Animated series The Gilded Age — 2 season, 1 episode

Story

On Easter Sunday in New York, Agnes van Rhijn shares news that unsettles the household: her nephew, Dashiell Montgomery, is preparing to arrive in the city. The announcement gives Agnes, Ada, Marian, and Oscar a new family matter to navigate as each considers what his presence could mean for their carefully ordered lives.

After an emotional visit to Philadelphia, Peggy Scott is ready for a change and asks Marian about returning to 61st Street. Their conversation brings questions of friendship, independence, and belonging back to the surface. Across town, Bertha Russell sidesteps Mrs. Astor to support the Metropolitan Opera House, a move that sharpens the rivalry between the two women. Oscar van Rhijn, meanwhile, begins courting Gladys once again.

Overview

Set during New York’s Gilded Age, the drama follows an elite world shaped by inherited privilege, social ambition, and rapid change. Established families guard their influence while newcomers seek a place among them, creating tensions that reach from grand drawing rooms to intimate family conversations.

The episode balances polished period detail with personal uncertainty. Marian continues to weigh the demands of convention against the possibility of choosing her own direction, while Peggy’s wish for a change keeps questions of work, independence, and self-determination at the center of the story. Bertha’s support for the Metropolitan Opera House adds a cultural dimension to the rivalry dividing New York’s upper class.

Cast and Characters

The ensemble features Carrie Coon, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, and Simon Jones. The story brings together Agnes, Ada, Marian, Oscar, Peggy, Bertha, Mrs. Astor, Gladys, and Dashiell Montgomery, whose intersecting relationships touch on family loyalty, romantic expectations, and social advancement.

Each character occupies a different position within a society undergoing transformation. Marian and Peggy remain connected by trust and shared experience, while Agnes and Ada represent contrasting responses to change within the household. Bertha and Mrs. Astor stand on opposite sides of the contest for influence in New York, and Oscar’s renewed courtship of Gladys adds another thread to the social landscape.