I've gotten hooked on it, though I will admit it is a tad slow. But it does seem to do a fairly decent job at presenting a fictionalized, but reasonably accurate, view of New York City society in the 1880s.

BUT I am watching it with a lens provided by listening to an interview with Anderson Cooper. He's written a book about the Vanderbilts that is less than complimentary. (In the off-chance you don't know, he is directly related to Cornelius Vanderbilt.) There was a hint in the 2nd or 3rd episode of the ruthlessness of the fictional character George Russell, modeled after the real life Jay Gould, and his wife pretty much steals any scene she's in. I won't provide details in case you are going to watch it. There are teasers that there may be more nefarious deeds to come.

It's from Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey, and it retains a lot of the period authenticity, costuming and sets.

I definitely recommend it unless you really like a strongly plot-driven shows. There's always a chance that it's slow to start, and the later episodes will become more intense. I'd also recommend googling to try to find an interview with Anderson Cooper about his book and his family background. He's always a fascinating speaker.

I'm a sucker for period dramas, so I'm enjoying it a lot.

I can't pinpoint why I think Downtown Abbey started out much stronger, but I do. Part of it was the iconicity of the Titanic's sinking, which immediately kicked off the succession crisis. The dowager sisters' problem on The Gilded Age, the ever-present risk of losing social status, doesn't rise to the level of the threat of losing everything.

Others on the series experience the threat (and, in some cases, the reality) of losing everything, but so far the protagonists seem insulated. There is the possibility that the niece will do something to trash her reputation and future, but she doesn't have the volatility of Lady Mary and her willingness to sleep with a man who then inconveniently dies in her bed.

The depiction of Gilded Age NYC is fascinating, but you can tell its CGI and it's not as eye-popping as the real-life house that stands in for Downton Abbey.

I guess overall I think that The Gilded Age would benefit from ramping up the stakes for everybody.

But there's no need to ramp up the costumes. The dresses and hats are already FABULOUS.

Maybe I'll watch it. I've gotten into the habit of watching something on NetFlix when I'm on the treadmill...

I think the bustles are great! But I'm soooo glad they're not in fashion now--they look so uncomfortable. At least Lady Mary got to cavort around in dresses that looked comfy (though as rumor has it, the ones on the set were very smelly).

Even the servants have to work in those bustles.

Except for when that one took off all her clothes but didn't get the expected result....