Yes, I’m behind but still watching, as are many people. Every week, there is a press release stating increased audiences as each episode comes out. It is with that level of interest and continued growth that THE GILDED AGE is already renewed for a fourth season.
I think we all knew that the situation was not going to go in Gladys’ favor. The title is a universal maxim that holds forever true: love is never easy. In some of the key storylines of this season, that maxim is once again proven. Three different situations to prove that point are solidly presented to us now. Glady’s plight has been evident from the beginning, but only escalates here. To assure her a ‘better life & standing’, engagement terms have been settled upon. Due to the manipulations solely managed by her mother, Gladys is set for a loveless marriage to Hector Vere, the Duke of Buckingham. What a lousy way to treat your child. Poor Gladys may end up with more wealth and influence than she knows what to do with, but it could be a life of unhappiness.
Love is never easy, especially if you have tried and failed at it, which is Marian Brooks’ situation. She has had ample opportunity to be courted and wooed, but to no avail in the end. Remember, Tom Raikes jilted her in Season One, and she rejected Dashiell Montgomery due to her and the Van Rhijn financial ruin in Season Two. Now with her friendship with Larry Russell maturing into something more serious, she is not eager to rush into something, as she suspected she did with the other two soured suitors. That, coupled with what society might think of her as a result, leaves her very cautious.
And still a third situation proves the maxim true. It is one I didn’t see coming, but was a strong issue of the time – racial prejudice amongst Blacks. So naturally, we look at Peggy Scott’s situation. I am not ready to say that her time spent with Dr. William Kirkland has bloomed into romantic love, but an infatuation is certainly safe to say. However, the status between the Scotts and the Kirklands proves to be a decisive point. It has to do with their pedigrees. The Scott family is of emancipated lineage, whereas the Kirkland family is of the privileged free Coloreds. Even amongst rich Black folk, there is prejudice, and it might prevent Peggy from seeing where the relationship could go.
Other nice subplots include Chef Borden’s newfound opportunity to woo Mrs. Bruce officially; Ada’s continued grieving over her husband’s death; Jack’s opportunity to patent his clockworks with Larry and his tailor’s aid, and the inkling that Oscar’s future may just be looking up.
