The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 3 Recap and Reactions
Welcome to The Pretty Passionate Podcast. I'm your host, Doctor. Ruth Celestin, and we're going to be discussing today The Gilded Age. If you haven't seen seasons one and two, please understand this is the only spoiler alert you're getting because we're covering episodes one through three of the Gilded Age season three. And if you're interested, then we're definitely gonna be spoiling things for you.
Dr. Ruth:I'm not recapping the first two seasons, but things will come up that happened in those seasons. Okay. Fair warning. Alright. So episode three.
Dr. Ruth:I have to say, I was a little bummed that they did not pick up right in the Russell's dining room because I was really wanting to be a fly on the wall in that awkward dinner and hear what was said and hear what Gladys is saying and hear, you know, see the tension and that strong crease on George Russell's forehead. But we're not treated to such drama. They go right with Larry and Marion, and the dinner's already happened. They open with Larry, Marion, and Gladys, all in a parlor, kind of discussing the aftermath of the dinner. Meanwhile, George Russell is in another room with the duke and his lawyer, and they're negotiating the whole marriage contract thing.
Dr. Ruth:Right? What's crazy is how normal this was at the time. But basically, it's not going well. George is still trying to figure out, what did you promise him, Bertha? What did you promise him?
Dr. Ruth:And she really is not being straightforward with an amount. She's just like, this is gonna happen, this has gotta happen. You can't tell me what to do. I don't tell you what to do in the boardroom. You need to listen to what I'm saying is gonna happen with this family.
Dr. Ruth:And I feel like with that, she kinda calls his bluff on that. Of like, you don't let me make decisions in your business, so don't try to make decisions in my business. Her single mindedness about moving forward with their marriage plans is completely unchanged. And she's planning to reveal their engagement at the same time that she reveals a portrait, which she commissioned for Gladys. So Larry and Marion are now alone in the parlor and steal a moment together, which I'm just like, Marion, Marion, how many times are you going to tell this man that you are trying to be careful with your reputation?
Dr. Ruth:Rich boys, am I right? So he doesn't care. He steals a moment to kiss her again by closing the door and then boom. Missus Russell's maid walks in and catches them. Naturally, Marion is freaked out about this because the staff talk.
Dr. Ruth:Okay? They don't just keep stuff to themselves, they talk. Not only do they talk amongst themselves, but later on in the episode, we're gonna see the maid tell Bertha all about this encounter. So Marion is freaked out. She confides in Aunt Ada about it.
Dr. Ruth:And Aunt Ada, I mean, we just love her. She's such a nice character, right? She encourages Marion to decide what you wanna do with Larry before it is a scandal, before it's too late. Get engaged to him and then if you get caught canoodling and kissing your fiance, nobody's gonna look down on you, right? So Marion is hesitant, but it's at least clear that she's got her aunt's blessing.
Dr. Ruth:Go back to George and the Duke, and they are back into negotiations the following morning. And it falls all the way apart because George Russell is like trying to take a really hard stance and say I'm making you a generous offer. You can take it or leave it. It's not my problem. I also get the impression, and I think it's intentional they put it in there, that he is being extra hardballing on the negotiations, not because he can't afford to give more, but because he wants to make sure that this guy is in this, at least in some way, for Gladys.
Dr. Ruth:But where does it fall apart interestingly? When he offers more money that will be given in a form of an allowance that Gladys gets every month. And the duke is completely turned off by that, which turns around and reassures George Russell that, oh, no, he's making the right decision that this guy is not good enough for his daughter if all he's concerned about is getting more and more money for himself. The duke literally says, well, an allowance for Gladys, like, how does that benefit me? And George is like, oh, well, we're good.
Dr. Ruth:You can go. Y'all can head on out. And that's what they do. And Bertha is, like, pissed about this. Okay?
Dr. Ruth:She feels completely betrayed by George, and they're having a ton of tension about this whole situation. Next scene is Agnes being upset because she's not listed as a donor in a charity organization that she used to give to. But now this year, the check came from Ada. And so Ada's listed as a donor, but she's not. And it's just kinda one of those scenes that reminds you about the power struggle within the house and the fact that Agnes is still very much getting acquainted to being number two, being the guest, which was okay for Ada when she was Agnes' number two, but it's not working for Agnes quite so well.
Dr. Ruth:Then, we go over to Newport and, oh, Newport. What an interesting place. I love when they scene when they do scenes there. I mean, it's just the geography of the place. Right?
Dr. Ruth:It's just so pretty. The water, the sound of the waves crashing. It's usually very bright in comparison to the 60 First Street location. Everybody dresses in these pastels and colors. It's just a very pretty, aesthetically pleasing, gorgeous set and environment.
Dr. Ruth:And the houses are even brighter and more brightly decorated. So my kind of vibe. Right? So we catch up with Peggy. She's at her cousin's house.
Dr. Ruth:And she gets a letter from none other than Doctor Kirkland. And they're all really cute about it in this scene. Her mom and her aunt, and they're like, oh, what does he want? How does he know you're here? He obviously had to do some very deep research to figure out where you were staying and what are you gonna say and all that.
Dr. Ruth:She's clearly flattered, but also kinda back off. And she goes to answer the letter. And we're only left to assume that it's a positive thing because she kinda liked him. In the following scenes, Marion is coming back from work. She's happy.
Dr. Ruth:She's pleased. Her answer is still displeased that she's working. What are you gonna do? Oscar, he's climbing his way back up. He's got that money from John Adams invested, and that is actually resulting in him getting new clients.
Dr. Ruth:I have no idea how because if I were investing my money, would be like, did y'all forget that he completely impoverished his mom? So, no. It would be a no for me and my money with Oscar Van Rhine, but to each his own. So now we're going over to the Russell household. Mrs.
Dr. Ruth:Russell, fresh off of her defeat in the engagement arena, is headed to the opera. And mister Russell interestingly declines to join them, citing work stuff. I mean, I think it's clear that there's still the yell. The tension is very high between them. And so we get to the opera.
Dr. Ruth:Gladys is searching everywhere for Billy Carlton because she's like, the engagement is off. The duke stormed out. Like, that deal is off. Where's Billy? Again, I think she could do better at this point than somebody who straight up broke up with you the minute there was a little bit of pressure, but to each their own.
Dr. Ruth:And the duke actually shows up cozying up to the daughter of the Delancey family, notably. Mrs. Fish is always calling these things out. Leave it to Bertha to be completely undaunted by this. She's like, oh, yeah, he's allowed to talk to other people.
Dr. Ruth:Sure. Whatever. He's not I mean, I don't own him. He's got other social connections in New York. She completely writes it off, does not accept defeat.
Dr. Ruth:And then that evening, when she gets back to the house, they have, she and George, a complete meltdown argument about the deal falling through. And then Bertha is telling him, now you let him go and I've got this party planned for the portrait release and he's cozying up to the Delancey's daughter. Right? And George kind of makes this offhand comment. He's like, the Delanceys, they got it like that.
Dr. Ruth:They don't have that kind of money that the Duke is looking for. So you don't even need to worry about them as competition. And of course, that inspires Bertha. She's got an idea how she's gonna handle this. She's just so She's always thinking.
Dr. Ruth:Those wheels are always turning. You gotta give her her credit. At that point, the tension, you know, is so thick you can cut it with a knife because she tries to make a move on George. And he's like, nah, I'm going to bed. So like, yikes.
Dr. Ruth:Because usually in past seasons when they've had tension, they're usually able to smooth it over with a little sexy time. So I hope this does not spell disaster for my favorite couple. I mean, maybe they're not my favorite couple, but I really like the Russells. I hope this doesn't spell disaster for them. Still inside the Russell household, Gladys is trying to ask Billy to Gladys is trying to ask Larry to inform Billy that the engagement is off.
Dr. Ruth:Even though he seems to have his reservations about this, Larry agrees to do it. And he says he'll do it after his business meeting with Jack. And again, I think for the same reasons that I now have reservations about Billy, it's kinda like it's a done deal with this guy. His mother hates your mom. Move on.
Dr. Ruth:It's never gonna happen. Even if you don't marry the dude, Billy's not it. Meanwhile, okay, we're going back up to Newport. Peggy is enjoying a gorgeous, sun filled cliffside walk with Doctor Kirkland. They both look fabulous.
Dr. Ruth:They look beautiful. I mean, they're just like a gorgeous couple. And I'm falling in love with the concept of the two of them together. Okay? He's down to earth.
Dr. Ruth:He's funny. He's completely besotted with her. And he's seen her look in a hot, smelly, sick mess, and he's still interested. Not only that, he actually trips and almost falls and completely busts his tail. And I love that he shows he's not like a stuffy mixed stuffers and he's not like too serious and high post.
Dr. Ruth:Although you can see that he definitely comes from a family of means. Especially when he invites Peggy to their house. They're having a party and he wants her to meet his family. So, we're left anticipating what the Kirkland family is going to be like, and we'll find out very soon. But back at the Van Ryan house, now Forte household, another showdown between Agnes and Ada is happening over this freaking Temperance thing.
Dr. Ruth:And it really begins to boil over when Agnes learns that her lady's maid actually is the only household staff member to have signed the pledge. And missus Armstrong is like, what do you want from me? This is who I work for now and I don't even drink anyway. Later on in the episode, we are clued in a little bit to why Ada is so obsessed with temperance. She's a dog with a bone about this and it's kind of annoying.
Dr. Ruth:And we come to find out that it's because she's trying to connect with Luke about something. Something to make her feel like she's still connected to her late husband. So what ends up happening is that Mrs. Bauer hints at that she's going to take her to see a medium to try and get in touch with Luke. So I'll be interested to see how she receives that because she's this staunch Christian person with the temperance and all that.
Dr. Ruth:Is there room for kind of like a more spiritual belief? We'll see. Across the street, missus Russell has invited mister Delancey over, unbeknownst to George. Naughty naughty, Bertha. Her plan is to basically sabotage this potential match between the duke and his daughter.
Dr. Ruth:And as it turns out, he quickly catches on and he's like, oh, have no intentions of my daughter marrying the duke and not because of what you think. He's like, I'm not broke. I've got plenty of business dealings and I have the money, but ultimately, I don't want my daughter moving to England. He makes it clear that he wants his daughter to be stateside with him as well as his future grandkids. And honestly, that slaps.
Dr. Ruth:I kinda like it. It makes me have a respect for this guy we just met five minutes ago. By the end of that little meeting though, there's a little flirtation happening between him and missus Russell. She asks for his card. I'm not sure what that's about.
Dr. Ruth:She does mention that there was a potential connection between Larry and mister Delancey's daughter. I guess when they met at a party somewhere in Newport or something. But remains to be seen what she actually wanted that card for. And that little exchange about the daughter definitely raised my antenna and made me nervous about Marion. And I'm like, oh my gosh.
Dr. Ruth:Don't let Bertha about to be interfering with Marion and Larry now because she definitely knows from her maid that they are canoodling. And although she did not express naked disapproval, she wasn't happy either. Remember, Marion's not you know, they come from like the Livingstons and the Van Rynes. And you know, she's got some close associations with important family, but they're not the kind of people, the kind of impressive people that Bertha wants clearly to align her children with. So makes me a little nervous about where this Delancey business card thing is going.
Dr. Ruth:We actually get to finally go to this meeting, this much anticipated business meeting that Jack and Larry are attending in an attempt to sell his alarm clock design to someone who can manufacture it and obviously go into business with them. The idea is they're gonna do the pitch, and Larry's gonna do the pitching and all the business y talk stuff. But Jack is there for technical questions, which comes in handy because the gentleman they're meeting with asks a question that Larry is completely unequipped to answer. And Jack comes in, answers it with expertise. And they're like, okay, maybe, let's see.
Dr. Ruth:It's a lot of maybeing. When he gets back to the Van Rijn house, Jack's discouraged by that. And it's surprisingly Mrs. Armstrong who comes along with some encouragement that a maybe isn't a no, and that these are smart businessmen who are wise to vet the project before they invest in it. So he's bolstered.
Dr. Ruth:And I'm happy that she at least didn't crush his dreams when he came to her in a moment of need. Across the street from the Van Rhine household again, so we're just ping ponging between these different locations. At the Russell household, it's clear that George is playing a dangerous game with his fortune. He is so trying to make the Morenci deal happen with the copper mines and buying the land to push the railroad forward. And even though he's been warned by the likes of JPMorgan that this is a risky deal, that it's very expensive, and that it's gonna take, in the end, way more money than George personally has himself to fund it, he's pushing forward.
Dr. Ruth:He wants to, you know, liquidate some assets. And now, he mentions that Gladys engagement is off, so he can take the money that he was going to use for what seems like her dowry to the duke, and he can apply it to the railroad. And I was like, when that happened. Because I don't know, I feel like when characters do stuff like that in TV, like, we know this is not gonna work at all. We know there's gonna be a problem.
Dr. Ruth:I don't know. So even though we don't want, I don't want Gladys to marry the Duke, I think he's gonna have hell to pay if this money turns up missing and Bertha knew nothing about it in advance. We return to Newport and we get to meet the Kirklands. They're very upper crust, know, very pinkies up. But it seems like they like Mrs.
Dr. Ruth:Scott, they like Peggy. They're talking to her and it's all jovial. And then at some point Peggy walks away with Doctor Kirkland, I think to meet his brother. At that point, Mrs Kirkland starts to pry a little bit with the Scotts. She wants to know who their people are.
Dr. Ruth:And before this conversation gets underway, she already drops a few hints, letting the viewers know that she's that kind of lady. You know, I love that the story is touching on this and that black people of these means and of this mindset definitely existed in especially, obviously, places like New York and the Northeast where there were a lot of freedmen living and thriving and building wealth. And not to say that they didn't deal with their own prejudices, but they kind of compounded the prejudices that southern black people were dealing with. So they're kinda getting it from both ends. They're getting it from white people who think they should be property.
Dr. Ruth:And then adding insult to injury and really damaging, they get attitudes like the kind that missus Kirkland gives Arthur Scott. She discovers, to her almost horror, that he is a former enslaved person. She starts off by insulting him and telling him, I What do you do for a living? I thought you were a salesman. And he's like, no, I'm not a salesman.
Dr. Ruth:I'm a pharmacist. I own a pharmacy. And her husband tries to sub in and be like, yeah, he's remember, we get a lot of concoctions from him. He's like, he's that dude. He has a great pharmacy.
Dr. Ruth:He's helped us a lot, yada yada. She is completely unbothered by this information. And when she discovers that he is a former enslaved person, man oh man does the tone change. She's so nasty. It's so chilling how she immediately is just like, ugh, these people are not good enough for me.
Dr. Ruth:You're not pedigreed. Instead of, I guess, him about building his business, about anything of the sort, where he learned this, where did he apprentice. Her first question when she finds out he's a pharmacist is, so did you inherit this business from someone? Like, she wants to be assured that he comes from some kind of pedigree, even if she doesn't know his people. And so the finding out that, no, he started the business after he left slavery is not impressive to her at all.
Dr. Ruth:I feel like in modern times, we would have a different attitude about someone who kinda starts from beyond nothing, who starts from the bottom of the bottom and ends up where Arthur Scott is. I mean, he's impressive. He has his business. He has his house in Brooklyn. He has his wife.
Dr. Ruth:He's supporting his entire family on his income. He has staff in his house. I mean, he's no slouch by any measure. Does he have, you know, Van Rhine money? No.
Dr. Ruth:But, I mean, Mrs. Kirkland doesn't have Van Rhine and Russell money. It's kind of an interesting dynamic. And then she goes and she does something super disgusting when she chastises the governess for letting her grandkids play outside without an umbrella. She blatantly says, like, we do not need them getting any darker.
Dr. Ruth:And I'm like, this hit me like a ton of bricks. I mean, I I was like, wow. I did not expect it's so many things. I did not expect them to go there, first of all. I don't know why I didn't expect them to go there, given who the co executive producers of this show are.
Dr. Ruth:But I didn't expect them to go there. And I mean it in a way that I am pleasantly surprised and impressed and just blown away by the inclusiveness of this story that doesn't come off hokey and excessive. Like, they are really addressing what issues were going on at the time for black people, not only of the sort to mingle with or be around the Van Rynes, but also people who have recently escaped slavery, people who are literally one generation out of enslavement. And then to go into colorism, I mean, it's a very deep and sensitive topic. But I think it was important to show that, yes, this was the thinking of some of the more elevated in society black folks at the time.
Dr. Ruth:Of course, missus Kirkland is played by the legendary Felicia Rashad, a woman who I mean, she's gorgeous, and she is of a lighter complexion. So and it's and then you clock it, at least I finally clocked it, like, for real at that point. They're like, everybody in the Kirkland family is of a lighter complexion. And here you have Arthur Scott, who is a dark skinned man who is telling her she's formally he's formally enslaved. She is not interested in these people at all.
Dr. Ruth:And he is immediately turned off by her behavior too, and rightfully so. We are heading back to 60 First Street to the Russell House. The Duke returns with his attorney, and Bertha uses her talents to just work out what seems like a deal for the marriage. And it's kinda like that quickly. He comes back and they work it out.
Dr. Ruth:Like, okay, so now it's marriage on, right? Poor Gladys. It makes you wonder what she's gonna do because she had just been trying to get Billy back and just learned that Billy is that's off the table. It's never happening. So then we return to the Scotts heading back to Dorothy's sister's house.
Dr. Ruth:And they're really unpacking what just happened. Arthur is like, put it on the table. This is exactly what happened. She's a colorist. She is an elitist.
Dr. Ruth:She's a classist. She's an egregious human being. And I don't want my Peggy to have anything to do with her. Peggy is a dark skinned black woman. What if the kids come out with dark skin?
Dr. Ruth:Like, he's just so done with them, done with the Kirklins. He's like, I really like doctor Kirkland and his father. But that lady being Peggy's mother-in-law, absolutely not. And I 100% agree with him. Shocking as it may be, in the 2000s, we deal with colorism on this level in certain pockets of the black community.
Dr. Ruth:I think education and exposure and cultural shift has eliminated some of it. But if you are not a black person, you may be surprised to learn that Mrs. Kirkland's ideas and thoughts about color purity are still very prevalent in some circles. As a dark skinned black woman, I can 100 attest to the veracity of that statement. I have been told to my face a number of things.
Dr. Ruth:And this is not like, I'm not old enough for this to have been ancient history. I've been told I'm pretty for a dark skinned girl. I have had people surmise what their babies with me would look like based on color. And I've had people tell me, just write to my face, that their preference is for a person with a lighter complexion or things of that nature. Know?
Dr. Ruth:We have this deeply rooted in our society. So again, I'm gonna really hats off to them for covering this and covering it so well and so in-depth. And still, it didn't take over the main events of the story, which was amazing. So, okay. I agree with Arthur.
Dr. Ruth:We're moving on to the Russell's house. Bertha is basically clinching her victory. They had a whole discussion, she and George, about love matches versus the virtue of arranged marriages. And it's funny because obviously I'm in a love marriage and most of us are these days, right? But I mean, with the failure rate of love matches, it does make you kinda it raises some interesting questions about Bertha's perspective here that, you know, like, what do these kids know?
Dr. Ruth:Kids trying to pick their marriage partner for life at 18 is crazy. I mean, that makes me say like, okay, but why are they even getting married at 18? But that's an aside. That's besides the point. But case in point, if Gladys had her way, she would have married Billy.
Dr. Ruth:And Billy is clearly not suited for the pressures that adults face in marriage. He just cut and run, first sign of trouble. He would not have been a good marriage partner for her. So, it almost gives some credence to what Bertha is saying, that at this age at least, Gladys needs some guidance as to who to pick for herself. So she wins.
Dr. Ruth:Gladys is gonna be torn up about it, but oh well, she's happy because she wins and her party gets to go on as planned. So basically, Gladys learns of this and she's in full on bereavement mode. She's like a grieving widow at this point. And the Russells are waiting for the party to start. Hector, the duke, he to his credit, like I didn't expect this, he rolls up and he sits down with Gladys.
Dr. Ruth:And I'm holding my breath for this reveal of him as a monster, to be honest. Because this whole time Gladys has been dreading this so much, I'm like, oh my gosh, he's probably like some kind of crazy monster and he's gonna be horrible to her. He's gonna rip her hair out or something. I don't know. He actually has a tender moment with her where he tells her, hey, I'm not that bad and let's just promise to be honest with each other from this point forward.
Dr. Ruth:And he's actually gonna try to make her happy. And I, for one, am encouraged by that. Holding my breath still, but I'm encouraged. Then they go on to the party because Gladys comes out with Hector and she's like, we're engaged. Bertha was already ready to celebrate.
Dr. Ruth:So she's gonna crown herself the mother of the duchess any minute now. So the party's getting started, people and guests are arriving, and the painter, Mr. Sargent, he goes, he reveals the painting. It is a gorgeous painting of Gladys wearing the white, I think, silk dress that she has on at the party. She feels like she's in a fishbowl.
Dr. Ruth:You know? Everyone's looking at her. She's not comfortable. You could see the discomfort. Even though she just had that pretty reassuring conversation with Hector, she doesn't feel great about this.
Dr. Ruth:The fact is she may never feel great about it. After the portrait is revealed, then there is the official engagement announcement from none other than George Russell himself. And then it's truly all eyes on, Gladys. She's trying to look happy, but she clearly obviously does not look happy. She's kinda like, you know, with that plastered smile on her face.
Dr. Ruth:And then she's like fiddling with her necklace. So I'm like, girl, be careful. Well, of course, Bertha is like a peacock in this crowd, you know. And Mrs. Astor and everybody's congratulating her, you know, on her job well done.
Dr. Ruth:And they're like, Bertha, we are sure that this wedding is going to be the event of the season. And she's like, girlfriend, bye. This is gonna be the wedding of the century. So I'm like, oh, brother. Here we go.
Dr. Ruth:This lady is definitely in this for herself. I wanted to give Bertha so much credit. But with that one line, I was like, oh no, this is about her being mother of the duchess. A 100%. Okay.
Dr. Ruth:Maybe not a 100%, that's harsh. But a lot of what she's doing is securing her own future in this society. And given the history of what she went through to get where she is and to have all those people in the room celebrating with her, it is somewhat understandable from a very human place. But interestingly, this story is based on the true life story of Consuelo Vanderbilt, who went through an arranged marriage to a duke, the ninth duke of Marlborough. And her mother, Alva Vanderbilt, they actually cover this really in-depth in the official podcast for the show.
Dr. Ruth:And her mom made the same moves as Bertha, except at the time she was a divorced woman, so she had even more reason to make sure her daughter marries a duke. But long story short, from what I understand, it is not a happy marriage. And poor Consuela is not She doesn't get the love of her life. She doesn't get a happy marriage. Things don't work out great for her.
Dr. Ruth:The necklace thing comes back where Gladys is doing this. She pops the necklace, the pearls fall to the floor. We're left in silence and then the credits roll. Normally, I don't watch the next week on scenes because I like to be pure when I go to watch the show. Don't like to have too much expectation, but I simply couldn't help myself.
Dr. Ruth:And it looks like it's gonna be a wedding frenzy. Wedding planning, Bertha's gonna be in full on peacock mode, planning this wedding, making sure that it's the event of the century. And we see that the whole town's excited about this. Ada is actually going to see the medium that Mrs. Bauer mentioned to her.
Dr. Ruth:We have no idea what's gonna happen with this wedding. They're kind of implying based on where everyone is and the way Gladys is talking to her dad that this wedding is not happening. I have every reason to believe that this wedding is not happening. I'm actually hoping that this wedding does not happen because I would One, I don't want Gladys to end up like the real life version of this story, Clyntsuella Vanderbilt, just in an unhappy marriage to a duke, far away from her family. And two, I just think it would make for such interesting television for her to leave him at the altar.
Dr. Ruth:It's interesting. There's a lot tied up into it. There's the finances of it all. We'll see what happens. If she actually marries this guy, I'm sure we're gonna find out all the answers to that next week.
Dr. Ruth:Episodes are airing. Episode is airing this Sunday. I will be covering. I hope to be posting my recap no later than Tuesday. And I look forward to hearing from you, your feedback, your thoughts, where you think the season is going, how you think the season is doing.
Dr. Ruth:Do you like the show? Are you a newbie? Are you somebody who just binged the first two seasons and is joining us? Or are you like me and you've been a fan since the beginning? I wanna hear everything.
Dr. Ruth:Let me know. And remember, we are living a life that holds space for and is fueled by our passions. Until next time.
