This post contains spoilers from The Gilded Age season 3 episode 6 from this point forward.
Never underestimate how quickly things can change in a week, especially on the small screen. It was just one week ago that I was celebrating the engagement of Marian and Larry, but The Gilded Age season 3 episode 6 brought that excitement crumbling down before our feet with one particular discovery. Their happily ever after might no longer be in the cards after this week's developments.
Let's start there before we get into the most shocking aspect of the episode, which arrived at the end and unexpectedly killed a supporting character. Anyway, Marian learned the truth about Larry's whereabouts on the night of their engagement. She believed he was at a business dinner, as he had told her, but when she finds out he was at the haymarket, she assumes the worst from him.
What else can she believe when he lied to her? She knows what goes on at those "houses of ill repute" and writes him a letter that he will receive when he returns home from Arizona. Well, that's possibly another broken engagement, but can Larry talk his way out of this one? Time will tell, just as time will tell what's in store for Oscar after his life just seemed to be back on track.
Oscar witnesses the death of John Adams
The closing moments of the episode find Oscar and John Adams sharing a secretly romantic moment. Oscar was clearly overcome with his love for his lover, especially after he helped Oscar get back on his feet. Unfortunately, their moment is tragically short-lived as John steps into the street and gets run over by a carriage. Yes, it's confirmed that he has died.
While I'm not thrilled with the "bury your gays" trope, the heartbreaking accident is just one in a series of character deaths in The Gilded Age. And according to the showrunners, John's death will help push Oscar's story forward in a way that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. More than anything, it's sad that Oscar can't seem to catch a break no matter what he does.
The episode also found Oscar getting closure with Maud Beaton. He confronts her and learns the truth about what happened when she stole Agnes' fortune. The gist? She doesn't have the fortune. She was swindled, too. When Oscar learns that she has a sister in Ohio, he buys her a train ticket and gives her $100 to get away from the haymarket. No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.
Bertha teaches Gladys to stand up to Lady Sarah
Across the pond, Bertha made her landing in London and at Gladys' new home. Last week, she promised to rush over to her daughter's side after she and George received a letter notifying them of her misery. Oddly, Gladys being unhappy with her new life really didn't have much to do with Hector, but with homesickness and Hector's domineering sister, Lady Sarah.
Bertha doesn't give Gladys an out. I was almost expecting her to offer Gladys a chance to leave her new life behind and go home. Instead, she teaches her daughter what she knows best: Running a household. Her first lesson was to not allow Lady Sarah to step all over her and keep ordering how things work in their home. Sarah needed to know that Gladys is in charge now.
Gladys picks up on Bertha's lessons and advice rather quickly, putting Lady Sarah in her place multiple times. It's heartwarming to watch Gladys come into her own as a woman, even though we know she wouldn't have chosen this life. She's becoming who she is. Still, it's bittersweet to watch Bertha and Gladys part once again, especially when Bertha fights back tears.
The gilded odds and ends:
- Jack gets driven out of his job when Agnes finally learns the exact financial windfall he received for his invention. Armstrong in particular wasn't comfortable with him still working downstairs when he's rich. But he just wanted a home. On his way out, he leaves an envelope with money for every single person in the household. What's next for Jack now?!
- Ada sadly discovered that her pyschic was taking advantage of her grief and didn't actually know anything about Luke from beyond the gave. It's heartbreaking to watch Ada realize she'd been taken for a ride, but Agnes provides the unexpected support she needs.
- Peggy's complicated past with Fortune isn't really of concern to Dr. Kirkland, who seems like the perfect man for her. But his mother's still giving her the runaround about her desire to pursue the vote and a career. She's perfectly content to let that be the next generation's problem. Peggy's mother supports her love for Kirkland, while warning her about what their marriage would mean.
- George and Larry were both off traveling this week for the business, but things don't seem to be going particularly well for Russell Industries.
- Mrs. Bruce informs Borden that the Russell gossip hitting the papers could only come from an inside source, leading her to believe it could be Bertha's maid Miss Andre.