Noooooooo, not Train Daddy!! Julian Fellowes, how could you do this to us?
(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
Just when it seemed The Gilded Age couldn’t possibly raise the stakes after last week’s shocking carriage accident that killed off John Adams (Claybourne Elder), Episode 7 proved otherwise.
Titled “Ex-Communicated,” the newest chapter of everyone’s favorite period soap opera delivers what may be its most drama-filled episode yet.
Oscar (Blake Ritson) is spiraling after the death of his lover. Marian (Louisa Jacobson) is being stupid about Larry (Harry Richardson). George (Morgan Spector) and Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) marriage is on the rocks. Ward McAllister (Nathan Lane) isn’t getting invited to parties anymore.
And, oh yeah, George gets shot by an assassin at the end of the episode!?
Remember when the juiciest thing going on in The Gilded Age was whether people would attend Bertha’s dinner party and someone served soup to a Duke at the wrong temperature?
It was a simpler, purer time.
The Burn Book
Ward McAllister finally publishes his tell all book about the lives and scandals of New York City’s wealthy elite. It’s called Society as I Have Found It. And, naturally, it ruffles some feathers.
Although McAllister avoids naming names, it’s obvious who he’s talking about. His biggest betrayal? Revealing Charlotte Astor’s (Hannah Shealy) affair—a strange move, considering McAllister was once Mrs. Astor’s (Donna Murphy) loyal right-hand man.
Unsurprisingly, Mrs. Astor is furious with him. So, she teams up with Agnes (Christine Baranski), Ada (Cynthia Nixon), Mrs. Fish (Ashlie Atkinson), and Bertha to freeze McAllister out of high society.
This means no more lavish parties for McAllister (I mean, what did he expect was going to happen?).
He confronts Mrs. Astor about his exclusion, and during their heated exchange, he tells her that without him, she’d still be a sad, rich woman with an unfaithful husband. In other words, he pulls the “I made you who you are” argument.
As this one person on X so perfectly put it, there’s nothing more brutal than watching a breakup between the mean, popular girl and her gay best friend. It was savage.
Marian, Get It Together
Last week, Marian broke off her engagement with Larry Russell in a letter after learning he went to a “house of ill repute,” aka a pseudo-brothel. Nothing happened there, but Marian doesn’t know that.
Larry was away on business in Arizona when she sent the letter and couldn’t explain himself, but now he’s back and determined to give answers. Marian, however, keeps avoiding him. Finally, after Larry corners her at her job, Marian confesses how angry she is at him for going to that place and lying about it.
Larry apologizes and insists nothing happened, but Marian doesn’t believe him until Jack (Ben Ahlers), aka Clock Twink, confirms nothing untoward took place.
Maybe next time, you could try communicating before doing something rash, Marian? Just a thought.
Call it the sunk cost fallacy or whatever, but we are still rooting for Marian and Larry to get their happily ever after.
Marian Is a Bad Girlfriend, But a Good Friend
Despite getting on people’s nerves, we still need to give Marian props for being supportive of Oscar and his sexuality, especially after he loses John Adams, the man he loves.
Train Daddy Got Shot!?
Julian Fellowes, WHY would you do this to us?? When we asked for higher stakes, this was not what we meant!
The episode ends with an assassin storming George’s office and shooting him. The likely culprit? Richard Clay (Patrick Page), George’s disgruntled former secretary, who got fired by his new boss, Risley Sage (Peter McRobbie), after failing to recognize the copper mines’ value—an error that allowed George to win the railroad deal.
Currently, the fate of George remains unknown. Will he survive the shooting?
Well, it’d be nice to say “yes,” but Spector’s new interview with Variety didn’t exactly give us hope.
“You should be very worried,” he said. “In the 19th century, gunshot wounds from up close were extremely dangerous. Many people didn’t survive them.”
He added: “I don’t have a contract for next season yet, so who knows?”
Um, that’s not what we wanted to hear.
For the love of Gilded gods, please don’t kill George off right after John Adams. That’s just cruel.
The Gilded Age Season 3 finale airs August 10. Let’s just say, we’re terrified to find out what Fellowes has cooking up for us.
