In episode three, season three, of The Gilded Age, the Russell family drama continues as Bertha fights for her daughter to wed well. This episode opens with George in negotiations over Gladys’ dowry. It’s revealed that the Duke clearly wants this marriage for financial reasons and to restore his family’s fortune using Russell family money.

That next morning, George changes the offer to where he agrees to offer more money to the Duke. Even so, this money will be in the name of Gladys, not her husband. George tells the Duke that this is the final offer, and when the royal leaves, it seems that this is the last time he will be seen. This seems to be great news for Gladys, who is glad to have him gone.

With the Duke’s absence, Gladys asks Larry to convince Billy Carlton to discuss marriage once more with their father. However, Billy has made up his mind. It does not matter if Gladys marries the Duke or not, he is not going to advance to get her hand in marriage. This leaves her heartbroken, but she is forced to accept this. Meanwhile, Marian and Larry’s secret romance takes a risky turn when he kisses her as Bertha’s maid walks in on them. While this doesn’t concern Larry, Marian knows that the maid will report this to his mother.

The Van Rhijn Household continues to struggle for power, as now, Ada is the one paying all the bills. Agnes begins to feel excluded, seeing that her name has been removed from charity lists while Ada’s name remains. The sisters clash over household authority, with Ada trying to assert herself as the new head of the family. Amidst this, Ada’s temperance movement begins to struggle. Only Mrs. Armstrong signs her pledge, shocking both sisters. This makes Ada question her overall influence.

In this episode, Peggy and William’s parents meet, and things seemingly begin to go well. This changes when William’s mother inquires about Mr. Scott. He reveals that he started his pharmacy, which is now quite a successful business. After that, he came to the North, following the emancipation of formerly enslaved people. William’s mother’s reaction suggests prejudice against Mr. Scott, as an enslaved person. This instantly creates tension despite the families’ potential compatibility.

Jack, who continues to have financial struggles, accompanies Larry to investor meetings, but faces disappointment when the meeting ends without commitment. Each time, the investors ask for some time to think about it. This disheartens Jack, who was looking forward to peacocking and talking about his watch with the investors.

Bertha continues to worry after the Duke declined George’s offer, especially after she sees him with another family and their single daughter, who are also quite wealthy. Bertha quickly intervenes by meeting with the other family’s patriarch, who then decides he doesn’t want his daughter living abroad. 

Due to Bertha’s keen strategy, the Duke returns to her when she calls, as he now has limited options. Berths persuades the Duke, and George agrees to the marriage despite Gladys’ reluctance. Despite this being an arranged marriage, Gladys finds sympathy for the Duke, as he was honest and upfront with her. She agrees to the marriage, though she remains in distress due to the fragility of this situation. 

This episode concludes with Gladys’ discontent and worry, as she is now unable to marry for love. Her mother’s ambitions have crushed her dreams of love, leading to rising tensions in the Russell family. While these plots develop in this episode, its pacing does fall flat, as there is a large amount of time spent on negotiations for Gladys’ hand that just seem to lead nowhere. Even so, we were able to see Gladys’ character develop while she learns resilience and presents emotional intelligence.  Audiences can expect Gladys to either accept her fate or retreat and run from it as she’s done before, all while themes of money and influence continue. 

Rating: 7.5/10