Review: The Gilded Age, "Some Sort of Trick" | Season 2, Episode 2
No tricks, all treats, as comedy setpieces and dramatic reveals kick this season into high gear
We drift through the Russell mansion hearing Bertha yell at George, from behind closed doors, to reason with their daughter. As George emerges and strides toward Gladys’ door, we imagine Oscar’s secret advances must have caused this outburst. But no—it’s that Gladys doesn’t want to come to Newport with the family. Those are the opening moments of “Some Sort of Trick,” and immediately we know we’re in for a great time.
We should talk more about how funny this show can be. That opening scene is a great example, the dramatics of Bertha’s raised voice and Gladys’ wringing hands perfectly undercut by the insignificance of the disagreement. It’s reminiscent of Sayre’s law about academia: “The politics of the university are so intense because the stakes are so low.” That applies to almost every upstairs plotline, from the opera rivalries to Agnes’ hilarious consternation over Marian’s job. (“A packed lunch!” she gasps when Bannister brings up a tin in a carry bag.)
The grand setpiece of episode 2, which takes place at the Newport Casino tennis championships, offers plenty of humor. Aurora invites Marian along to meet an eligible bachelor, Edward Morgan. But Edward turns out to be a tipsy fop who considers himself entitled to Marian’s company from the moment they meet. The fine art of playing a comic drunk has waned over the years, now that alcoholism isn’t consider a load o’ laffs, but you simply can’t beat Edward appearing in a crowd with two glasses and explaining, “They were running low on champagne, so I took two.”