spoilers for Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 5
Trouble is brewing in the Russell household. An unknown culprit is leaking secrets, and business deals are going south as quickly as Mr. Russell is bleeding money.
It looks like Bertha is getting her just rewards at the end of Episode 5. Gladys, now at Sidmouth Castle, has not received the fairy-tale ending the New York gossip columns promised. In fact, aside from the warm welcome from the estate’s tenants and farmers, the castle is stiff and unfriendly—much like Lady Sarah.
Lady Sarah has yet to mention the grouse in Scotland, but she has managed to insult Gladys’s gorgeous star headpiece. Not everyone wants to wear a tiara, Lady Sarah. We Yankees like our stars! There was a moment when Gladys almost stood her ground. The Russell blood and refusal to back down finally bubbling to the surface. But she hasn’t quite found her footing or strength yet and lost this round. I anticipate that she and Lady Sarah will eventually have it out, and Gladys will prove she isn’t one to be pushed around. Americans don’t like bullies, after all, and we all know how the last two America vs. Britain confrontations turned out.
After Gladys writes home about her misery and the unjust firing of her lady’s maid, George expresses his displeasure with the entire situation. He informs Bertha—who declares she’ll go to England and insists she can fix it—that she shouldn’t expect him to be there when she returns. Her devastation and panic are palpable... and frankly, deserved.
And speaking of marital trouble, it seems Mrs. Fane and Mrs. Astor’s daughter aren’t the only ones facing it. I doubt the Russells will end in gasp divorce, but Bertha might be spending a bit more time in Newport while things cool down.
Marital bliss, however, is only a few weeks away for Larry and Marian. After a sweet proposal under a golden-green canopy, Larry makes his intentions known. And after two failed proposals, a teary-eyed Marian finally accepts. Her aunts react as expected—Ada, ecstatic; Agnes, mildly interested but composed. George Russell was adorable as he toasted the new union of his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. We even glimpsed a rare, tender beat of emotion when Larry told him he intended to propose. Bertha is not nearly as pleased—she still believes Marian is too lowly for her son. But she may no longer have any say in the arrangement.
