Of course, the big looming plot is the wedding, the wedding that Gladys does not want. It is going to be quite interesting to see how the young lady is going to adapt to her new life as a Duchess. Will she just kow-tow and be miserable, and will she give her mother grief over it every step of the way? But at the onset of this episode, she is still unsure if she will go through with it.
Larry invites his aunt, Monica O’Brien (Merrit Wever, pictured), to the wedding, though Bertha considers her estranged sister ill-suited to New York society. What does that have to do with her attending her niece’s wedding? Surely you can tolerate her presence that long? Oh, right, this is Bertha Russell we are dealing with here. No, she can’t. Hector’s snobbish sister, Lady Sarah (Hattie Morahan), also arrives for the wedding. So, guests are starting to assemble, and this is a big society to-do. Bertha is in all of her glory, and Gladys is left without a say.
One certainty in this series is that Larry has to always find ways to keep Marian Brook close, and preferably in the Russell home. So, at Larry’s urging, Bertha recruits Marian to replace a sick bridesmaid. Yeah, how lucky is Larry? Now, if he can just get Marian to make a commitment. Another certainty is that Agnes will be outraged about something Ada has done. This time it is over the fact that, upon Mrs. Bauer’s connections, Ada is consulting a clairvoyant named Madame Dashkova (Andrea Martin). If you recall, in the last installment, Ada lamented over missing her late husband still. The cook thus offers her comfort and aid by introducing her to Madame. Parlor mysticism and scam schemes were popular at that time.
Though the episode wants to keep us focused on the marriage, there are other plots just as interesting. Yes, marriage is a gamble, as our episode title states, but life is a gamble too. Jack has taken a gamble and it has paid off. Jack and Larry sell the clock patent for $600,000. For now, we see Jack playing his cards close to his vest. What does this mean for his future? Does he abandon the life he has known as a footman, or boldly step out as a wealthy man of the city? In contrast is Aurora Fane (Kelli O’Hara), whose marriage is dissolving despite her resistance, putting her status & station in jeopardy. Even the great Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) is gambling with conflict. She becomes irate when her married daughter Charlotte (Hannah Shealy, pictured) is linked to a scandal. This, most likely, is a historical fact. If that blossoms into anything at this late hour is unknown, but it proves that even the mighty can get shaken. Also complicating things is Mrs. Winterton, Bertha’s former maid, when Bertha’s sister arrives and Mrs. Kirkland (Phylicia Rashad) is still ruffling the Scott’s feathers.
It seems everyone’s relationships are in conflict, doesn’t it? As we reach the halfway point, we ask, how do they all resolve?
