The Gilded Age Lacks Downton's Sybil (& Who Could Fix The Mistake)
Warning! Spoilers for The Gilded Age.
The Gilded Age has delighted many viewers with its striking similarities to Julian Fellowes’ previous drama, Downton Abbey, but the new series is missing one important identity: Sybil. Set in New York City in the 1880s, The Gilded Age mirrors the style of Downton Abbey in cinematography, score, and opulence despite being set several decades prior (Downton Abbey season 1 begins in 1912) and having crossed the Atlantic. Yet, though The Gilded Age recreates many ofDownton Abbey’s successful elements, it is (so far) sadly lacking the conflict Sybil brought to the plot through her convictions and fearlessness.
The Gilded Age begins with Marian’s journey to New York following her father’s death. Marian moves in with her aunts, Agnes and Ada, and finds herself in the middle of a war between New York’s established wealth and its “new money.” Despite her Aunt Agnes’ best efforts to keep Marian under her thumb, Marian seems drawn to those her aunt calls “new money”,speaks to the local outcast in Mrs. Chamberlain, and befriends Peggy Scott, the mysterious secretary that accompanies her to New York from Pennsylvania.
Related: Why The Gilded Age Is So Obsessed With Money (When Downton Wasn't)
In this way, Marian is similar to Downton Abbey’s Sybil. Before her untimely and devastating death in Downton Abbey season 3, Sybil saw the world much differently than her society-obeying family. Sybil, however, stood firmly for her beliefs, her convictions shining brightly throughout her short time on the series, and exposed many of the shortcomings and wrongdoings of the era. The Gilded Age’s Marian, on the other hand, provides a tepid dissent at best, her actions without any distinguishable motives. There
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