The Gilded Age
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So ended our relationship.
Because, like Timmy choosing Savannah despite my very fetching bowl haircut, this storyline makes no sense.
And so it has come to pass!
Mrs. Scott, a.k.a.
This explains so much!
), but this is like pantomime villain behavior.
You are not on the high ground here!
Im talkingimmense contrition, Arthur.
The entire rest of the finale is Marians attempted elopement and Gladyss coming-out ball.
Also, they spend alotof time on the fact that Monsieur Baudin is actually from Kansas?
Like way too much time.
I do not need this storyline snip snip.
Also: Does every servant have a mysterious secret??
Okay, lets do it.
Lets talk about Marian.
Look at your life!
Look at your choices!
This story line is absolutely bonkers.
But also, it makesnosense.
Theyre going to elope the next day.
This is important.The next day.
What if he doesnt have an apartment!
Hes been in New York for like three weeks.
Hes probably living in some hotel.
An excellent point, Ada.
Like if all this happened to Gladys Russell, I would be like, oh yeah, absolutely.
Agnes points out that Marian is reading Henry James, and is that aWashington Squarereference?
It came out in 1880, so only one year before.
Learn from your books, Marian!
Or from absolutely anything other than your bad intuition.
Ol Shoes in the Carpetbag Marian.
Tom doesnt show up to the elopement.
Of course, he doesnt, but also its really, really weird that he doesnt.
He has chosen the heiress Miss Bingham, which, sure, but also this was set up terribly.
Why was he so insistent on eloping with Marian?
That is extremely silly and I will not allow it.
That is the correct thing, and I support Aurora.
She is the Mercury of this whole series.
Lets get to theballand the WWE smackdown ofThe Gilded Agethat is Bertha Russell and Lina Astor.
It is all based on real events!
Or at least a possibly apocryphal story.
But first, we have this meeting between Lina Astor and Bertha.
Bertha parries and says she paid a call when no one was likely to be there.
I amdistractedby how pretty Carrie Coon looks in this scene.
The drama alone is so good, but also: pretty.
Bertha has all the power here and is extremely aware of it, which is a sight to behold.
WOW my notes say).
Captain of social industry!
Mrs. Astor is leaving, she says to her butler.
This is exactly what I wanted from this show.
Mrs. Astor decides to give in to Berthas stipulations, and Carrie is invited to the ball.
At the ball, I hate Berthas dress, but it is okay!
Carrie Coon was about 8 million weeks pregnant at this point, and the costume designer(s?)
have done extremely well at masking that.
Also, maybe this dress is High Fashion for 1881; I dont know these things.
The van Rhijns have come!
Mrs. Astor enters with Carrie, and everyone stops talking because it is A Moment.
A Success for Bertha Moment!
The men wear horse heads and they all prance around.
Its no wasp or peacock costume, but its fine.
Everyone is dancing, and its so pretty and, again, exactly what I wanted from this show.
Tom arrives with Miss Bingham, which isshameless, and he tells Marian he didnt think shed be there.
There is zero emotional payoff in this moment.
What a bungled storyline.
People leave when its full daylight outside like this is the first night ofThe Bachelor.
Does it feel like they cut a huge section out?
Probably when we were talking to Miss Rockefeller about her cunning peacock costume and then drank too much punch.
At home, Marian tells Ada shell explain someday about the canceled elopement.
The butlers nod to each other across the street.
The servants roll up the red carpet and stack up the party chairs.
Season one is over!
Tomore dramaand a fancy dress ball in season two!
