The Real Reason Gilded Age Fans Are So Frustrated with Marian

Without a doubt, Julian Fellowes' follow-up to Downton Abbey, HBO's The Gilded Age, is not the most successful project the iconic writer has tried his hand at. The first season of this period drama proved to be somewhat dull and disjointed. Nevertheless, the network decided to give the esteemed creator another chance by renewing the show for a second season.

However, it appears that The Gilded Age's issues have little to do with poor writing or uninteresting character development, as there seems to be only one thing that is ruining it for fans - the main character.

When Marian Brooke was initially introduced as an impoverished relative of a powerful New York family, fans were actually very supportive of her. So when her two aunts decided to take her in, viewers were eager to see how this unlikely friendship would evolve. And yet, while a few scenes hinted at some chemistry between Marian, Agnes and Ada, it soon became apparent that Marian didn't care about her loving aunts at all and preferred to spend her time away from them.

'She seems like a kind, good person, but I can't get over how ungrateful she seems to her aunts. They're virtual strangers, took her in, gave her an allowance, introduced her to society, and she snubs them at every chance,' a fan noted.

And Marian's somewhat strange relationship with her aunts is not the only complaint people have about her character. Many argue that her storylines are the least interesting in The Gilded Age, especially compared to those of her aunts or Bertha Russell.

Moreover, fans simply do not like Louisa Jacobson's portrayal of the character. They argue that the young actress still has much to learn to share the screen with such giants as Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, and Carrie Coon. Being Maryl Streep's daughter is simply not enough to lead a prestigious HBO show.

'The actress has zero charisma and isn't very talented. The character is supposed to be "progressive", opinionated and independent, I guess, but she really just comes across as ungrateful and annoying. All her plots seem very superficial, and it's hard to relate to her on any level,' another fan explained.

Source: Reddit.