The Gilded Age Season 4 roars back onto HBO this Sunday, November 1, with a season premiere that moves with the same high speed velocity as one of “Train Daddy” George Russell’s (Morgan Spector) beloved railroad engines. There’s no genteel table-setting here, but rather an explosive chain reaction of long-awaited events that not only reward long-time fans, but create a whole new series of tense dramatic storylines. New power couples ascend to the top of high society, beloved characters find their very lives in peril, and goody-toe-shoes Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) finally goes downtown and sees what the fuss is all about. From start to finish, The Gilded Age Season 4 is the wildly expensive escapist fare we normies all need to get away from grimy day-to-day stress of living in our “Grifted Age” of ruthless scammers and spoiled billionaires. It’s the closest thing on today’s TV buffet to high end caviar: decadent, indulgent, and downright delightful.

The Gilded Age is Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and American writer Sonja Warfield‘s love letter to one of the most fascinating chapters in American history. “The Gilded Age” was the time in between Reconstruction and the 20th century where robber barons and industrialists took over the American economy, funneling obscene wealth into the economy and setting the stage for their wives to conquer society with over-the-top parties and wild expenditures. The show follows a large ensemble cast of (mostly wealthy) characters as they battle to assert their power while finding personal happiness.

The Gilded Age Season 4 opens about six months after the dramatic ending of Season 3, where Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) revealed to her mother Bertha (Carrie Coon) that she and the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) were expecting a baby just as her father George (Morgan Spector) abandoned his wife in a cold rage. Elsewhere, Peggy (Denée Benton) got the proposal of her dreams from the dashing Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), Larry (Harry Richardson) and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) made a soft sort of peace after their broken engagement, and Aunt Agnes (Christine Baranski) found a toe hold back into society via entry into a well-respected historical society.

It’s difficult to even tease how the new season of The Gilded Age begins without rushing into spoiler territory, which should give you a sense of just how quickly the new season gets cooking. Indeed, this season is full of so many juicy twists and turns, so many thrilling developments, and so many downright incredibly one-liners that the less you know, the better. That said, one of my personal favorite developments this season was watching two supporting players get an incredible chance to shine. Marian’s closeted cousin Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and ladies maid-turned-wealthy widow Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran) launch their daring plan to take over society on their own terms, introducing the world to parties with cocktails and fashion shows.

As always, everyone in the cast is stellar, with Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector leading the charge as the show’s ruling couple, Bertha and George Russell. While the Russells are no less formidable separated, their acrimony offers their children, particularly Larry, get a chance to step up and take the reins of the family’s fortunes. Elsewhere, Marian finds herself torn between accepting the path society expects of her and finding true purpose working downtown to improve the lives of the poor and Peggy’s professional success threatens to undo her happily ever after with Dr. Kirkland. And although Aunt Agnes gave Aunt Ada (Cynthia Nixon) her seat at the head of the table, the two sisters once more butt heads over the budget, thanks to a Presidential dinner Agnes is hosting.

If all of these storylines sound rather low stakes in the grand scheme of things, that’s because they are. The Gilded Age takes place in a grand world where the smallest of gestures carry with them the deepest of significances. It’s a world where the real issues many of us have — affording rent, gas, groceries, and health care — only exist for extras in the background. It’s a show built on British aristocrat Julian Fellowes’ quaint view of America as a land where the lower classes can still ascend the ladder of success as the Russells did. The Gilded Age is a shimmering distraction for a time of year when the hours are literally growing darker day-by-day, night-by-night.

The Gilded Age might veer into melodrama with abandon, but that’s because it knows we’re here to be comforted, not challenged. The Gilded Age‘s fourth season understands its brief to a tee. Season 4 is the HBO hit at its most confident: a killer mix of high class craftsmanship and old school camp.

The Gilded Age Season 4 premieres on Sunday, November 1 at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.