Did you ever think you would see the day George and Bertha were THIS far apart on everything?
To know the Russells is to see a household where George may be the breadwinner, but Bertha has always been the one to run the show on The Gilded Age.
However, George’s financial issues and the complete lack of control over Gladys’ situation have pushed him to a place he has never entered before. A place where he’s no longer willing to trust Bertha unquestioningly, and one could say it’s about time.
George and Bertha have been referred to as couple goals over the years, and I get it on the surface. They’ve always functioned as a well-oiled machine, and they help each other where necessary.
Yes, George is the one who brings in the money. Still, Bertha not only tends to the family but has also helped establish their position in society and has helped George both directly and indirectly with his business dealings.
They’ve always been a team, even if at the end of the day, Bertha was truly the one who called the shots in that household.
However, things have certainly shifted this season, and it can all be traced back to Bertha’s insistence that Gladys get married and shipped off to England.
The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 5 gave us a glimpse into Gladys’ married life, and it was a tough watch, as one could imagine. But perhaps not for the reasons I initially thought.
I’ve always maintained that Hector never seemed like a monster, even if he’s a self-absorbed pushover, and a man in the 1800s. But this hour allowed us to see that he’s just a cog in a big machine run by his strict sister.
You could tell there was something up with Sarah during The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4. Her demeanor was giving protective vibes, but not sinister.
With Gladys in England now and she and Hector fully husband and wife, Sarah isn’t even slightly allowing any delusions about who will still be in control of that household.
And it’s more than just Sarah being unwilling to relinquish power. She does not see a place for Gladys outside of basically being a stand-in wife in name only.
The fact that she didn’t even think Gladys was going to come to England was CRAZY.
Gladys took everything on the chin like she always does, but you could see her struggle as the hour waned on, and not just because Sarah was doing entirely too much, but also just because of how out of place she felt.
Imagine getting married to a man you don’t love, let alone know, and then being shipped off to England with nothing but a suitcase and a smile.
I’ve often wondered where this storyline will eventually lead because at this point, there are only two realistic options.
The first option is that Gladys endures in silence, allowing Sarah to continue to be the leader in that castle. OR she fights back, gets Hector behind her, and establishes herself as the Duchess of Buckingham.
Of the whole Russell clan, Gladys is by far the least imposing, but at the same time, she’s still a Russell. And I’d bet good money that she will eventually find her voice over there and show everyone just how much she is her parents’ daughter.
And good luck to Lady Sarah when that day comes because Hector’s going to stand right behind her, and everything will be different over there.
Until that day comes, which may not be until the rapidly approaching end of the season, her letter set George on edge after days and weeks of everything in his business going to crap.
George has always been a shark, and he will always be a shark, but it’s clear that he’s overextended himself, and his pride and ego aren’t allowing him to see beyond total domination, essentially.
George has never been one to accept defeat willingly, and I can understand that and even respect it. However, when literally everyone around you is telling you that you’re on a sinking ship, at some point, do you accept the life jacket and bail out?
With each new setback, George tries to problem-solve, and bringing Bertha into the mix was supposed to help alleviate the situation. Still, she made things infinitely worse unnecessarily, because George was HOT after that dinner with Alfred Merrick.
Look, George told Bertha to butter the man up, and that’s precisely what she did. It was NOT her fault that Alfred took that as a pass to blatantly flirt and ogle the woman when her husband was a few feet away.
The whole dinner made me uncomfortable, so I could only imagine what was going through George’s head. And then to have Merrick rebuff him so seamlessly.
Well, that was just another L that George was unprepared to handle.
We’ve seen George and Bertha disagree before, but never to this level, and never have I felt so strongly that these two are on the cusp of their marriage being irrevocably changed if they don’t find a way to communicate better.
Bertha would be wise to let go of her dreams of Larry marrying some wealthy woman, because I fear that if she tries to intervene where he and Marian are concerned, she may find herself in Aurora and Charlotte territory, battling the divorce rumor mill.
Speaking of Larry and Marian, the two lovebirds finally got engaged, and I love that for them.
On a show full of marriages for hire, it’s always nice to see true love prevail at the end of the day. And that look on their faces after Marian accepted, and they shared a kiss in the woods?
Put it in the Louvre!
Here’s hoping the two of them actually have a seamless engagement and eventual wedding, though it’s unfortunate that the day they got engaged, Larry was shipped off to do George’s bidding.
I enjoy seeing competent Larry making a name for himself, separate from being the son of George Russell, but I do worry that this will lead to a closer working relationship between him and his father.
That’s something I’ve never particularly wanted, if only because I’d like him to do things for himself. And do the things he’s passionate about.
We’ll have to see how things go, but is anyone actually getting alarmed at all this railroad business? What if George can’t pull this off?
Just a messy situation all around, and messy was the theme of the hour if you think about it.
Look at Peggy stuck between her weird ex-boss and her new love interest on a beautiful Newport day.
I’d forgotten how annoying Mr. Fortune could be until he returned, and it’s a shame because they made him just so unlikable over time to the point that as soon as I saw him, I just knew he was going to annoy me.
I’m not sure what the general consensus is with Peggy and Dr. Kirkland, but I enjoy them, if only because of how much the two of them smile together.
His mother will be an obstacle, but during this courting stage, the doctor himself hasn’t done anything wrong.
Fortune offering Peggy that interview seemed like a good thing, but again, because he’s just a little bit strange, he decided to invite himself along and then pick a fight with Dr. Kirkland at the train station!
The drama!
Will this have repercussions for one or both men in the future? Knowing this show, the streets will be talking soon enough, and if Mrs. Kirkland finds out, I shudder to think about what opinions she will have.
Mess is always fun, but leaving my favorite Peggy out of it, please and thank you.
Posh Extras
- Larry running his mouth to tell everyone that Jack sold the watch means that he’s going to be forced to decide his future sooner rather than later. I naively assumed he’d have more time to make a plan, but he’s going to be thrown into the fire soon enough.
- Maud Beaton back in town? Oh my! Oscar will definitely track her down because he can’t help himself, but what will seeing her accomplish at this point?
- I’m not sold on whether or not Ada was actually able to speak to Luke’s spirit, but whatever she heard helped her feel better and may help her process more of her grief. That’s not a bad thing at all.
- Everyone treated Aurora like a leper because a man divorced her was sad to see. But good on Bertha for trying to do something right at least.
- I have no idea who is leaking information about the Russells, but I think it’s actually going to be someone surprising, like George or someone else.
This season is flying by!
We only have a few more weeks together, and there are still many open storylines to explore.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts about this hour in the comments and let me know what you’re looking forward to seeing as the season winds down.
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