January Stream It

by Hayley Harrison / Staff Writer

The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine. Get full access to all online articles, videos and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.

If you are a lover of historical fiction, period dramas, and over-the-top costuming, you will absolutely love The Gilded Age. Set during the 1880s in opulent New York City, The Gilded Age follows the saga of two families, the van Rhijn’s (old money) and the Russell’s (new money), and the ways in which their paths continue to intermingle. Agnes van Rhijn (flawlessly played by Christine Baranski) has been an insouciant, life-long member of New York City’s elite upper-class, and she is used to entertaining and rubbing elbows with the likes of other New York City socialites such as “The” Mrs. Astor, but when “new money” neighbors, (the Russell’s) start moving in across the street, Agnes is immediately affronted by their ostentation and vows to do what she can to keep the Russell’s on the fringe of New York’s polite society. Meanwhile, Bertha Russell (played by Carrie Coons, who could not be more perfectly suited for the role) fully intends to use her vast, newfound fortune to do whatever it takes to elevate her family’s status within New York society. She has more money than cares, and she is wise enough to “invest” in friendships that will rocket her to the top of the New York social scene.