Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6.
The Gilded AgeSeason 3 is moving quickly. Already in the back half, there is as much drama as ever. Episode 5, “A Different World,” saw Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry (Harry Richardson) getting engaged, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) struggling to adjust to her new life, and cracks beginning to form in the Russells’ marriage. But Episode 6, “If You Want to Cook an Omelet,” raises the tension on every side as every character faces the consequences of their actions. Bertha (Carrie Coon) sees the life she’s thrust Gladys into, Peggy (Denée Benton) is forced to admit the truth about her past, and Oscar (Blake Ritson) comes face to face with the person who ruined him.
Bertha Arrives To Help Gladys in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3
It’s fair to say Bertha and Gladys’ relationship has been rough this season as Bertha pushed her daughter into marriage, but in the latest episode, Bertha is finally on Gladys’ side. After the drama between Gladys and Sarah (Hattie Morahan) last week, Bertha arrives to teach Gladys to take control of the house. Sarah is not quick to step down, but in Bertha, she meets her match. Bertha embarrasses Sarah at dinner while discussing politics and confronts her about her choice to fire Gladys’ maid, but most importantly, she teaches Gladys how to solve her own problem.
Reminding Gladys that only Hector (Ben Lamb) can make Sarah leave, she tells Gladys to become indispensable. Gladys does so by taking an interest in the estate, which Sarah usually handles. Then, Gladys calls out Sarah’s behavior publicly when her sister-in-law assumes the duchess’ role and stands first after dinner. Bertha also interferes by calling Hector’s attention to the issue, advising that he value Gladys and hire back Adelheid (Erin Wilhelmi). By the time Bertha leaves England, not only is Hector more aware of the drama, but Gladys is empowered, leaving her in a better situation than she was before the visit.
George Chases His Ambitious Plan to His Own Ruin in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3
Back in New York, Church (Jack Gilpin) is determined to discover who is leaking information about the Russells to the press before Bertha gets home, but it’s Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) who comes up with a suspect. Pouring over the information and comparing who would have access to it, Bruce believes Bertha’s lady’s maid, Miss André (Rachel Pickup), is the culprit, though she still needs proof. Meanwhile, George (Morgan Spector) isn’t at the house. As he tries to settle his tumultuous business deal, he visits J.P. Morgan (Bill Camp), who has arranged to host George, the Merrick brothers, and Sage (Peter McRobbie), all of whom own part of the Illinois Central railroad. Morgan’s plan is to hold them all together until someone gains the controlling share, and it seems to work, as the Merricks make a deal with George to spite Sage.
But that would be too clean an end. The real trouble is the fact that Sage has hired Clay (Patrick Page), who knows all of George’s secrets from their earlier relationship, andClay reveals George’s financial situation to the press. The shares in George’s company fall, and the Merricks pull out of the deal, leaving George in an even worse situation. Yet Sage’s plan to get the controlling share doesn’t work because George would rather watch his company burn than let the other man win.
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‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Doesn’t Make Things Easy for Larry and Marian
After a long setup, Marian and Larry are finally engaged, but their blissful happiness is fleeting. When congratulating Jack (Ben Ahlers), Marian realizes that something is off because the footman conveniently doesn’t remember the name of the establishment where Larry took him to celebrate. Jack tries to cover for Larry’s lie, but in questioning Oscar, Marian puts together that Larry was at a house of ill repute.
Upset by this revelation and the fact that he lied about it, Marian loses her trust in Larry, deciding she no longer wants to marry him. She communicates her feelings in a letter that she leaves at his house, but he is unaware of what has happened. The situation spirals quickly because Larry is in Morenci for George and cannot defend himself. However, Larry does find success there, as his inquiries lead to the discovery that the mines are worth much more than his father initially thought.
‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Puts Peggy in a Difficult Situation
Like Marian, Peggy has her own romantic struggles as she returns home from her interview, dreading the explanation she owes William (Jordan Donica) after their encounter with T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones) at the train station. But, on Marian’s advice, she is honest about it, telling William of her past with Fortune and promising to avoid him in the future. William is forgiving, proving, yet again, how much he cares for Peggy. She tries to tell him more, but William insists that her past doesn’t matter to him and instead looks to the future.
Since Peggy’s interview has convinced Francis Ellen Watkins Harper (Lisagay Hamilton) to host a suffrage meeting in New York, William asks that his mother be invited — but he doesn’t tell Mrs. Kirkland (Phylicia Rashad) the topic of the meeting, which results in her arguing against women’s suffrage at the gathering and coming into conflict with Peggy. Afterward, Mrs. Kirkland tells William that she doesn’t think Peggy has time to be a wife. Meanwhile, Peggy complains to her own mother (Audra McDonald) about Mrs. Kirkland’s attitude. However, Peggy also acknowledges her feelings for William, which makes the obstacle his mother represents even more formidable.
The Van Rhijn House Drama Comes to a Head in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3
Between Agnes’ (Christine Baranski) and Ada’s (Cynthia Nixon) argument, Jack’s success, and Ada’s attempt to contact her deceased husband, the Van Rhijn house has been chaotic in Season 3. But things have stabilized somewhat, initially with Ada’s story. In the latest episode, Ada visits Madam Dashkova (Andrea Martin) again, hoping to speak to Luke (Robert Sean Leonard); however, she notices something is off when Dashkova indicates that Luke is speaking to her in Italian. When Dashkova refers to her husband as “Luca,” which was a misprint of his name in the paper, Ada suddenly understands that she’s been fooled and storms out. Though it is an emotional blow, Ada does put an end to her being manipulated, which will also hopefully open her up for happier storylines in the future.
Meanwhile, Jack is still hiding the amount of money he gained from the sale of the clock as he isn’t ready to leave his employment. Yet the information is already flying around due to Mrs. Bauer’s (Kristine Nielsen) slip. Having learned that the clock was sold, Agnes makes it her mission to find out how much Jack received, and Armstrong (Debra Monk) makes it easy for her, complaining that Jack’s continued presence mocks the rest of the servants. Discovering that Jack now has $300,000 to his name, Agnes wants Ada to let Jack go, and Oscar’s agreement that Jack shouldn’t be their footman anymore convinces her to talk to him. Though she remains supportive of his success, Ada speaks to him, saying it’s time to make his way in the world. So, Jack says a tearful goodbye to the other servants,promising to keep in touch. But he leaves a letter for everyone, generously paying back those who contributed to his patent fee and giving Armstrong a gift as well. With this twist, Jack has moved on to his new life, though what that will look like for him is still unclear.
‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Forces Oscar to Confront His Past
After the previous episode reintroduced Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom), who conned Oscar out of the van Rhijn fortune, Oscar is determined to confront the woman who scammed him. He visits her at the establishment where Larry discovered her, learning just how dark a turn her life has taken. Maud reveals that the money she stole from Oscar was taken from her by her partner, Crowther (Mark Boyett), leaving her penniless and working at the Haymarket.
Seeing Maud’s pitiable situation, Oscar lets go of his anger, showing compassion for her. He even helps her, purchasing a train ticket and giving her $100 so she can leave the city and stay with her sister, demonstrating how much Oscar has grown. Later, John Adams (Claybourne Elder) praises Oscar’s choice, but just as the pair are making plans to continue building back Oscar’s business, a cart runs over John in a shocking cliffhanger. It seems Oscar will continue to be put through the ringer despite the maturity he has gained.
The Gilded Age is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
The Gilded Age
“If You Want to Cook an Omelet” raises the tension on every side as couples fight and characters are forced to grow.
- Release Date
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January 24, 2022
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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Deborah Kampmeier, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
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Morgan Spector
George Russell
- “If You Want to Cook an Omelet” finally puts Bertha and Gladys on the same team, letting Bertha empower her daughter.
- Oscar shows off a new layer of his character as he forgives Maud Beaton, making him more complex.
- Just as Marian and Larry get engaged, conflict arises, stalling their momentum.
