Oh, the tension on The Gilded Age! It reached a crescendo for a lot of characters in the previous episode. Now, The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 6 twists the knife with some angst but balances that out with some cheers and happy tears. It’s a superbly plotted piece of the overall story arc for the season. And it tops the episode off with a jaw-dropping ending.
As usual, money is a catalyst for change and character development in “If You Want to Cook an Omelette.” At least, in most cases. George (Morgan Spector) made it clear that he does not want to be around Bertha (Carrie Coon) right now. Their daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) has problems in her new marriage, and George can’t forgive Bertha for her machinations to make the marriage happen. Or the part he played in it. He is George Russell, though, which means his business carries on. That’s what being one of the country’s richest men means. Their son Larry (Harry Richardson) is in Arizona to help keep that business from going under. The Van Rhijn/Brook household across the street is dealing with the shock of their footman, Jack (Ben Ahlers), unexpectedly becoming wealthy now that he has sold the improved clock he invented.
As good as this season has been so far, The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 6 cranks things up to an even higher gear. The true stakes of this season are becoming clear in this episode of this HBO and HBO Max series. Even with drama that you don’t like, the purpose is clear.
MORE: Catch up with what happened last week with our review of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 5!
“Your best is all that I ask.”
The Russells’ marriage is at the lowest point we’ve ever seen it. Bertha decided to travel to England to help Gladys at the end of the previous episode. “Don’t expect me to be here when you get back,” George told her. True to his word, we learn that he is now staying at his club. He has major financial problems to deal with. J.P. Morgan (Bill Camp) invites a group of wealthy businessmen to his remote estate to settle the matter of who will control the Illinois Central railroad line in Chicago. George needs the line to bring his vision of cross-country rail service to life. Despite the unpleasant surprise that his former secretary, Clay (Patrick Page), is now working for one of his competitors, George prevails.
At least, he prevails at first. Clay and his new employer give the press information about George’s precarious finances. This blows up the whole deal. However, Larry’s trip to Arizona provides a surprise. Larry decided to have a new metallurgical study done of the copper mines there. Turns out, there IS more copper there. Enough to save the Russell fortune. This makes sense because after Oscar (Blake Ritson) was swindled out of the Van Rhijn money last season, it would just be repetitive for the Russells to lose theirs. At least the writers are not being redundant with their drama!
MORE: If you need a reminder about the events of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 4, we’ve got you covered with our review!
“Complacency will yield nothing.”
While the Russell men are going through all that, the Russell women are in England, sorting out another drama. Gladys’ new sister-in-law is steamrolling her. Lady Sarah (Hattie Morahan) has always run the house, and she obviously doesn’t think her brother having a wife now is a big enough reason for that to change. Bertha has arrived to help her daughter take control of the situation. The Duke, Hector (Ben Lamb), isn’t hurting Gladys; he’s just clueless. Bertha encourages Gladys to open his eyes to the fact that she is his Duchess. She should be active around the estate and demonstrate that she can help in more ways than just her dowry.
Bertha recognizes that Hector has to be the one to tell Sarah to go, and we root for Gladys to show a tiny bit of the power her parents wield effortlessly. Especially after Sarah reveals herself to be an anti-suffragist. (Seriously, I don’t think we are meant to like or empathize with this character at all.) The moment when Gladys asserts her place as Duchess at a dinner, forcing Sarah to back down, is so, so satisfying. It is a thrilling manifestation of how dynamic Gladys’ character is this season. The respect and pride in Bertha’s eyes is hard to top. Gladys is finally proving she has some of her mother in her, and Farmiga and Coon perform all this beautifully.
MORE: Check out our review of The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 3 if you need a refresher on the episode!
“We all believe in justice.”
The theme of suffrage continues elsewhere, too. Peggy (Denee Benton) is hosting a small meeting about women getting the vote while she is in Newport. This scene highlights the struggle of Black women for inclusion in the suffrage fight. It’s heartening to see this intersectionality included on TV. Peggy also included Elizabeth (Phylicia Rashad), the mother of the man she is dating, at the meeting. William (Jordan Donica) gave his mother too much credit, as she disagreed with the other women. She feels they should help Black men keep their right to vote first. Yeah, that’s a big yikes.
Even worse, the Larry and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) ship is facing a huge obstacle, too. Marian found out that Larry went to a notorious men’s establishment the night they got engaged. He told her he and his friends were going somewhere else, so it’s understandable that she’s upset, but Larry didn’t– and wouldn’t– cheat on her. Marian has been hesitant about their relationship because of her past mistakes with men. Her reaction now is fully in character in terms of that hesitation, but still, this is the angst portion of the proceedings that I never enjoy. Let’s just hope it goes by quickly.
One thing that I hope lasts, however, is Jack’s success. He is such a precious cinnamon roll of a character! Through his own intelligence and hard work, he achieved something most people can only dream of. In this episode, Ada gently tells him it is time for him to move on to the next part of his life. Jack says their house is the only home he’s ever known. He deserves good things, and I want to protect him at all costs! But he does move out. And it is unexpected emotions like that which make The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 6 so impactful.
The Gilded Age airs on Sundays at 9 PM on HBO and is streaming on HBO Max.
