<i>The Gilded Age</i> Season 3, Episode 5 Recap: The Russells Have Marital and Business Woes

Spoilers below.

George Russell has had enough. For the first time on The Gilded Age, the railroad business is not bending to the robber baron’s will. George’s personal life is equally fraught as he can’t get over breaking his promise to Gladys that she could marry for love. The latter was a great victory for his wife, Bertha, but even she cannot enjoy the spoils of this win. Someone on their staff is still leaking titillating stories to the newspapers about the Russells. If word spreads that Bertha and George’s rift is growing, it will be a massive coup for the tabloids.

Meanwhile, in England, Gladys is adjusting to life as a duchess, but Hector’s sister, Lady Sarah, is still behaving like she rules the Sidmouth Castle roost. Luckily, not all the Russells are suffering in love, as Larry finally pops the question to Marian. He also runs into a blast from Oscar’s past at a surprising location. Peggy, too, has an awkward encounter with a former flame. In Newport, Mrs. Astor attempts to deflect from her daughter’s scandal by scapegoating Aurora Fane, and with that, the Gilded Age gossip machine is thriving.

Rich in land but poor in cash sums up Hector’s situation, and Gladys is stunned by how big the Sidmouth estate is. After getting a rousing welcome from the duke’s tenants, Gladys endures a series of humiliations from Lady Sarah. During the guided tour of the home, which has been in their family since 1612, Lady Sarah mocks Gladys for being confused about why they need mousetraps in their home (though Gladys has a point), makes fun of her John Singer Sargent painting, and implies that Gladys has no say about any renovations.

It gets worse at Gladys’s first dinner with Hector and his friends: Lady Sarah scolds Gladys in front of everyone for choosing to wear diamond stars in her hair instead of a tiara. Gladys makes the mistake of saying Adelheid suggested the accessory (which is stunning, by the way), and Lady Sarah takes the opportunity to fire Adelheid for not meeting the Sidmouth standards. At dinner, Lady Sarah further belittles and undermines her new sister-in-law.

Last week, I floated the idea that there could be something untoward going on between Lady Sarah and her brother, but this week confirms she is just a control freak. When Gladys reacts angrily to Adelheid’s dismissal, Hector gently admonishes his sister. After all, marrying a “Yankee heiress” to save the family estate was Lady Sarah’s idea. Be careful what you wish for.

Unknown to her new husband or his overbearing sister, Gladys writes a letter home to her parents. Maybe Lady Sarah will regret her lack of hospitality.

The mood is light and flirty at a baseball game Peggy attends with Dr. William Kirkland. But the vibe shifts when Peggy spots her former newspaper boss, T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones), in the crowd. Last season, Peggy kissed the married editor, stopping the relationship before it went further. Now, Fortune has another assignment for Peggy to interview suffragette Frances Ellen Watkins Harper in Philadelphia. Despite their bubbling tension, it's too good an opportunity to pass up.

However, Marian is concerned that Fortune is back on the scene. Peggy ensures she knows what she is doing in a conversation that occurs in front of Agnes, who is unaware of Peggy’s former fling, so it is full of half-sentences, double meanings, and raised eyebrows. Both Marian and Peggy know precisely what the other is thinking, while Agnes believes it is an excellent career opportunity and can’t understand why Marian is being so cautious.

Marian’s concern is warranted. When William takes Peggy to the train station, they find Fortune waiting for her. He wants to accompany Peggy on the assignment, which was not part of the deal. Peggy says she will only go if she can travel alone. Fortune acts like an entitled jerk during the exchange, shoving William to assert his authority. Finally, a sheepish Fortune agrees that Peggy will go alone. There isn’t much time before the train leaves, with Peggy saying she will explain her whole story to William when she gets back.

George’s business woes boil down to still not having enough shares in the Illinois Central Line or the land in Morenci, Arizona—he needs both to make his cross-country line happen. George blames his business secretary Clay (Patrick Page) for this failing and is unhappy when Clay points out that the Russell empire is in a terrible financial position. George fires Clay for not being able to achieve the impossible—and probably for answering back too. George takes another approach, asking Bertha to charm Mr. Merrick (Paul Alexander Nolan), who is the key to the Illinois Central Line share issue.

Unfortunately, George is agitated at dinner when Bertha is buttering up Merrick. I don’t think he would react this angrily if he had closed the deal, but Merrick has zero desire to sell his shares and is certain his brother will feel the same way. George tells Bertha he felt like a cuckold at his own table, and she fires back that he is the one who can’t close the deal. Once again, any sense of unity is shattered. The following day, the pair gets into another fight. I miss the power couple being on the same page.

Bertha is also struggling with employees, but in her case, doesn’t know who needs to be dismissed. The gossip leaks continue, meaning it can’t be Adelheid (whom I suspected last week) because she is in England. Church says he will get to the bottom of it, seeking advice from enemy-turned-confidant Bannister. The neighboring butler says the last person hired is most likely to leak, which is not as helpful as it could be, as the Russells have hired multiple new people recently.

One person earning praise from George is Larry. He is so impressed with the investment Larry made in Jack’s clock (and subsequent huge sale) that he wants to send his son to Morenci to do what Clay could not. Larry asks for the mine reports that George believes have no value. Considering how many times the lack of profit from these mines is mentioned, I suspect they aren’t as worthless as George believes—or something in the mines will prove fruitful.

Larry is reluctant to go because he doesn’t want to be away from Marian for an entire month. He tells his father that today is the day he will propose. “You’ve chosen well. I’m pleased,” says George. Larry worries that Bertha will feel differently, but George will not let Bertha get in the way of another love match.

During a stroll through the park, Larry tells Marian about the clock sale, which is news to her. Larry is surprised that Jack has been keeping it secret. But Larry has more on his mind than alarm clock fortunes, whisking Marian into a secluded area where he gets down on one knee. None of Marian’s previous doubts bubble to the surface when she immediately says yes.

Reactions from Ada and Agnes are as expected: Ada is ecstatic, Agnes struggles not to say anything cutting. Marian mentions Jack’s good news, which Agnes also takes as a slight. Just wait until she finds out that Jack is wealthier than his current and former mistresses. Agnes tasks Bannister with finding out the figure, but the news is already spreading downstairs.

Ada has other matters to keep her occupied that lead to a little lie. She tells Agnes she is going to a temperance meeting, when in reality, she is visiting medium Madame Dashkova. During this reading, Ada gets to “speak” to Luke, offering some closure. Afterward, Ada tells Agnes that she will begin to wear half-mourning clothes.

At the Russells, the reactions to Larry and Marian’s big news are as mixed as they were at the Fortes. George is thrilled, while Bertha has to put on her best fake smile because she was not privy to her son’s decision until after the fact. Agnes would hate to admit it, but she shares a lot in common with Bertha. Or at least she does when it comes to this news.

Marian is disappointed that she can’t spend the evening with her new fiancé the night before he goes away, as Larry is already committed to a gentleman-only dinner at Delmonico’s. The occasion? A bachelor party of sorts, as his roommate from Harvard is about to get married. Now, unless they skipped showing the dinner part, it seems that Larry has lied to Marian about his plans. Larry is celebrating his college roommate’s upcoming nuptials, but at a less reputable establishment called The Haymarket. The infamous New York City nightclub has been compared to the Moulin Rouge, shuttering its doors for good in 1911 after being a hotbed of vice.

“It’s anything you want it to be!” Larry says like he is the emcee from Cabaret to a wide-eyed Jack. Yep, Jack is part of the crew for the night. He’s getting to experience the kind of life money can buy with Larry pointing out the women or men (if he fancies) who are available, some for a price. While the groom-to-be is interested in what is being offered, Larry isn’t partaking in anything that will upset Marian (well, besides not telling her his actual plans).

At one point, from across the room, Larry thinks he has seen a person of interest. “Are you Maude Beaton?” he asks a woman working the club. She claims her name is Dolly Trent, but there is no fooling Larry, who knows this is the same Maude (Nicole Brydon Bloom) who conned Oscar out of his family fortune.

After saying farewell to Marian the following day, Larry catches up with Oscar to let him know about seeing Maude at The Haymarket, making it clear she was working. Over dinner, Oscar updates John Adams and comes to the consensus that she no longer has the money she stole from Oscar. Still, Oscar wants answers, though John points out that they were both deceiving each other, albeit for very different reasons. John thinks Oscar doesn’t need to get revenge, as Maude’s current circumstance is punishment enough.

In Newport, Aurora is excited to see the newly engaged Marian and attend Mrs. Fish’s luncheon with her. Aurora’s high society exile hasn’t reached her summer Newport schedule, but that changes when Mrs. Astor shows up to the luncheon. Mrs. Fish thought Mrs. Astor would still be too busy handling the fallout from her daughter Charlotte’s scandal to show up. But because she is present, Aurora gets the cold shoulder from women who will do whatever Mrs. Astor tells them. The divorce stain on Aurora’s reputation has officially reached these shores.

Aurora tells Marian that while she will get the houses in the divorce, their friends and the life they lived will belong to Charles. Even though Aurora did nothing wrong, she will be punished for her husband’s infidelity.

Having reached a new echelon of society means Bertha can follow her own path. Not only does she talk to Aurora, but she tells Mrs. Fish she will accompany Aurora home. Mrs. Fish is aghast as Bertha is the main patron of this gathering, so Marian volunteers to leave instead. After lunch, Mrs. Fish tells Mrs. Astor that she has to decide if she is willing to exile Charlotte, as it would be unfair to treat her differently than every other divorcée.

It was good to see Bertha stick up for Aurora, but back at home she has another crisis. George has the letter Gladys wrote, which he thinks proves how right he was to oppose this marriage. “You make me weak and I find that hard to forgive,” George tells Bertha. She replies that she will go to England to fix it. George, however, can’t promise he will be home when she returns. Bertha finally achieved her dreams of nobility by marrying off her daughter, but it might turn into a nightmare if her own marriage discord continues.