A new season of the HBO series The Gilded Age is currently heating up on the 2026 TV schedule with all the social climbing, relationship drama, and elaborate costumes that it’s become known for. I’ve been watching it since the beginning, when audiences were first introduced to Enid Turner, an ambitious woman serving as Bertha Russell’s lady’s maid.
Back then, the woman only known as Turner learned quickly that if you’re going to cross Bertha (Carrie Coon), you’d better have enough standing to back it up. Turner did not and became a villain to the Russell family. If you had told me then that same character would evolve into my favorite in Season 4 of the HBO series, I never would have believed you. That would also just mean that I didn’t have the same faith in Enid as she had in herself.
Played with so many layers by Kelley Curran, Enid instantly became a character that I loved to hate but always felt like there was more under the surface. Sure, she attempted to seduce Bertha Husband, George Russell (Morgan Spector), which was a no-no for his wife, ultimately leading to her downfall within the household. The fact that she knew she was better than that kept her clawing her way up the social ladder as she returned, season after season, eventually becoming the character I now can’t help but root for.
I Just Want The Best For Enid, No Matter What That Is And Who It's With
In Season 2 of The Gilded Age, Enid seemed to have finally caught a break, marrying Joshua Winterton for financial security and a more prominent place in society. Being significantly older and in ill health led to his death, but it also left his fortune in Enid’s hands, and she was very savvy when it came to using it to the fullest extent of the social-climbing ladder.
Yet somehow, that wasn’t the end of Enid’s story. It has reached even higher with the delicious fun in Season 4. Now married to the not-very-secretly gay Oscar Van Rhijn (Blake Ritson), the duo has formed a partnership with a shared goal of social domination. Together, they plot and plan with devilish schemes that I’ve found myself rooting for with delight.
Kelley Curran Is One To Continue To Watch Moving Forward In The Gilded Age
As a character, Enid is a magnificent sleight-of-hand magician, creating illusions and deceptions as she rises in social ranks. She is the definition of fake it until you make it, going toe-to-toe with her one-time rival at an upcoming lavish dinner that you must stay tuned for in Episode 5, airing on November 29.
While Marian and Larry can’t seem to get on the same page in Season 4, Enid and Oscar might not have romance between them, but being similar in age and mentality means they can understand and support each other in ways neither has had before. It allows her moments to shine with the confidence needed to not only take on Bertha but finally gain the upper hand.
The Gilded Age cast is truly stacked with talent, but what Kelley Curran has been able to do over four seasons, turning a hated villain into a powerful figure that viewers can root for, has been fascinating, fun, and entirely surprising to watch. It’s early in the season for this HBO show that got the world talking, and there’s quite a bit of Enid’s journey still to go, but you can watch all the drama on Sunday nights or with an HBO Max subscription.
