Spoilers below.
Power and influence are desirable in any era. Bertha Russell follows in the footsteps of other ambitious matriarchs to ensure her daughter Gladys has a golden future in The Gilded Age. Unfortunately for Gladys, this means she is being pushed into an engagement with a man she doesn’t even know, all because he is a duke. It isn’t a done deal yet, and her father, George, has reservations about this match. Now that he knows his wife has been making deals behind his back, he might be more inclined to play the hero card to save his daughter from marital misery.
It isn’t only Gladys who is stuck in a romantic quagmire. Aurora Fane attempts to maintain normalcy despite her husband’s bombshell divorce request in the season premiere. One matter Aurora helps resolve is establishing who the mistress of the Van Rhijn/Forte household is; if only she could settle her personal strife with this much ease. It is a busy time on East 61st Street as Ada continues her temperance quest and the Scotts visit their sick daughter Peggy, accompanied by a very handsome doctor.
George’s Tense Welcome Home
For a brief second, Bertha thought she had woken to the nightmare of Gladys eloping with Billy Carlton. Luckily for her, all Gladys did was flee to the Carlton home in the middle of the night. Mrs. Carlton (Victoria Clark) thinks she can reason with Bertha, but when that fails, she pulls rank, reminding Bertha that her great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence. Bertha would concede if this were before the Opera Wars victory; now, she reminds Mrs. Carlton that a duke is in the picture. It is somewhat ironic that the British aristocracy triumphs over someone with a storied American legacy like this.
George is blissfully unaware of this drama while attempting to make his lofty goals happen. A meeting with JP Morgan (Bill Camp) doubles as a quick rundown of George’s recent victories (like saving the Metropolitan Bank) and why he thinks he is the man to connect the entire country with an ambitious railroad scheme. Even with George’s wealth, he will need investors. Luckily, he saved JP from losing a fortune and can use this to leverage support. George is as skilled as his wife in getting what he wants, which makes them unstoppable when they are on the same page.
However, he didn’t foresee the fiery battle under his roof. “Isn’t this a lovely welcome home?!” George quips when he is caught in the middle of his wife and children. Larry continues to do everything he can to support his sister, including showing her the gossip item in the newspaper that says Gladys is engaged to Hector, the Duke of Buckingham. Bertha says she can’t control what they write, yet it has her fingerprints all over it. Not only that, but the duke is on his way to New York.
When they are alone, Bertha plays the protective mother card to George; all she wants is to give Gladys everything. The last thing she wants is for this to be “wrecked by Billy Carlton.” She says Billy’s name like a curse word, but George reminds her that he told Gladys she could marry for love. Bertha counters this as she is building their daughter a golden life, which is more important than a hasty promise. Despite their opposing sides, they find common ground in a long overdue kiss.
The following day, George tries to reason with his daughter that while he disagrees with Bertha’s methods, she offers Gladys “an astonishing opportunity.” Gladys has zero desire to become a Gilded Age influencer and wants to be her own person. It isn’t game over for Billy because George promises to hear Billy’s case for marriage. It should be no surprise that Gladys is not backing down from what she desires because she has grown up with parents who refuse to take no for an answer.
Aurora’s Dilemma
Charles Fane is making an early case for villain of the season (or, at least the biggest asshole) thanks to his approach to getting a divorce. It is quite spectacular how awful he is. If only he had a mustache to twirl. Several weeks have passed since Charles blew up his marriage, and Aurora continues to stand her ground. If she files for a divorce, she will lose her entire social standing. When Charles stops at the house to collect some clothes, his lack of sympathy for the exile Aurora faces is galling. Aurora reminds him about the charity benefit event they are hosting, but he is very DGAF about the endeavor and emphasizes that their relationship is over.
When Aurora recounts this exchange, Agnes, Ada, and Marian suggest she go ahead with hosting duties, excusing Charles’s absence by saying he has an illness. Much to her sister’s annoyance, Ada is still going hard on the temperance quest (including asking their staff to sign the pledge) and asks if booze is behind Charles’ cruelty. Aurora wishes this were the cause, while Agnes says it would be better if Charles were dead (one can only hope!).
One thing Aurora does help with is the question of who is in charge at 61st Street. Bannister can’t get a straight answer from the sisters, but Aurora insists they follow Ada’s orders. No doubt, Agnes will still make her voice—and objections—heard. However, it is now the Forte home.
Later, at the benefit, Agnes and Ada are on hand to support Aurora at her lowest moment. Everything is fine until Charles arrives with his new mistress. It is his way of forcing Aurora’s hand, but the public humiliation is extreme because everyone from Mrs. Astor to Bertha clocks his brazen entrance—and the woman on his arm. I cheered when Agnes emphasized that she no longer sees Charles as family: “I’m not your Aunt Agnes anymore.”
The Scotts come to Fifth Avenue
It is all go at the Forte home as Peggy’s parents, Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) and Dorothy Scott (Audra McDonald), came as soon as they received the letter about their daughter’s illness. There is a disagreement between the couple about which door to use, with Arthur insisting they use the front entrance and not the servant’s one—they go through the front. Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) is in attendance as Agnes’s family physician refused to see Peggy because of her race. Agnes apologizes for how her doctor behaved, as this is not how she was raised. Arthur questions her surprise because the practice among white physicians to be bigoted is common.
After the Scotts find out that Dr. Kirkland thinks it would be safer for Peggy to stay where she is (they need to act fast so she doesn’t get pneumonia), the couple returns home for now. Dorothy is grateful that their daughter is working in such a welcoming home (good thing she didn’t have to interact with Armstrong!) and doesn’t think Arthur should blame Agnes for society’s ills.
During Dr. Kirkland’s follow-up visit, he recalls trips to Peggy’s father’s pharmacist when he was younger and how they cracked his world open when he saw potions getting made. There is a spark between them, which Marian notices when she brings Peggy a copy of the Christian Recorder featuring Peggy’s novel extract. Peggy mentions she is behind on her work, and while she is improving, Dr. Kirkland advises that she take it easy. He is eager to read her words, which is the way to any writer’s heart.
Peggy is in demand! Her cousin Athena’s women’s group would like her to speak at an event in Newport about her experiences (including the Tuskegee piece she wrote last season). Athena has invited Peggy and her parents to stay, which is an exciting opportunity—plus, the sea air is restorative. Dorothy doesn’t even finish telling Agnes the news about Newport before Agnes says that Peggy can have as much time as needed. Dorothy mentions that this attitude is not what they usually receive on Fifth Avenue, and while Agnes has particular attitudes about wealth, she is more liberal in other areas. Only last week, Agnes mentioned her support of the suffrage movement.
It isn’t quite “I don’t see race,” but Agnes veers towards this sentiment when she says that all she believes in is good manners. Arthur notes that good manners are not the cure for two and a half centuries of slavery, and The Gilded Age takes place less than 20 years after the Civil War ended and the abolition of slavery. Arthur is also frustrated that it took the household too long to realize how sick Peggy was. Here, Agnes finds common ground in how parents worry about their children during illness. She recounts the time Oscar had typhoid when he was 10 and she thought he was going to die. The Scotts part with Agnes on good terms, and with a much-needed reminder that civil rights will not be brushed to one side.
Larry Teaches Jack
Jack continues to work on the clock presentation downstairs in the Forte home. Like everyone else on staff, he voices his concerns about signing the temperance pledge, other than Armstrong (Debra Monk), who signs immediately. Jack asks if it only means no drinking in the house or everywhere, and the answer is the latter. Mrs. Bauer (Kristine Nielsen) rightly points out that asking them to work hard and then dictating what they drink in their free time is unfair. At least they know Agnes will fight their corner.
Now that Larry wants Jack to attend the pitch meetings, Jack is nervous about dealing with businessmen. Larry stops by to check on Jack’s preparations and asks if he has a suit he can wear. When Jack says it no longer fits, Larry insists on taking him to his tailor as part of his investment. Later at the fitting, Larry gives Jack a few tips about how to dress as a gentleman. Larry says Jack needs to aim for “understated elegance.” Quiet luxury is far from a new trend.
Of course, Larry also stops by the Fortes to steal a moment alone with Marian. When they have a brief window of privacy, he passionately kisses her and says he loves her. Marian tells Ada about this declaration (her aunt is thrilled), but is still cautious about the whole thing thanks to her spotty track record. Ada also asks if Marian will sign the pledge, but Marian does not see anything wrong with wine at dinner or the staff having a beer on their time off.
Agnes jokes that Ada will ask the duke next, and Ada says maybe she will. “He’s English. His Loyalty is to the queen and to the bottle. Not necessarily in that order,” Agnes replies. It is another top-tier delivery from Baranski.
The Duke’s Arrival
At Aurora’s party, more cracks in Billy and Gladys’s union begin to show. Bertha tells Billy’s mother that if their engagement is to go ahead, George will ruin Billy’s career and they can cut Gladys off. The party is buzzing with talk of Gladys already being engaged to Hector, and Billy freezes when he goes to talk to George. Perhaps he doesn’t love Gladys enough to put everything on the line.
Theirs is not the only forbidden love story at this gathering, as Oscar reunites with former lover John Adams (Clayborne Elder). The latter wants to know why Oscar has not come to him for help after his financial collapse and inability to find new clients who will invest with him. John still believes in Oscar, offering to write a check to kickstart Oscar’s future because John would do anything for him.
Later on in the privacy of Bertha’s bedroom, sex is the last thing on her mind. Instead, she continues to push the importance of ensnaring the duke. Because the news of the engagement (that she definitely planted) is public, if the wedding doesn’t happen, Gladys will be branded a failure. George wants to know if he has a say in this, and Bertha draws a solid line between the house and his railroad empire. She will keep out of his business if he does the same. Bertha claims she has told him everything, but there is the small matter of what Bertha promised the duke in exchange for his coming to the opening night of the Met in the season 2 finale.
The following night, George learns his wife has been lying to him when Hector turns up with his lawyer at the Russell home so they can work out the details. Here, George thought they were simply having dinner together. Now, Bertha says, George knows everything.
George often has the look of a serious man, but the fury is written all over his face at his wife’s deception. Gladys can barely keep it together as Billy has just reneged on his proposal, choosing his prospects over fighting for her. Larry is on hand to give her a much-needed hug, but George’s promise that he will take care of the duke offers Gladys some hope. However, George’s word might not withstand his wife’s ambition. The Russells’ winning dynamic is experiencing unchartered waters.
