The Gilded Age Season 2: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

Spoiler Warning: The Gilded Age Season 2

HBO’s The Gilded Age, a series centered on moneyed, high-class families in 1882 New York, became so wildly popular among its audience that it was renewed for a second season when the show was just halfway through its very first season. The period drama, written by the highly acclaimed Julian Fellowes, won a significant amount of praise from viewers who commended both the performances of the cast as well as the setting of the series.

The first season of The Gilded Age became a hit among viewers with its premise of high-class society conflict between old and new money. The juicy drama had fans hooked as they followed the story of Marian Brook, played by Louisa Jacobson, after she is forced to move to New York. Thrust into unsure waters as she tries to wade her way through the traditional ideologies of her wealthy aunts, drama and tension became signifiers of the popular period drama.

With the first season ending with quite a few loose ends, and the demand from fans, HBO’s announcement of a second season was very well received by viewers. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated second season of The Gilded Age!

The Gilded Age Season 2: The Plot

Season one of the series followed the story of young Marian Brook as she moved from Pennsylvania to live with her wealthy aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook after the death of her father. After quite a few shocking revelations and glamorous balls, the season ended in a dramatic finale that saw Marian’s love life in shambles.

The ending of the first season left many loose and inviting threads hanging. Given this, the options for season two to explore are ripe for the picking. If the follow-up season chooses to focus on Marian, it could delve into the future of her romantic life. However, if the season focuses instead on other characters, given the numerous revelations that season one held for Peggy Scott, especially in terms of her long-lost son, the exploration of her character arc would be quite interesting.

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However, the show’s creators are doing their very best to keep things under tight wraps. Talking to Deadline in March 2022, Fellowes said. “We’re never going to tell you what we’re going to do next year.” However, when questioned about Peggy, co-writer Sonja Warfield hinted at the fact that Peggy’s character may be focused on more:

“Peggy’s been through a lot. She was married and had a child and now we’re gonna set her off in search of that. Peggy is such a fantastic character because she’s an ambitious, professional Black woman in 1882, which in and of itself is an enormous feat. I love her drive.”

The Gilded Age Season 2: The Cast

At the time of writing, no official cast announcements for season two have been made. However, it is highly likely that we will see many of the cast members from season one reprising their roles. As such, viewers can hope for the return of members such as Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook, Denée Benton as Peggy Scott, Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn, Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook, Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, and Morgan Spector as George Russell.

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Agnes van Rhijn’s Baranski had high hopes for a return even before the announcement regarding season two of The Gilded Age was made. Talking to Town and Country Magazine about continuing on the show, she said:

“I could definitely, happily continue with this show and with these actors, and with this particular marvelous writer, Julian.”

Season 2’s Production

Although news about season two was made public early this year, writers had already set their sights on a follow-up season before the official announcement. Thinking about the direction of the show and all that was needed for it, executive producer Gareth Neame told Radio Times in January:

“The truth is, we’re always getting the second season ready long before we know whether it goes ahead or not. Because, you know, the moment we know we’re going ahead, we have to start – the cameras have to start rolling. So you sort of have to prepare.”

Talking of whether a second season would actually appeal to viewers, Neame added:

“You can never assume that period drama is going to have an audience. But The Gilded Age has a kind of Wild West twang to it that I hope appeals to audiences everywhere.”

Release Date

The second season’s renewal announcement was made in February 2022. While a release date for the series hasn’t been confirmed yet, we can most likely expect the series to air on HBO in early 2023,