Why HBO’s melodrama ‘The Gilded Age’ is “for the gays,” according to Gay Twitter™
huge one for the gays. As if all the Halloween (a.k.a “Gay Christmas”) festivities weren’t enough, we also had some brand new television to catch up on: The fiery romance/historical drama, Fellow Travelers.But that wasn’t our only appointment television this weekend: Sunday night also brought us the season two premiere of The Gilded Age, HBO’s drama all about the shady social politics between the haves and the have-mores in New York City in the late 1800s.While The Gilded Age isn’t specifically about LGBTQ+ themes and characters like Fellow Travelers, it’s amassed quite a loyal queer following.
After all, it’s got a huge cast of our favorite character actresses and Broadway stars, ornate costumes and set design, and is chock-full of quippy retorts and shady side eye.
What’s not to love?Seriously, this show’s ensemble is so sprawling, it would take ages to catch you up on everything and everyone from season one, but much of the drama centers around Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), who, thanks to the status and wealth of her “new money” robber baron husband George (Morgan Spector), is attempting to break into polite society.Of course, that doesn’t sit well with the “old money” types—specifically socialite sisters Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) and Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski).
And, really, that only scratches the surface.The cast also includes *deep breath* Luisa Jacobson (one of Meryl Streep’s daughters), Denée Benton (Hamilton), Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), Kelli O’Hara (The King And I), Blake Ritson (The Crown), Donna Murphy (also The King And I), Jeanne Tripplehorn (Big Love), Audra Macdonald (Carousel), and Queerty favorite Nathan Lane (The Birdcage).Don’t call it a “Lane-aissance”—Nathan Lane, simply, has always been here, dazzling us on stage and screen for over 40 years.For the theater heads out there: There’s a whopping 56 individual Tony Award nominations among the ensemble and 22 wins.
