The Gilded Age season 2 finale: Breakups, shakeups, and make-ups
“In Terms Of Winning And Losing” officially crowns the queen of the opera wars
TV Reviews The Gilded Age
“Our day of reckoning is finally here!” We’ve made it, Big Hat Hive: the finale of The Gilded Age round two and, at long last, the epic final battle of our season-spanning war between the Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera. And the ep kicks off immediately with a battle cry: “She’s a thief! Mrs. Astor has taken my Duke of Buckingham!” Bertha (Carrie Coon) roars upon receiving word that her token royal has decided to side with the enemy and will be attending the Academy’s opening night instead of joining Bertha’s box at the Met.
And she’s not the only one reeling: House van Rhijn is also very much freaking out, not just over the passing of Ada’s beloved Reverend Forte (Robert Sean Leonard) but also the loss of the family fortune per Oscar’s dumb-dumb business investment. Though their financial advisor assures them that they’re not as “ruined” as Agnes (Christine Baranski) has been catastrophizing, he does suggest that she sell her mansion for more modest lodging, maybe somewhere downtown. (Gasp!)
As you can well imagine, this does very little to appease Mrs. van Rhijn, who has been laying the riches-to-rags histrionics on thick: “So this is to be the end of my story. I survive my feckless brother and marry a man who was not easy so that I might live a life that was dignified and secure, but instead I am to be turned out of my bed to beg for my bread on street corners!” (Theater kids, you better start practicing this speech for those drama-club auditions.)
Now that the family’s finances are a hot damn mess, Agnes & Co. sadly have to tell the staffers that they’ll be losing their jobs once the house is sold. Peggy (Denée Benton) can fall back on her gig at The New York Globe, and Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) is making progress with his clock invention—his patent application has officially been approved and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) has connected him with Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) for business advice—but the older personnel, like Armstrong, are worried about their prospects.
One bit of good news: Agnes’ concerns about how they’re going to pay for Marian’s wedding are alleviated when Dashiell (David Furr) offers to foot the bill himself. But that doesn’t quite mean that Marian’s own concerns about the engagement are dunzo.
Back at the Russells’, Bertha is trying to figure out a plan of attack against Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) and her Academy-loving infantry. But Mr. Gilbert (Jeremy Shamos) has made a strategic misstep: He’s already leaked that the Duke of Buckingham will be Bertha’s guest of honor for the Met’s opening night, even though Mrs. Astor is hellbent on poaching him. Gilbert warns her that the public will simply attend the opening of whoever they believe most, so Bertha will need to metaphorically lace up her combat boots.
She gets just the ammo she needs, however, when Marian lets it slip to Larry that it was actually Mr. McCallister (Nathan Lane) who facilitated the duke’s change of allegiance. She summons the Colonel Sanders cosplayer to explain himself. He spills that Mrs. Astor wooed the duke not only with a hefty sum of money but also her connections: “She’ll open New York for him, she’s opening America…more than you can.” Bertha immediately goes to her hot train daddy to get him to sign a big fat check to wave in front of the duke’s nose, but he refuses. They’ve spent more than enough dough on the opera house already, George (Morgan Spector) tells her. She’ll just have to make the Met a success without him.
And hers isn’t the only battle waged this week: After being informed by a customer that the school board has pushed up its meeting without notifying any of the Black educators, Mr. Scott (John Douglas Thompson) gathers Peggy, Dorothy (Audra McDonald) and the rest of the troops to infiltrate the assembly. After bringing forth all of their research and arguments, the teachers are victorious—well, sort of. Two out of the three Black schools will remain open. After the familial tumultuousness that the Scotts have weathered this season, it’s nice seeing the trio reconcile over their shared win.
But their group reunion is offset by a breakup: that between Peggy and her married editor/makeout partner Mr. Fortune (Sullivan Jones). “We both have work to do and we need no distractions,” she tells him before resigning from the newspaper. What will she do now? Our girl is gonna be a non-homewrecking novelist. Yay!
And the breaks keep coming. You guessed it: Marian and Dashiell are splitsville. After the latter accidentally pulled a Ross Gellar and referred to Marian by another woman’s name (that would be his late wife, Harriet), Marian realizes that the widower is very much still in love with his former bride and that she herself is very much not in love with him. Her feelings aren’t like those between Ada and Luke, she tells her aunt, who tearfully responds: “That makes me proud, to be the rule by which you judge these things.” Weeping, bye.
That leaves Marian free to attend the Metropolitan’s big opening night with Larry—yes, you read that correctly. Ms. Brook is going against her Aunt Agnes’ wishes and skipping out on the Academy affair altogether. And it looks like she’s far from the only one: Everyone from Aurora Fane (Kelli O’Hara) to Mrs. Fish (Ashlie Atkinson) is defecting from the low-attendance Academy shindig (“Is this it? Really?” Mrs. Fish shades) to join the Met brigade, much to the old guard’s horror. And, yes, even the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) sides with Bertha, showing up dramatically late to join the Russells in their central opera box. (BTW, suck on that, Turner!) It looks like that secret little visit Bertha made to the Duke’s hotel earlier clearly paid off, but exactly what did she offer him to sway his fealty?
Following Bertha’s big victory, Larry walks Marian home from the opera and has some success of his own: finally laying a smooch on her. This writer doesn’t entirely see the chemistry that other viewers are harping on about but their ship name will be “Marry,” which is obnoxiously cute. Their makeout is interrupted, however, by news that both Ada and Agnes are waiting for their niece with an important announcement. It seems that the Reverend Forte wasn’t just a hot man of god—the dude was a secretly loaded hot man of god, thanks to a grandfather who made a fortune in textiles back in Boston, and that fortune has been left entirely to Ada.
House van Rhijn breaks out in cries of relief: They don’t have to sell their house, they can keep their staff, and, in the words of one Renata Klein, they will not not be rich. Even Bannister (Simon Jones) cheers—that is, before checking if that’s okay with his new boss. Yup, now that Ada’s the one with the deep pockets, she’s the Head Bitch in Charge in the Van Rhijn residence. “Things may be a little different in the future, Agnes,” Ada beams into Christine Baranski’s horrified face. And scene!
And that, my friends, is the end of The Gilded Age season two. Will we get a third? I’m praying to the big-hat gods as we speak.
Stray observations
- Sure, Marian and Larry might on paper be the hot new couple of the week, but it’s Chef Borden (Douglas Sills) and Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger)—who adorably attend the Met opening together after Bertha gifts the housekeeper two free orchestra seats—that we’re squeeing over.
- We barely got an introduction to Bertha’s new lady’s maid this week, but we did get a swift but sweet goodbye to George’s valet: Watson (Michael Cerveris) has officially taken his leave and will be spending the rest of his days with his daughter and grandchildren.
- Speaking of George, we sadly didn’t get a whole lot of Hot Beard in the finale but him flirtily telling Bertha, “When you talk [angry] like that, you make me nervous,” is straight-up sexier than most Bridgerton episodes.
- Mrs. Fish reads The Sun because “where else can [she] find all of the divorces?” Icon.
46 Comments
So–color me stupid–but what on earth did Bertha do to get the Duke to change his mind?
I think she dangled a marriage with her daughter and a fat dowry along with it.
Yes, of course you’re right. I figured it out right after I typed my question.
Yup. And if the writers are basing Gladys’ character after Consuelo Vanderbilt, we’re in for a juicy war between Gladys and her mother.
Probably that. Although my mind did wander in more vulgar directions if only to get back at the husband over the kinda sorta affair.
Gladys is now a buccaneer. I’d watch a spin-off of Gladys and some buccaneer friends running around England.
This writer doesn’t entirely see the chemistry that other viewers
are harping on about but their ship name will be “Marry,” which is
obnoxiously cute. Marry or Larian.
I vote for Larian. It’s more entertaining.
If it’s Larian, the next season will take 5 years to make but will be totally worth the wait.
I’m here for a slow-burn to their courtship as their two houses come together, so long as Christine Baranski chews up as much scenery as is humanly possible along the way.
Speaking of George, we sadly didn’t get a whole lot of Hot Beard in the finale…But he did showcase dat azz (in tight slacks) when Bertha visited him in his office…
This shot made me laugh so hard. I can imagine the director behind the camera. “Just hold for one minute. Just like that …………… OK, got it.”Also, you know George has an Equinox stashed somewhere in that big old house.
YES. Almost gasped out loud when he stood up.
It seems that the Reverend Forte wasn’t just a hot man of god—the dude was a secretly loaded hot man of god, thanks to a grandfather who made a fortune in textiles back in Boston, and that fortune has been left entirely to Ada.lmao. Julian Fellowes sure doesn’t believe in surprising his audiences. I remember in Downton Abbey he tried make the possibility of Mary downgrading from 50 room house to a 15 room sound like the worst possible thing that could ever happen!
If I recall he has a hereditary title and is married to a descendant of Lord Kitchner, I think relatability to anyone not upper upper middle class exited his soul long ago.
Before watching this episode, I called out to my girlfriend that the Van Rynes’ catastrophic financial situation at the end of the previous one, would be somehow neatly resolved by the end of the finale. I turned out to be right but it was easy since that’s how most things go on this series!
The late Reverend Swire Forte to the rescue! Points for consistency, Mr. Fellowes.
For what it’s worth, I don’t see the same chemistry between Marian and Larry that other people seem to see either. They have a great relationship, but there’s just something missing between them, and especially in Larry in my opinion. I know they are about the same age, but Larry seems so much younger than Marian. I interpreted their relationship as sibling-like at first.
Yeah, he seems very boyish. It’s the curls I think. Even with Mrs. Blane it was unrealistic. He IS cute though. Just not that masculine
It is super obvious that Bertha promised the Duke a marriage with Gladys to solve his long term money problems. I think Bertha is underestimating her daughter. I don’t think she will go quietly into that marriage to be a dollar princess. I think Marian and Larry are adorable (Marry <3). Larry seems like such a great guy. Modern, caring, handsome, he is the total dream boat. I can see those two having an equal partnership like Bertha and George. Their eventual marriage will bring old New York and New Money New York together. The power dynamics shift of Agnes and Ada is going to be so fun to watch. Very excited to see where the alarm clock business will go as well. Season 3 is going to be juicy!
The Russells are thought to be a thinly veiled representation of the real-life Vanderbilts. They didn’t have far to look for a plot twist. Look up Consuelo Vanderbilt and you’ll see… Gladys may not go quietly but she may indeed have to go! That little smile on Ada at the end was just perfect. It is incredible how these intertwining plot lines are still being struggled with in the world today. I can see myself as Mrs Fish, always interested in what is happening on every level of society.
I know that the Russell family is supposed to represent a new money family like the Vanderbilts. That doesn’t mean the story will be exactly the same!
You may be right but Bertha has a way of getting her way no matter what, and woman were expected to obey protocol whether they liked it or not… Also why bother completely mimicking a true historical account if you are not going to follow through? Seems like an odd plot line to use if you won’t exploit it for dramatic effect!?
This show doesn’t follow history to the T as it wants to be on “the good side.” Look what they did with the union story. In reality those workers would have been slaughtered. Instead they had George appear as “good guy” who knew the gains he gave would essentially be cancelled in 6 months.
I understand your point—-it isn’t being followed to the letter, but putting aside the historical aspect, the tension unfolding between a high minded mother and a daughter—equally high minded but caught in a time and place which allows her little or no wiggle room when it comes to society and expectations for marriage and arrangements is worth every bit of drama and pathos the writers could extract from the scenario. Bertha basically sold her daughter for prestige, and doesn’t really have any consideration for a Plan B. It would be against norms and ruin a good plotline if Gladys was reduced to a….NOPE.
George told Gladys he would support whatever choice she made for a husband when he convinced her against marrying Oscar though, even if it went against what her mother wanted. We’ve already seen he’s the only one who can tell Bertha NO in the end and he’s dead set on Gladys finding a love match.
Would love for her finding love to be true but there was also the very clear directive by Bertha to George (paraphrasing in essence) “You handle THAT (railroad stuff) and I’ll take care of THIS (societal interludes). As I said knowing the emotionally dramatic swoops of Fellows, who is staying true to societal convention so far—it would be a much better character arc, with all the surrounding angst if Gladys was forced into a marriage of convenience, rather than go against what was the historic norm of the time to defy her family and risk losing her inheritance. Also, it has been mentioned, a good name lost, may be lost forever…Women in the era did not receive many changes and certainly were not able to call their own shots for the most part.
NO, but so far, it has been pretty much that. Consuelo Vanderbilt was forced to marry the 9th Duke of Marlborough, and later the marriage was dissolved. The Duke’s second wife was named Gladys.
I mean, Bertha got what she needed from the Duke. Gladys can do whatever she wants. What’s the Duke going to do? The Met’s already a hit. And you know George isn’t going to put up with that nonsense.
Seems like it sets up a potential big conflict between George and Bertha, since George has promised to support Gladys’ eventual choice about who she loves and wants to marry, and in any case wouldn’t take kindly to the idea of her being pimped out to the Duke in exchange for his just showing up that night.
I used to make mild fun of the folk who loved and religiously followed Downton Abbey.Having watched the first season of this show, and now the second season during a very tough fall/early winter (professionally, personally – everything will be fine, just a lot at once), I get it now.This show has been so remarkably cozy and fun to follow – sure, the pacing can get a bit slow, but I’m never truly bored, and often times I find myself oddly delighted by the smallest things the characters encounter.
It just felt so nice to cuddle up on the couch with my partner and watch this. I hope there’s at least one more season.
Low stakes are underrated.
Very well said. It’s just refreshing to focus on small but important stakes, rather than world-threatening stuff.
I say this being a white person and knowing that the storylines involving black folk obviously have CONSIDERABLY higher stakes than “Which opera house wins”, of course!
I’m sorry, but Oscar falling victim to a con was a far more compelling plot line than the whole Academy vs. Met drama, and to have it undermined by a literal deus ex machina like that was just disappointingly lazy.
The purpose of that plotline was to pave the way for the power dinamic to change between Agnes and Ada. This is not the kind of show that would realistically explore the consequences of the con.
This. Was it a literal deus ex machina? Yes. But worth it to see the script flip and explore what it will be like for meek Ada, always under her sister’s thumb, to be the one wielding power. That is gonna be fun to see.
Well, not literally, but jokingly so in the sense that Luke was a “man of god.”
agreed – there was no indication that the rev was anything other than what he appeared to be. It was just completely random. Very disappointing.
That’s what I said to my gal too after the episode, about the literal deus ex machina!
The rev being loaded and Ada having the upper hand over her sister–someone totally predicted that last week in the comments I believe. Well done! I wonder what sort of drama will be in store for Miss Brook next year.
After 17 episodes, the kiss that i’ve been waiting for has finally happened. Now, i’ll be looking forward to the ridonculously ostentacious wedding between Marion and Larry.
My favorite part about this show is how the Russells — all very attractive people — literally have the most hilariously homely names. Bertha? Larry? Gladys? I mean, it makes George sound downright sexy by comparison.
My grandmother is named Myrtle and she was a hotsy-totsy back in her day
I have the same feeling. I mean I’m sure they were considered attractive and modern names at the time, but “Bertha” and “Gladys” at least, unlike some archaic-sounding names of that era, haven’t come back into fashion and so still sound old-fashioned and dowdy.
There’s a new sheriff in town, Agnes. So buckle up. I figured this was how the Van Rhijns would be saved. Pastor Luke was a secret millionaire. I wondered if they would get into the British royalty marrying the rich daughters of Americans to save their fortunes and homes, ie Lady Grantham of that PBS show from a few years back. And two of the staff of the Russell’s starting a relationship. Fellowes is turning into the Aaron Sorkin of prestigious tv drama. I do like Marian and Larry hooking up. Good marriages sometimes start as great friendships.
Mr. Borden and Mrs. Bruce are lovely together but their dialogue is honestly THE WORST. Celia Keenan-Bolger and Douglas Sills are legendary Broadway people and as cute as this little storyline is, I wish Fellowes would give them something real people would actually say. Sills is the Scarlet Pimpernel, for pete’s sake!