“The Gilded Age” Episode 3
Well, well! Things are heating up. This episode offered plenty of action, from romance to double dealing to tragedy. Additionally, there were plenty of historic Easter eggs. Let’s dig in!
Many of the characters made some progress to their goals. Peggy garnered interest in her writing, but after winning praise from an editor, she takes a principled stand against altering her story as to not offend the publications southern readers. We finally learn that her beef with her dad concerns his lack of support for her writing and his insistence in her working for him.
Oscar Van Rhjin has decided that poor Gladys Russell is the perfect girl for him, until he comes to believe her vast fortune is in jeopardy (it’s not) and it looks like Oscar will have to work on maintaining his clandestine relationship with John Adams, who gave some foreboding looks when Oscar confessed his intent to marry Gladys.
Spinster Aunt Ada reconnects with an old beau, but her sister Agnes quickly puts the kibosh on the romance when she lets the old beau know that Ada doesn’t have any of her own money and that Agnes would not be providing any money or housing. The beau hastily retreats. I wonder if Agnes is at least partially motivated by her own loneliness?
Marian’s country lawyer returns and is so bold as to propose marriage! Marian didn’t say yes, but as Peggy points out, she didn’t say no either. I predict this season is a lot of flirtation between Marian and Mr. Raikes and she will also be pursued by Larry Russell. I suspect Betha will not be an enthusiastic about that match. Speaking of Bertha, Larry alluded to an interesting backstory - that Bertha may be “Famine Irish” - part of the major Irish diaspora of the 1840s-1850s during the great famine (and British genocide) in Ireland. Bertha also hints that she had worked scrubbing floors, which would be consistent with an Irish immigrant job. Bertha’s Irish roots could also be the reason for her lack of acceptance in upper crust circles.
George Russell continues to make big moves. After being double-crossed by city aldermen Fanes and Morris (their wives also rebuffed Betha) George manages to call their bluff and Fanes and Morris are in dire financial straits. Morris literally begs for mercy. The episode concludes with Morris’s suicide. This will make for interesting fodder as the Russells continue their quest to enter society. Will their destruction of an “old money” family block their progress or not?
I appreciate how this series adds interesting historical Easter eggs, like Marian and Mr. Raikes visiting the hand with torch of the Statue of Liberty. Mr. Raikes lets Marian know that the part of the statue will soon be headed to France to be part of the whole statue, which will be gifted to America by France in celebration of the centennial in 1886. Clara Barton gets a cameo in this episode as she fundraises for the Red Cross.
This episode was action-packed! I’m very excited for the rest of the season.
