What do you do when you’re past the point of no return?
Well, you marry a duke you barely know in front of the prying eyes of New York’s high society with the saddest look on your face, hoping that you’ll be able to find a shred of happiness living a life you never wanted.
The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4 was the wedding hour, and what a sad, sad wedding it turned out to be.
It was always leading to Gladys having to marry Hector, from the minute Bertha hatched her plan. Nothing else really mattered to her but cementing both her and her daughter’s place in society, not just for that moment, but in the history books.
Time moves very fast on The Gilded Age, so while Gladys just got engaged during The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 3, we were in the throes of the last-minute wedding adjustments when the hour began.
And it was complete with Gladys refusing to leave her bedroom.
Your heart has to break for Gladys, pretty much since the beginning. She’s had more pressure placed on her than anyone, and she’s managed to get through it, but that kind of anxiety and constant stress takes a toll.
In the days leading up to the wedding, who could blame her for just wanting to shut the world out? It may be the last time she was afforded that kind of solitary peace before she was shipped across the pond and into her new life.
While she was hiding away, everything else was being done by Bertha, who was juggling a lot of things like usual, but perhaps the most stressful of all was the arrival of her sister, Monica.
Bertha’s past has always been a bit of a mystery, though we know she didn’t come from any long line of nobility or power. Monica’s arrival was like a stark reminder of that and the past she’s been running from since she arrived in her gaudy mega mansion.
Monica’s just like Bertha in a lot of ways, but in a different font. They both seem very strong-willed and outspoken, but Monica’s outspokenness often came at Bertha’s expense.
And Bertha simply did not have time for it.
Monica is clearly a simple woman, and you could see the cogs in Bertha’s head turning every time she was around her sister. It was like she was just waiting for the perfect moment to shove her in a closet or something.
Monica often felt like she represented the audience, articulating thoughts we often have about certain situations and stating the obvious, like the fact that Bertha changes outfits multiple times a day is insane. I don’t care what period we’re talking about.
It was interesting because Monica was far enough removed from the family to not have a strong opinion about things, as she didn’t really know Gladys well. However, she could see what everyone else around her could, but was too afraid to vocalize.
The dinner with Hector and Sarah was a perfect example of her stating the obvious, like with Hector, a married man, should his sister still be living with them? In those times, surely the home should be occupied by just a husband and wife and their immediate family.
Sarah seemed a bit odd to me, and I think her introduction here was designed to set up a new power struggle once Gladys arrives in England to start her new life.
I’m imagining that Sarah will still essentially try to be the lady of the house, but what will Gladys have to say about that?
I wouldn’t say Gladys is some shrill, meek person, but so much of her life has been dictated to her. And she now has the chance to take something back for herself if she can see that the opportunity is there for her.
She’s in a crappy situation, but if she channels her inner Bertha, there’s room for her to at least start crafting SOMETHING for himself.
The wedding was uneventful, mostly serving to show us everyone gossiping like usual, and Mrs. Astor feeling the effects of the gossip news cycle when it was suddenly her family making headlines.
I realize that the pettiness of the socialites is a major part of the series, but it’s far from the most interesting.
The good stuff lies with the Russells’ struggles and triumphs. Agnes and Ada’s new power imbalance. Marian and Larry’s love affair. The Scott’s in Newport.
Two men challenging each other to a duel, and it making an exceptionally wealthy and judgmental woman upset, just isn’t all that intriguing.
Speaking of the Russells’ struggles, has George finally found himself over his head?
We’ve seen George in trouble before, and he’s found a way to come out on top, but it would be sadly poetic if this were the time where things truly start to crumble for him, just as both his children are embarking on their own ventures.
I would never bet against George or Bertha, but from the little nuggets they’ve dropped in about George’s business dealings this season, this may blow up in his face somehow.
From one business to another, Jack and Larry sold the clock patent, and when I say I was smiling so big for Jack at that moment.
Aside from Mrs. Armstrong, the servants at the van Rhijn’s have always been so supportive of Jack and just kind in general. If there’s anyone who deserves something good for themselves, it’s someone like Jack.
He’s always done what was expected of him, and look, he made something innovative, and he deserves to be compensated for that. But as soon as I heard the amount of money he received, I knew there was no way he was going to ride off into the sunset with the money.
For starters, Jack’s life is confined to that house and those people in the servant’s quarters who have become family to him. How do you give that up?
It’s not in Jack’s personality to be greedy, and as excited as he was about what happened, I imagine he was also so overwhelmed with what that now meant for him.
Going to Mrs. Bauer was the right call, if for no other reason than it would have eaten him alive to sit on that information any longer. But she was right to tell him to keep it a secret because once it’s common knowledge, it’s not something that can be taken back.
Elsewhere, Newport saw the Kirkland’s and Scott’s once again linking up solely because Dr. Kirkland is OBSESSED with Peggy—a sentiment I fully endorse and understand.
Mrs. Kirkland is a proud woman, and you can tell she’s incredibly stubborn, too. The only reason she’s even entertaining Peggy is because her son is so enamored with her, but how long until she steps in?
She’s not very subtle in the way she talks to Peggy or about her family, and quite frankly, Dorothy would have been within her rights to lay into her after she disparaged Arthur like that when it was completely unnecessary.
There is snobby, and then there is putting down a man because he wasn’t raised in the same way you were.
It’s clear that Kirkland’s and Scott’s are fundamentally different in many ways, and we often see the influence of families on their children’s futures in this series all the time.
Dr. Kirkland was given a choice when his mother asked him to leave with her, and as a grown man, he could have stayed and continued to talk with Peggy, which you know was what he wanted to do.
But he left with his mother, and I fear that unless he grows a backbone, this may not be the right relationship for my darling Peggy.
Posh Extras
- Aurora going to see Peggy’s speech was actually really sweet, but poor Aurora. Is she going to wither away at the beach now? I feel for her.
- Does anyone else miss Oscar? I miss him scheming and all his one-liners. He’s really being hidden this season.
- Poor Ada. She’s so lonely, and I’m not sure anyone sees it. Or if they do, they don’t know what to do about it. Is she being taken advantage of? All signs point to yes, but I can understand why she’s looking for a modicum of comfort right now.
- Everything about the final scene with Gladys and Hector made my blood boil.
We’re at the halfway point, folks!
Gladys is off to England, George has big railroad problems, Bertha is probably stressed because she doesn’t have a current scheme, and Jack is RICHIE RICH levels of wealthy.
There’s a lot to discuss, so hit the comments with all your thoughts!
The Gilded Age airs on HBO at 9/8c p.m. on Sundays.
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