Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) has always intently pursued her goal of social domination for her family. Now that goal has culminated in triumph. Well, in terms of her daughter Gladys’ (Taissa Farmiga) future, at least. In The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 4, big changes come for other characters, too. It’s a wedding episode with a lot of other plot points progressing as well.
Creator-writer Julian Fellowes has always been interested in the “Dollar Princesses,” the American heiresses who married into English nobility during this period in history. He has used them as source material for stories before. Cora, the matriarch of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey, played by Elizabeth McGovern, was a Dollar Princess. Now Gladys Russell becomes one of them. She marries Hector, the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), and becomes a duchess. It is the social event of the season. Of course, the truth behind the nuptials in the Russell house is more complicated. And other people’s lives don’t stop even in the midst of such a momentous occasion.
Gladys and the Duke’s wedding is the climax of the first half of this season, and “Marriage Is A Gamble” makes it memorable. But The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 4 takes care to leave viewers with other memorable moments too.
MORE: Read our review of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 3 if you need a refresher on the previous episode!
“Nothing about this makes me happy.”
Gladys may have agreed to marry the Duke, but as preparations for the day itself get underway, she has confined herself to her room. Hector has been honest and kind to her, but she didn’t choose him for herself. George (Morgan Spector) tells his daughter she doesn’t have to go through with it. However, they both know there’s no going back now. Gladys goes through with it. We root for her to have happiness, and we cheer for her along with the servants when she comes down the stairs to leave for the church. And her dress is gorgeous. Yes, that’s important.
The wedding adds a couple of new characters to the mix. First, Bertha’s sister Monica (Merritt Weaver) arrives. Bertha didn’t even want to invite her at first, but Larry (Harry Richardson) took the initiative and invited his aunt. Meeting someone who knew Bertha before she became a Russell is so intriguing. Bertha made comments earlier this season that add to the mystery of her younger self. I think her sister reminds Bertha of her humble origins, too. All this makes Monica an interesting addition, especially when she is forthright with Bertha in a sharp but low-key way. And Weaver is excellent.
The other new face is the Duke’s sister, Lady Sarah (Hattie Morahan). In just her brief screen time here, she does not give off a friendly vibe. At all. Sarah is not married and runs Hector’s estate for him. She seems aghast when Monica suggests she might move out when Hector and Gladys move to England. I anticipate a problem here. Sarah is necessarily going to be around more, so her status in Gladys and Hector’s life remains to be seen. The audience is firmly on Gladys’ side. Any angst there will have to be carefully done.
MORE: If you don’t remember what happened in The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 2, just read our review!
“Men have more fun.”
Ironically, this wedding episode reminds us that the writers are examining the specter of divorce this season. As Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) prepares to attend the ceremony, her daughter (Hannah Shealy) has marital problems. Her separation has become public knowledge. Mrs. Astor is immovable about society’s rules, which means she tells her daughter she can’t come to the wedding. That’s how Old New York handled that type of scandal. That’s why Aurora Fane (Kelli O’Hara) is in Newport and not New York. Her husband cheated and wants a divorce, and yet she is the one who has to make herself scarce. Depressingly little has changed since then. Society is still patriarchal. Sigh.
That’s why it’s great to see Peggy (Denee Benton) in full activist mode. She’s a successful writer, but she gets to be a speaker in this episode. She’s giving a lecture in Newport about laws affecting the Black community. Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) is still in town, too, soaking up all the time with Peggy he can. We like him! His mother, Elizabeth (Phylicia Rashad), however, shows her snobbish attitude in front of Peggy in this episode. She has not explicitly insulted Peggy or her parents yet. But Peggy and William will have to deal with her behavior so they can have a future.
MORE: As we said in our review of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 1, this season started off thrillingly!
“You think I’ve failed you.”
Let’s check in with lovebirds Larry and Marian (Louisa Jacobson). When a bridesmaid gets sick before Gladys’ wedding, Larry suggests that Marian take her place. It is so sweet how excited he is about escorting her down the aisle until Bertha tells him they’ll be doing the ceremony the English way. And that’s not the only ship moment in this episode. As Gladys and the Duke recite their vows, OF COURSE, Larry and Marian exchange a glance. That’s like a shipper law. When two people who should be together attend a wedding, they will look at each other during the vows. It is necessary. And I will eat it up every time.
Something else that I enjoy is when a character you’ve been rooting for achieves success. Jack (Ben Ahlers), the footman who invented a better clock, gives me that chance in this episode. He and Larry are called to another meeting with one of the investors they met before. The businessman buys the clock and patent for an incredible amount of money. Sweet Jack doesn’t know what to do next because the house where he works feels like a home to him. Jack is only one of the reasons that The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 4 is such a satisfying installment of this HBO and HBO Max show.
The Gilded Age airs Sundays at 9 PM on HBO and is streaming on HBO Max.
