As the Statue of Liberty finally arrives in full, Peggy Scott’s career gets the spotlight in Season 4 of HBO’s historical drama.
In Season 1 of The Gilded Age, the first piece of the Statue of Liberty quietly arrived in America. HBO‘s historical drama faithfully recreated the hand and torch that were displayed in Madison Square park to generate excitement, and more funds, to complete the now iconic landmark. And it was the setting for an arranged rendezvous point for what was then a burgeoning romance between Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel). In the new Season 4, premiering November 1, Lady Liberty finally arrives in full, and she’s the talk of the town.
Each time they return, the creators of The Gilded Age, Downton Abbey‘s Julian Fellowes and fellow executive producer Sonja Warfield, map out the season’s arc and reverse engineer the story from there. A tip from resident historian/co-executive producer Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar made them realize that Lady Liberty’s 1886 dedication was ripe for inclusion this season, so they built around that. “It’s very circular, and it’s a great way to bring it all together,” Warfield told us on set in Manhattan in July. It was also an opportunity to include new American historical figures, such as President Grover Cleveland (Jim Gaffigan), John D. Rockefeller (Neal Huff), and more, after Season 3 focused so much on English nobility. Denée Benton, who plays author Peggy Scott, said on set that this season’s subject of freedom, and who is included in the American promise of liberty, “just feels deeply potent.”
Peggy’s life and career are stepping into the spotlight this year as she balances her creative ambitions with her engagement to Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica). “We’re taking Peggy on this journey of her literary career,” says Warfield.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Benton sees Peggy as resilient and determined, and like the American Girl doll she wishes she had as a kid. It’s inspiring for Benton to see Peggy “be a phoenix time and time again with things that really come to take her out.”
Peggy has been carving out an independent life for herself since the series began. We’ve seen her struggle with a secret annulled marriage and the death of her child she didn’t get to raise. Now, Peggy’s “voraciously centering her life around her desire,” according to Benton.
“When I think back to how she very much could have been written as a sidekick, I, Erica Dunbar, and other people on our creative team, we were really able to advocate for the multiverse that it is now,” Benton said on set. “It feels like our storyline is giving Game of Thrones [vibes]. We’ve got the Russells, we’ve got the Van Rhijns, and now we’ve got the Kirklands, honey. It’s special to take up that kind of space and kind of rewrite history in a way or expose it more.”
We’re also meeting more of Peggy’s family in Season 4, including a new character played by Adrienne Warren, the latest Tony winner added to this stacked cast of Broadway stars. Warren plays Peggy’s cousin, Ava, a singer who showcases her familial and cultural traditions with the Kirklands.
Adrienne Warren as Ava in The Gilded Age Season 4 (Karolina Wojtasik/HBO)
Donica has been bumped up to a series regular in Season 4. The addition of Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Reginald Harris, William’s mentor, helps paint a fuller picture of the man. Donica said that this season gives William and Peggy a lot more nuance and allows the characters the chance to be messy. “We have problems and struggles just as everybody else,” Donica shared, “so let’s show [how we] face that together.”
Speaking of couples facing hard times, over in Manhattan, the rags-to-riches Russells are facing their biggest challenges yet. Season 3 left them on the brink of divorce, and Bertha was priming society to welcome divorced women instead of shunning them just in case she needed it. As Carrie Coon has said since Season 1, Bertha Russell would be a powerful U.S. Senator if women were allowed to vote and have careers like men. Until then, marriage is their social capital. Arranging an advantageous marriage for daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), who is now pregnant, caused a rift between Bertha and George Russell (Morgan Spector) that could be irreparable. But they’re trying to find their way back to each other in Season 4.
Bertha has finally reached her goal of being equal in influence to Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy), but there’s another social climber eager to supplant Bertha just as she’s reached the social mountaintop: her former lady’s maid, the widowed Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran, now a series regular), who is aligning herself with Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) to reach new heights. So, we’re left with one very exciting question: Will Bertha and Enid’s heated rivalry be reignited?
The Gilded Age, Season 4 Premiere, Sunday, November 1, 9/8c, HBO