The Gilded Age Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Face The Music
Mary Littlejohn
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All's fair in love and the stock market.
For all the shallow frivolity up until this point, things took a heavy turn on The Gilded Age Season 1 Episode 3.
The show continues to weave narratives like a tapestry, with many players following their own paths and others with parts yet undetermined.
One thing is for certain -- Mr. George Russell is no longer merely "someone to watch," he is a ruthless titan with enough money to command the stock markets.
This will undoubtedly be the last time anyone dares cross him. His reasons for causing such disruption may seem petty, but now they have proven to have life-and-death consequences.
Were his actions justified? Could he have predicted such an outcome? He must have suspected it as a possibility, and still, he pressed on.
The difference here is that the "old money" folks haven't had to work to achieve their status, but the Russells have. As Mrs. Russell said, they know how to make a fortune. Mr. Morris and the others clearly do not. They have never had to build themselves up.
That confidence in his abilities, and his wife's unwavering support, is what sets Mr. Russell apart.
You've made it once. You can make it again if you have to.
Mrs. Bertha Russell
Mr. Russell must realize that the need to draw out the suffering played a part in Mr. Morris taking his own life.
Mrs. Morris will no doubt blame the Russells. How the Russells navigate this shocking turn of events will dictate how they are perceived from here on out.
Will they feel remorse or pretend they do? Will society support Mrs. Morris after her husband's suicide, or will she be disgraced?
Mrs. Fane and Mrs. Morris have been quick to blame each other for their shoddy treatment of Mrs. Russell, but no one amongst the New York elite (except Marian and Oscar) is innocent of that.
You are too reasonable to live.
Mrs. Aurora Fane
The scene between Mrs. Morris (Katie Finneran) and Mrs. Russell (Carrie Coon) was just formidable and a testament to how much can be conveyed with subtext by two such accomplished actors.
There was so much nuance and tension. Neither lady seemed to want to give an inch, but the push-and-pull was palpable.
The pitiless Mrs. Russell won out, showed her teeth, and ripped Mrs. Morris to shreds with a few choice words.
Life is like a bank account. You cannot write a cheque without first making a deposit.
Mrs. Bertha Russell
Oscar Van Rhijn will have to watch himself around Mrs. Russell.
Bertha's got his number. His predatory nature around Gladys might seem harmless to anyone else, but Mrs. Russell is overprotective, and her intuition is on the money with him. Her care for Gladys suggests something deeper that has not yet been unearthed.
Oscar's attitude towards Gladys is very off-putting -- her innocence makes her perfect prey, in that he believes she will be guileless enough to never guess his true nature.
It's a problem with the larger society as a whole, to be sure, that gay men can't be out without being considered criminals, so his options are severely limited.
He does not see her as a person, though, merely a means to an end, a perfect mask for his secret life.
So many of these characters -- including Gladys -- are trapped and beholden to their place in society and their need to maintain family fortunes. It's clear the very title The Gilded Age is meant to evoke the phrase "a gilded cage," and it's especially true of Oscar and Gladys.
If everyone who claimed to be on the Mayflower really was it would have to be the size of a White Star liner.
Miss Grant
Peggy Scott was forced to take a stand that was not unexpected but still disheartening.
Mr. Carlton: There are at least two white men sitting in a bar around the corner drinking away their sorrows because I turned them down. They’d kill to be in your position.
Miss Peggy Scott: But they’d never be in my position.
It was a powerful image to see her sitting among all those white men, holding her own space because she knew she deserved to be there. Peggy is a strong, confident young woman who believes in herself, despite her father's treatment of her.
Mr. Scott seems to love his daughter, but he doesn't respect her.
She was civil with him, but clearly, his words hurt. It's hard to know exactly what is going on between them without more context of why either of them may need to apologize.
Though it is certainly "historical fiction," it's always fun when something from actual history pops up and what the writers choose to include -- Mrs. Astor, for instance, and Clara Barton, co-founder of the American Red Cross.
Barton's humanitarian work was vast in scope, and frankly, her story could fill an entire series on its own. It will be interesting to see if The Gilded Age continues to include her or if she will be relegated to the background as quickly as she was introduced.
It was quite the sight to see Liberty's Hand in Madison Square Park -- a hint of the iconic statue yet to come, already majestic and breath-taking.
Little touches like this serve as a reminder of the hope and ambition that imbued this particular post-war era.
Of course, Mr. Raikes proposed to Marian! The man doesn't waste any time.
Poor Marian seems so at odds with her feelings and the expectations put upon her by her aunts (especially Agnes). She doesn't tell him yes or no, but how will she decide?
She won't want to tell Agnes, so it's more likely she'll discuss it with Ada, and it will get back to Agnes that way.
Agnes is so hell-bent on protecting those she loves (Ada, Agnes, Oscar) that she cannot seem to accept that she might be wrong about anything.
Agnes Van Rhijn: When you say those words, you stab me in the side.
Oscar Van Rhijn: Then it's lucky you have the skin of a rhinoceros.
Agnes intuits that Mr. Raikes is an "adventurer" with whom Marian should not engage. She also despises the notion of Oscar getting chummy with Russells, seeing as how he has his eyes set on Gladys.
Her most telling moment came when she called out Mr. Eckhard for being a gold-digger in his youth when he was courting Ada.
Despite being a grown woman, Ada is naive enough that Agnes feels she has to shield her sister from those who would hurt her. If Ada suspects that Agnes was behind Mr. Eckhard's abrupt departure, she may be angry with her sister.
How much has Agnes interfered in Ada's life? Is she doing it merely out of care and duty for her maybe-slightly-simple-minded sister, or is her overly controlling nature warped and misguided?
Either way, Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski play this odd dynamic well, navigating the multi-layered nuance of their relationship that builds upon the love between them but hints at an unpleasant indenture.
It would be beautiful if Ada could find a loving husband at this point in her life, but is Mr. Eckhard just after a meal ticket, or is there genuine fondness there?
So, Mrs. Chamberlain is a pariah because she slept with her husband before they were married.
This is her unforgivable sin? We sometimes forget how ludicrously puritan this society could be. Though, it must be said, these antiquated ideals sadly persist in many parts of the country to this day.
Again comes the reminder of the "gilded cage" -- these people are beholden to a ridiculous set of morals and arbitrary rules to maintain their social status.
The revelation that this was the scandal surprised Marian, suggesting that she will most likely (either defiantly or secretly) pursue a friendship with Mrs. Chamberlain.
Jack put the moves on Bridget, but she was having none of it.
Jack comes across as a likable and charming lad, skirting the line between flirty and pushy. However, Bridget is very clear about her boundaries.
Here's hoping that the adults in her life don't encourage them to pursue something Bridget is uncomfortable with and that she can lean on them for support if necessary.
This storyline could go any number of ways, but let us hope it endorses consent and respect.
Miss Turner continues to make bold moves and statements.
Life can be cruel, Mrs. Bruce, but I mean to get the better of it.
Miss Turner
Church overhears her conversation with Mr. Russell, and we know how servants love to gossip.
Mrs. Bruce was nothing but pleasant with Turner, whose response definitely was more biting than necessary.
If both Mrs. Bruce and Church have misgivings about Turner, word will undoubtedly get around -- maybe even back to Mr. or Mrs. Russell themselves.
This show continues to dazzle with its attention to detail and composition. Every picture created evokes something deliberate.
Without words, the cut from the servants having lunch to the society ladies having luncheon, with exactly the same composition of setting, masterfully made its point -- the differences between these characters are purely superficial.
Even the final shot, with the blood-spatter-like paint on the photograph of the Morris children, was a work of art.
Costumer Kasia Walicka-Maimone continues to outdo herself here, particularly with Mrs. Russell's sumptuous raspberry scale-patterned gown with the sheer black trim -- divine!
The stakes have risen significantly, and the ripple effect of Mr. Morris's death will make its way through all of New York society.
Will anyone take ownership of their complicity? Or will it be, as it so often seems to be, a blame game?
Who are you rooting for? Do you feel pity for Mrs. Morris? Are the Russells petty villains or ambitious masterminds?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
Mary Littlejohn Mary Littlejohn was a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic.
