Why The Statue of Liberty's Hand Is In The Gilded Age (Where's The Rest Of It)
Warning: SPOILERS for The Gilded Age Episode 3 — «Face The Music»
Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) marvels at the Statue of Liberty's hand and torch in The Gilded Age but here's why it's in Madison Square and where the rest of the iconic monument is. The Gilded Age is set in 1882 in a New York City that is largely unrecognizable to modern eyes. The Gilded Age is about the conflict between Old New York and New Money like the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and the series' richest railroad tycoon, George Russell (Morgan Spector). Ultimately, New Money is destined to win out and it's those families that would build the landmarks that have defined New York City ever since. However, the Statue of Liberty is a different story woven into The Gilded Age.
In The Gilded Age episode 3, «Face The Music,» Marian is invited to see the Statue of Liberty's arm by Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel), the Pennsylvania lawyer who makes no bones about his romantic interest in Miss Brook. Marian and Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) are both taken aback by the size of the Statue of Liberty's forearm, hand, and torch. Marian correctly guesses that the arm will eventually return to France to be attached to the rest of the Statue before it returns to New York. Mr. Raikes then adds some information about how the city is having trouble raising funds to pay for the Statue's pedestal. While the Statue of Liberty's hand is really just a backdrop for The Gilded Age's continuing story of Mr. Raikes wooing Miss Brook, the tale of why Liberty's torch is in Madison Square, to begin with, and what it took for the rest of the Statue to reach New York harbor is fascinating.
Related: The Gilded Age's True Story: Why Mrs. Astor's Family Is So Powerful
The Statue of Liberty's arm
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