This post contains spoilers from The Gilded Age season 3 episode 1 from this point forward.
After a year and a half, we're finally back in the past with The Gilded Age season 3 on HBO, and the new season kicked off with a real bang. Power moves and secret romances were the name of the game in the season 3 premiere, as so many of our favorite characters vied for control over not only their social standing but their lives. But a certain someone was simply powerless.
When her husband Charles returns home, Aurora Fane is blindsided by his sudden request for a divorce. He's met and fallen in love with another woman, who he wants to marry. But according to law, Charles can't petition for the divorce. Since he cheated on Aurora, she has to be the one to file the papers. However, she refuses the divorce fearing how it will impact her life moving forward.
But as Aurora sees her life blown up in front of her face out of nowhere, The Gilded Age season 3 delivers quite a few more shocks in its opener, including Peggy falling sick with something far more serious than the common cold. The doctor refuses to care for her because she's Black, leaving the Brooks household appalled at his blatant racism. They rush to inform Peggy's parents of her health.
Gladys makes a shocking decision
While divorce upends Aurora's life and medical racism leaves Peggy without immediate care, across the street from the Brooks household, the Russells are keeping a precarious balance with secrets while George is away. Gladys follows (most of) her mother's instruction, like sitting to have her portrait painted. But Gladys doesn't want to marry the Duke like Bertha wants. She's fallen for Billy.
Gladys hopes that her father will be on her side once he returns, though Billy grows more worried about their situation. It's not helping that Bertha has been leaking their own tea to the press. Larry, who has been helping Gladys the whole time, tries to appeal to their mother to allow his sister to be happy. But Bertha wants her to marry the Duke. Fed up, Gladys packs a bag and leaves in the night.
The episode ends with Gladys running away from home, but it's unclear where she's planning on going and what she will do next. Could she be running to Billy? Will she attempt to secretly elope with him to avoid a big fuss with Bertha over the Duke? Maybe she'll seek refuge with Marian, who she's rooting for to end up with her brother. It's all a big question mark with the Russell state of affairs.
Ada vs. Agnes unfolds as Marian courts Larry
Speaking of question marks, Agnes' refusal to accept Ada as the lady of their household causes their staff members a great deal of confusion. They each give their staff conflicting orders, leaving them unsure of what to do. But at the end of the day, they have to listen to Ada, who throws a gathering in favor of banning alcohol, which is successful (though troubling to Agnes and Marian).
Following their kiss at the end of season 2, Marian and Larry are head over heels in love and all but ready to get engaged. However, after her first failed engagement and only recently breaking things off with Dashiell, Marian doesn't want to rush into another public relationship. They keep their romance under wraps for now. Bertha will totally flip when she hears this one!
With all this talk about marriage in the first episode season 3, someone's bound to get married soon, but who could it be? Again, Gladys could be toying with the idea of marrying Billy, but will she end up forgoing happiness and marry the Duke at her mother's insistence? Personally, Marian and Larry seem more likely to get married. After all, that could be the perfect distraction for their families.
The gilded odds and ends:
- George hits the road out West to Morenci, Arizona in order to hopefully buy more land to expand the transcontinental railroad. There's some pushback from his potential business and minters partners in claiming this new land, but George must rush back to New York.
- Jack works with Larry in order to sell his alarm clock invention to potential buyers, but he doesn't attend the pitch meetings. Larry struggles to understand, and therefore explain, the specifics of Jack's invention.
- It's not Jack's only headache. After Larry insists that his staff serve Jack, there's a mild scandal among the service staff. Adelheid accuses Jack of basically being too big for his britches. It's very much "you've changed" and vey unfair.
- Oscar's still full of self-pity after losing his family's fortune last season and in turn losing his standing. Ada and Marian try to support him, but he's shutting himself away in his room. Everyone wants him to find a job, but he's not there yet. Oscar needs a win!
Watch The Gilded Age season 3 on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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