Season 2 of The Gilded Age had everything: scammers, schemers, romance, tragedy, and hats of all shapes, sizes, and plumage. The opera war between Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and the rest of old-money New York is over. But while the sophomore season of Julian Fellowes’ ensemble HBO drama just wrapped, the writer and creator of Downton Abbey and Gosford Park fame has more than enough storylines for further exploration. Unfurl your fans: We’re discussing our seven biggest questions after The Gilded Age Season 2 finale.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Gilded Age.]
The Van Rhijns have been saved from beyond the grave—so how will that change things?
Following the passing of Reverend Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard), he leaves his sweet Ada (Cynthia Nixon) a letter in his will. Luke wasn’t just a modest man of the cloth; he’d inherited a great fortune. Now that she can save her sister, niece, and nephew from financial ruin, Ada’s the one holding the purse strings in the Van Rhijn household, and it’s already not sitting well with her dear sister Agnes (Christine Baranski).
Once Ada makes the announcement that the Van Rhijns and their house are staying put, loyal butler Bannister (Simon Jones) is the one to clock Ada is the one he answers to now. “Things may be a little different in the future Agnes, but I’m sure we’ll work it out,” Ada says to Agnes. “Are you? Are you really?” Agnes retorts. It’s time to pick a side: Team Agnes or Team Ada.
Who will be brave enough to battle Mrs. Russell next?
Is Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) defeated for good? Mrs. Russell got the crowd and the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) to the Met, leaving the Academy of Music crowd in a sparse theater, with some even leaving. “American society has been reinvented tonight and you are at the very heart of it,” Mrs. Fish (Ashlie Atkinson) says to Bertha Russell. Mrs. Russell might have a huge target on her back, but who would dare cross the woman that reinvigorated New York society?
Is this the last we’ve seen of Mrs. Winterton (aka Turner)?
Erm, we hope not! We only get a few glimpses of Mrs. Winterton (Kelley Curran) toward the end of the finale, griping about not getting the center box at the Met she was promised. (Guess who got it? That’s right. Mrs. Russell.) “I won’t forget it,” she says ominously. We don’t think she will either. Mrs. Winterton might be the one person who is willing, and ready, to take on Bertha Russell.
Was Gladys used as a bargaining chip?
We have a very bad feeling the answer to this one is a resounding yes. In the final act of the episode, just as the opera Faust by Charles Gounod begins, Bertha instructs her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) to show the Duke of Buckingham her program, after she’s spotted waving at Billy Carlton. (RIP, Billy. You never stood a chance!) Between some vague discussion between Bertha and her husband George (Morgan Spector) about how she got Buckingham to the Met, even George can’t help but wonder why his innocent Gladys must pay special attention to the duke. Something’s up. Perhaps Faust serves as an extension of what Bertha’s done to her daughter. In the opera, Faust makes a deal with the devil to gain riches and knowledge beyond belief, only to live to regret it. Did Bertha essentially sell Gladys over to the duke in order to win her opera war and win over New York society? It’s not looking good for sweet, innocent Gladys.
Where does Oscar go from here?
Oscar (Blake Riston) began the season in the hopes of wooing Gladys Russell and winning her (and her fortune), forsaking a life with his partner John Adams (Claybourne Elder). But Mr. Russell, ever the good daddy, had something to say about that. Now that he’s been swindled by Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom), the scammer of the century, we have a feeling the stars might align for Oscar to go back to the Russells and get back into Gladys’ good graces, especially if things don’t go well with the duke—because, how could they go right? The few times Oscar mentions how he won’t survive disgracing his mother by losing her fortune are pretty confusing. And the few mentions of skeletons and ghouls he utters upon entering the Academy of Music? Let’s hope Oscar has more schemes left in him and finds the resolve he seems to need for Season 3.
What’s next for Peggy Scott?
From beginning to end, it was a turbulent season for Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), to say the least. By the Season 2 finale, Peggy makes the difficult decision to leave The Globe newspaper amid her burgeoning and reciprocated romantic feelings for her married editor, Mr. Fortune (Sullivan Jones). But Peggy lets slip something exciting she has in the works. She mentions a novel she’s been putting off for far too long. So, is Peggy Scott the reporter about to become Peggy Scott the author? Searching for literary agents? Going to publishers? Becoming the celebrated novelist she’s destined to be? It’s time to see Peggy take center stage in The Gilded Age.
Will we see more of Mrs. Bruce and Mr. Borden’s relationship?
Between Jack’s clock, Mr. Watson seemingly exiting a life of service, and a few more storylines from the people who make these grand houses run, the blossoming romance between Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Mr. Borden (Douglas Sills) is one of the happy surprises of the season. The fireworks? The music? I don’t think I’ve seen anything hotter than Mr. Borden kissing Mrs. Bruce’s gloved hand at the opera. These two are headed for full-blown romance, and we better see more of it in Season 3.
Are Larry and Marian endgame?
Well, this question is pretty much sealed with a kiss at the end of the season. We could have a real Montague and Capulet situation on our hands if this one fully plays out, and all signs seem to point to a Larian get-together. Throughout Season 2, we got hints here and there that there is something more between Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry (Harry Richardson), two young New Yorkers of old and new money. Both had their hearts broken, both relied upon their neighborly bond—“good friends,” this and that. But there’s something more between these two. If Aunt Ada is to “be the rule by which” Marian judges her future partner, Larry and Marian’s romance is way more imminent than we thought.
