As drama fans, it’s honestly kind of wild that we are just now talking about The Gilded Age for the first time. And yet, here we are. Season 3 is currently airing, and now that we’ve reached the midpoint (and an episode with some MAJOR plot developments, which yes, we will be discussing; spoilers ahead) it’s time for GBH Drama to talk over everything that’s happened so far this season: the good, the bad, and the dramatic.
Jackie: To kick things off: can we talk about this new Ada vs Agnes dynamic? It honestly feels like less of a contest than it should; technically, there’s a clear winner in Ada, but she’s been such a pushover for so long it’s hard to re-conceive of her as the one in charge. Now I sound like Agnes, lol.
Amanda-Rae: Hahaha, you kinda do sound like Agnes! Although Ada’s crusade is annoying, it’s a good thing for the audience to see that the Temperance movement in the pre-Prohibition context of other social reform movements: settlement houses, suffrage, etc. They missed the fact that complete poverty or self-medication for mental illness were the main root causes for these issues, not individual religion/ethics. In addition, Temperance activists were angry at many recent immigrants for bringing either pub culture and/or Catholic and Jewish religious rituals with wine into mainstream American culture. You can see these threads between the lines at the meetings.
J: I actually kind of hope they go a little deeper into the Temperance movement as the season goes on. I think because of the way we talk about the impacts of Prohibition (with the benefit of hindsight) it’s easy to forget that alcohol was — and is — a huge driver of violence against women, and in an era where it’s next to impossible to get away from a bad marriage, or control your shared finances, that quickly becomes much more serious than “people should be allowed to have wine at dinner.” Between that and the xenophobia you mentioned, there’s a lot of rich plot to explore!
Speaking of plots to explore more: I want Peggy to be happy so much, and a cute doctor might be a real win. But his mom’s colorist attitude is concerning.
A: Phylicia Rashad is a Black Hollywood Legend and she usually plays heroines, so it’s been wild for me to dislike Elizabeth so much. I knew immediately Elizabeth was not going to like Peggy for her son. I do hope the good doctor will eventually tell his mother to back off. Peggy and William are so cute together, and the cliff walk was so romantic!
J: SO romantic! And Peggy deserves a nice romance! Speaking of Dr. Kirkland’s parents/acting legends, I’m constantly delighted by the Broadway talent on this show, but it was particularly fun to see Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald on screen together because I’ve had Ragtime on the brain since the Stanford White cameo back in season one. They are both SO good in that show, and obviously there’s a lot of thematic overlap. Anyway, as ever, I am delighted at how much The Gilded Age casting department loves to bring in heavy-hitter theater people!
A: The Gilded Age casting department has worked on several Broadway shows so they pride themselves on giving Broadway actors the chance to do something great in between shows. In addition it’s been noted in earlier season cast/crew interviews that The Gilded Age bailed out many actors who were out of work when Broadway was closed due to COVID restrictions.
J: Yet another reason to stan the casting team. Such a great choice. Kind of a pivot here, but before we get into the details of episode four, we should check in on some of the other major storylines this season. How do we feel about George’s business ventures this time around?
A: George’s vision of getting into freight railroads is forward-thinking in terms of what we know about technology today, but we also know these mines are on land that was likely stolen from various Native American tribes and groups. Also we know this also comes at the cost of exploitation. This part of his character is easy to dislike. However we also know that he has to pay for Glady’s wedding so he has to succeed. The bad parts of his character are definitely balanced out a bit by the fact he does care about Bertha and the kids so much.
J: Look, I think we have to admit that George (and all the real-life guys that he represents) is a bad dude overall. These industrialists did make major improvements to American infrastructure, but at the cost of the health, happiness, and safety of their workers. His money is earned on the backs of a lot of people who never got to benefit in a real way from their labor. All that being said: George is probably my favorite character on the show. He’s much more compelling to me than a lot of his contemporaries because he’s got a code and he sticks to it. And I love a male character who clearly respects and values the women in his life. I fear that he might have bitten off more than he can chew with this latest project… but such is the price of boundless ambition.
A: George is definitely on thin ice, these mine owners and his competitors can easily switch up their tactics and leave him broke.
J: Speaking of switching up tactics: we have to talk about Aurora’s husband. I thought he was cool! What a horrible reversal! It sucks that she’s being punished for his bad behavior, and I think this is another good reminder that there’s a reason so many of the older women in the show are SO particular about marriages. The idea that you can be doing great for that many years and then lose everything because your husband decides he’s bored, or that you might end up married to a monster like Agnes, or in a permanent separation situation like Mrs. Astor, would make me VERY concerned about the decision-making of any younger female relative.
A: That “come outside we’re not going to jump you” meme immediately comes to mind for Charles Fane. Half the fandom wants him killed off, and I don’t blame them. He’s being horrifically selfish, and unlike today, Aurora has no power to fight him in court. I agree with you that Bertha’s opinions about Gladys’ suitors makes so much more sense in this context.
J: And on that note: re: Bertha’s pushiness about the Duke, I don’t like it, but I get it! My very unkind opinion is that Gladys is not a very interesting person, unlike both of her parents, and so I don’t find it that surprising that her VERY intense mother is like… not that interested in what Gladys wants. Gladys very rarely has strong opinions about anything.
A: I like Gladys but she’s clearly adapted to Bertha’s extremely strong personality via being reserved. I loved her tender moments earlier this season with Larry though, they have such a strong sibling bond. Were you surprised that Gladys went through with marrying the Duke?
J: Mostly no, although Gladys DID look like she might do a runaway bride for a hot minute there. I just honestly can’t imagine her being bold enough to go against her mom, especially after George was like “you don’t technically have to get married, but let’s be real, it’ll really suck for everyone if you back out.” Also, her new husband is hard to pin down: I think if he seemed really evil and scary I’d have been more inclined to think Gladys would find a way out of the marriage, or George would have tried harder to stop it. I don’t think for a second that that would change anything for Bertha, to be clear. Once she gets a plan in her head there’s no turning back.
A: I guessed as soon as Season 2 ended that Bertha was going to make the match no matter what. I agree, if George got bad vibes from the Duke, he would have paid him off to go away. Bertha had too much time when he went to Arizona to scheme and make legal promises. Gladys, before the marriage, also didn’t seem headstrong enough to fight after her running away attempt failed. She was, of course, sad that she was leaving everything she knew behind, but we’ll have to see how the Duke treats her. What do you think is behind the Duke’s Stiff Upper Lip?
J: GOOD question. I honestly wonder how much of his behavior is that he’s not that into marrying Gladys either but really really needs her money? Unfortunately for Ben Lamb, who has been in a lot of things that I like (Endeavour! Victoria!), he is most recognizable from his turn as the Christmas Prince, which is not a film anyone’s going to be defending as high art any time soon. I want him to bring a little bit more to this role, because so far it’s really hard to figure out exactly what kind of guy he is. While I dislike that the Duke is so uncool about George wanting to give Gladys some of her own money, he’s not obviously, mustache-twirlingly evil either? He’s kind of a non-entity. His sister, on the other hand, I am more worried about. She was fairly unpleasant and, dare I say it, a little overly invested in keeping her brother all to herself?
A: I definitely spotted Ben Lamb from his past roles in Victoria and Endeavour as well! I believe he’s not actively evil but at the same time not presenting himself as a very warm and friendly person. I sensed when I first watched this episode that the Duke’s sister is probably not happy that Gladys can now tell her what to do. I got the vibe she’s either single or a widow. We’ve seen this family structure in MASTERPIECE dramas before, such as Poldark, where Elizabeth displaced Verity as the lady of Trenwith House. I’m sure future episodes will follow what happens next.
J: Very good point. I really hope we get more info on whatever’s happening with them, especially since they’re SO far away from the rest of the action.
A: Is Bertha a villain, technically?
J: Probably, but I kind of don’t care? I love her. We so rarely get to see ambitious nightmare women on screen, and her commitment to being extremely ruthless is a nice balance to the younger female characters in this show in particular. Also, you get what you expect with Bertha. I wouldn’t want to be her daughter, or her rival, but at least you know exactly what she’s going to do at any given moment, which makes her a lot easier to coexist with (if you’re willing to play the game too, which is why Gladys’ situation is kind of a bummer; she doesn’t even know she’s playing a game).
A: I love that Bertha is truly a complex female character. Fans want that as a concept but then they don’t like it when they actually see women living in grey areas. It’s too easy to call Bertha a villain by modern standards. I genuinely believe she thinks this marriage was the best decision for Gladys because her future would be secure, and she would influence society, not just be a housewife. She didn’t trust Gladys’ other suitors and it’s understandable because Gladys would be a prime target for fortune hunters.
J: Facts. While we’re talking about the Russells, let’s chat about the guys. Much the same way that I love Bertha even though she’s a little vilainous, I also love George. I think he did the best he could to help Gladys out in this episode, and I don’t want to take away what little agency she has by arguing that she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
A: In terms of George with his family, he’s far more likable. Bertha made it hard to keep his promise to Gladys. He’s invested in Gladys and Larry’s lives in a way that’s rare for someone of his class.
J: Larry inviting his aunt to the wedding is one of the more interesting things he’s done; love that chaos energy, hope he keeps it up. It was fun to see him channel his parents a bit during the clock negotiation too. Speaking of the clock stuff, what a fun interlude? Since the show talks such a big game about the accessibility of the American dream, it’s nice to see that actually reflected with Jack. Also I just actually looked up that deal on an inflation calculator and holy smokes; man just walked away with a cool $9.5 MILLION. That is an unhinged amount of money!
A: I love Larry so much this season. Inviting the aunt they don’t talk about because it would reveal Bertha isn’t a WASP was a lovely bit of chaos. Larry helping Jack is a fun interlude between all of the serious plot lines as well.
J: Speaking of serious plot lines… Peggy is such a cool character; she’s for sure the most interesting person on the show in my opinion. I very much dislike how much awful stuff keeps happening to her! I just want her to be happy and get some peace! She deserves both professional success AND personal happiness.
A: Agreed, Peggy has been my fave character since the beginning. You can see just how much care the creative team has taken to make sure we see Black lives after the Reconstruction Era. I’ve interviewed the cast and crew about next week’s episode in particular so I’m excited for everyone to see what’s next for her!
J: It’s a real breath of fresh air that the show has made an opportunity to talk about race (especially in terms of what would be realistic in this era) and really embraced that; I feel like that’s a nice evolution from Downton Abbey, which had a few storylines covering class and gender, but to my memory didn’t touch on race at all.
A: It’s funny you mention that because Julian Fellowes in his own way took those critiques about Downton Abbey and conducted his own research into this era. The very first version of The Gilded Age plot line that was publicly released nearly a decade ago had Peggy as a servant, and we’ve obviously moved far away from that thanks to the historical consultant Dr. Erica Dunbar.
J: While we’re talking about Downton… The Duke bagging a rich heiress to save his probably bankrupt estate sure did feel familiar. Hopefully, for Gladys’ sake, the two of them come to have a nice relationship like the Crawleys! Beyond that, what are you looking forward to for the rest of the season? I personally can’t wait for Agnes to find out about the clock money. She’s gonna lose it. I’m also excited, as ever, for more costumes and sets; half of watching this show is me pausing to admire one of the dresses. Speaking of which: you mentioned to me that you were working on a cosplay for this… can you tell us a little bit about the project?
A: I’m sure Agnes is going to crash out about the clock money! Yes, the cosplay is technically finished but it’s a spoiler for a future episode so I haven’t posted too much about it.
J: Can’t wait to see it! I think stuff is gonna get messy between Bertha and Mrs. Astor, just based on that interaction at the wedding. I think Bertha’s sister is going to stick around and cause trouble. Not so much for Bertha, honestly, although I do think that’s a fun tension to explore — I think Mrs. Winterton/Turner is going to have a really hard time resisting the urge to poke around there, which might bite her in the ass.
A: Those are good predictions. I’m also going to predict that we’ll see another scene like the cliff walk from Peggy and William, and get an update about Gladys and the Duke. I’m also really hoping we see more of Pumpkin. I miss seeing him snuggled up with Ada. Did he refuse the temperance pledge? ;)
J: An incredible question, and one I really hope we get an answer to soon. Obviously there’s still the rest of the season ahead of us, and if folks are looking for even more Gilded Age goodness, make sure to check out our American Experience documentary on the real story of this era. The full documentary is free on YouTube right now and also streaming on GBH Passport.
