “in the wake of the couple's decision to separate last season” Read at Collider ↗ Screen RantN “Season 4 follows up on the Russells' fractured marriage” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Screen Rant and Collider add that George is still recovering from being shot in season 3 and wants to identify who was responsible. Screen RantN “George Russell survived being shot in The Gilded Age season 3, but his mental and emotional recovery hasn't kept pace” Read at Screen Rant ↗ ColliderN “George has made it his mission to uncover the identity of the man responsible” Read at Collider ↗ Centre · 3A dinner for visiting President Grover Cleveland (Jim Gaffigan) drives much of the plot. IndieWire and Screen Rant say Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) hosts it, and Screen Rant adds that she relies on her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) to pay for it. Collider describes Agnes and Bertha competing for the privilege of hosting. IndieWireLC “the President of America agrees to have dinner at Agnes’ cozy Manhattan mansion” Read at IndieWire ↗ Screen RantN “Agnes relying on Ada to finance this event creates new tensions” Read at Screen Rant ↗ ColliderN “battling her neighbor, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), for the privilege of hosting a dinner” Read at Collider ↗
Centre · 1Other storylines include Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) balancing her writing career with her engagement to Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), and Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran) continuing their strategic pairing. ColliderN “her own growing success as a published author”“their mutual decision to enter a more strategic arrangement for public-facing benefit” Read at Collider ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant also notes the season jumps to 1886 and the opening of the Statue of Liberty, and introduces John D. Rockefeller (Neal Huff) as George's rival. Screen RantN “Time jumping to 1886 lets The Gilded Age incorporate a real historical event: the opening of the Statue of Liberty”“introduces John D. Rockefeller (Neal Huff) as Mr. Russell's nemesis” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Left · 1IndieWire's Ben Travers calls it “Team Bertha’s Time to Shine”, praising the show for avoiding punishing Bertha again and describing it as frothy, soapy television, while saying it feels the squeeze of its sprawling cast. IndieWireLC “Season 4 Is Team Bertha’s Time to Shine”“Season 4 does feel the squeeze of its sprawling cast.” Read at IndieWire ↗
Centre · 1Screen Rant's John Orquiola calls the season “triumphant” and says the Russells' peril makes for “riveting viewing”, though he finds Marian's misery has worn out its welcome and Gladys is deemphasized. Screen RantN “The Gilded Age Gets Deeper & More Personal In A Triumphant Season 4”“Marian's misery has worn out its welcome”“Even with Gladys deemphasized compared to season 3” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Collider's Carly Lane says the show has “unquestionably hit its stride” and is heading into heavier subjects, while noting that Marian's arc is unevenly paced and Gladys is sidelined. ColliderN “The Gilded Age has unquestionably hit its stride.”“Marian's storyline feels a bit unevenly paced” Read at Collider ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A celebratory, jokey review centred on Bertha Russell's vindication, with a feminist reading of the show.
- Emphasis
- Bertha's arc, George's comeuppance, the show's light tone and its depiction of women shaping the country.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little plot detail on the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller or the shooting mystery covered by the centre outlets.
- Charged language
- “Team Bertha”“Opera Mommy”“Train Daddy”
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Plot-driven, enthusiastic reviews that treat season 4 as a confident, more personal and darker chapter.
- Emphasis
- The cast ensemble, the Russell marriage, the presidential dinner, Peggy's career, and the historical setting.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Less on the show's tonal frivolity or on gender politics.
- Charged language
- “Triumphant”“riveting viewing”“unquestionably hit its stride”
- For example
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“The Russells have never been in such peril in The Gilded Age, and it makes for riveting viewing in season 4.” — Screen Rant
“The Gilded Age has unquestionably hit its stride.” — Collider
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Season 4 premieres Sunday 1 November on HBO.
- The Russells' marriage is strained at the start of the season.
- A dinner for President Grover Cleveland is a central plot.
- The large ensemble leaves some characters, such as Gladys, with less to do.
Where accounts differ
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Who is hosting the presidential dinner
- Left
- IndieWire says Agnes hosts the president at her Manhattan mansion.
- Centre
- Screen Rant says Agnes hosts, financed by Ada; Collider says Bertha and Agnes battle for the privilege of hosting.
-
In season 4, Bertha and George Russell remain separated and their marriage is under strain.
Reported- Reports 3
- IndieWire, Collider, Screen Rant
-
A dinner for President Grover Cleveland is a central storyline of season 4.
Reported- Reports 3
- IndieWire, Collider, Screen Rant
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The large ensemble cast leaves some season 4 characters underused.
Supported- Supports 3
- IndieWire, Collider, Screen Rant
Left1 article
-
IndieWireLC · · Opinion
‘The Gilded Age’ Review: Season 4 Is Team Bertha’s Time to Shine
Celebratory Witty, opinionated review championing Bertha and praising the show's froth while noting an overcrowded cast.
Centre2 articles
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Screen RantN · · Opinion
The Gilded Age Gets Deeper & More Personal In A Triumphant Season 4 | Review
Celebratory Detailed character-by-character review calling the season a triumph with minor complaints about Marian and Jack.
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ColliderN · · Opinion
HBO's 'The Gilded Age' Is Even Darker and More Defiant in Season 4 | Review
Sympathetic Favourable review stressing the cast's chemistry and the show's heavier turn, with caveats on pacing and sidelined characters.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 27 Oct 18:00 First IndieWireLC ‘The Gilded Age’ Review: Season 4 Is Team Bertha’s Time to Shine Opinion
- 27 Oct 18:00 First Screen RantN The Gilded Age Gets Deeper & More Personal In A Triumphant Season 4 | Review Opinion
- 27 Oct 18:01 +1m ColliderN HBO's 'The Gilded Age' Is Even Darker and More Defiant in Season 4 | Review Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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