TV Romance
‘The Gilded Age’ Romance Refresh: Where Do All the Couples Stand Ahead of Season 3?
The Gilded Age was a bit of a slow burn for a while there, but the Season 2 finale was nothing short of explosive, especially when it came to all the romances.
We saw an engagement end and a new relationship begin in the blink of an eye. At the same time, someone cut off the affair they were having with a married man. And don’t even get us started on all the drama between the married couples, especially Bertha (Carrie Coon) and George (Morgan Spector). If the final moments of Season 2 is any indication, they’re in for a tumultuous Season 3.
With how much went down last season — and how many characters there are to keep track of — we don’t blame you if you can’t remember where every couple stands ahead of the Season 3 premiere. That’s why we’ve created this nifty recap, which you can consult before tuning into the HBO period drama on Sunday. Thank us later!
The Gilded Age, Season 3 Premiere, Sunday, June 22, HBO
Marian Brook & Larry Russell
Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry (Harry Richardson) finally kissed in the Season 2 finale, after the show hinted at a potential romance from the very first episode. (They had the most adorable meet cute.)
The pair became close friends, and they each had their own love interests throughout Seasons 1 and 2. Last season, Marian even got engaged to Cousin Dashiell (David Furr), which she ultimately broke off. Thinking Marian might have to move away — more on that later — Larry initiated a kiss.
Since Marian and her family will remain in the van Rhijn house in Season 3, we’re excited to see where her relationship with Larry goes.
George & Bertha Russell
George and Bertha saw their fair share of problems in Season 2. The matriarch was ruthless in her goal to climb the social ladder by funding the Metropolitan Opera, and while George supported her, it caused some strain between them.
Plus, in Season 2, Bertha found out that her former maid snuck into her husband’s bed to seduce him, While George shut it down, he kept it a secret from his wife. Naturally, she felt betrayed.
Although Bertha came out on top in the opera war, the finale suggested that it was not the end of her problems. She used her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) to make sure the Duke came to the Met’s opening night, suggesting that Bertha’s going to marry her off. George is very much of the mind that his daughter should marry for love, so it’s bound to cause more problems between him and his wife in Season 3.
Peggy Scott & Timothy Thomas Fortune
When Peggy’s (Denée Benton) writing caught the attention of New York Globe editor T. Thomas Fortune (Sullivan Jones), they started a professional relationship. He assigned her to cover to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and accompanied her. After a lynch mob went after them, they hid together and shared a kiss.
However, Fortune’s a married man, and Peggy resolved to put an end to their affair in the finale and also stepped away from her role at the newspaper.
Ada & Luke Forte
Spinster Ada (Cynthia Nixon) found a sweet romance with reverend Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard) in Season 2, but it was cut short when he died from cancer.
In the finale, Ada discovered that Luke hailed from a textile magnate, which left him an enormous fortune. Ada inherited it, saving her family from the aforementioned financial disaster.
Gladys Russell & Billy Carlton
The Season 2 finale featured Gladys beginning to form a connection with Billy Carlton (Matt Walker), whom she met at a few dances and events. He comes from old money, which should please her mother. When Bertha noticed Gladys ignoring the Duke for Billy at the Met opening, she was far from happy, though.
Dorothy & Arthur Scott
The beginning of the show saw Peggy estranged from her parents — her father (John Douglas Thompson) wasn’t supportive of her marriage to a worker at his pharmacy. Arthur forced Peggy’s husband to dissolve their marriage and, not wanting a pregnant Peggy to become a single mother, arranged for their baby to be adopted. In Season 2, Peggy found out that her son wasn’t stillborn like her father led her to believe.
Learning of her husband’s deception, Dorothy’s (Audra McDonald) relationship with Arthur was left strained at the end of Season 2. He did do Peggy a solid in the finale, helping her advocate for Black schools, which Dorothy appreciated
Long story short, they’re working on it.
Jack Trotter and Bridget (or Adelheid)
Though Jack’s (Ben Ahlers) more focused on getting his alarm clock invention off the ground in Season 2, there were some suggestions of romance.
He and maid Bridget (Taylor Richardson) spent a night out together, and while he expressed his interest in her, she turned down his advances. She revealed that she was sexually abused in the past. So, at the end of the season, they remained coworkers and friends.
Jack did, however, begin flirting with a maid of the Russells, Adelheid (Erin Wilhelmi). They’re both ambitious and seem like a good match, but nothing serious has developed between the two yet. Maybe we’ll get a love triangle in Season 3?
Mrs. Bruce and Borden
The Gilded Age features another burgeoning working-class romance in the form of Russells housekeeper, Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger), and their chef, Borden (Douglas Sills).
Mrs. Bruce supported Borden when it was revealed that he lied about being French to get his job. They had some cute moments, like that time they watched fireworks on a rooftop, but the pair were only just beginning to explore their connection toward the end of Season 2. Borden did kiss her hand at the Met opening, so we have high hopes for them!
Oscar van Rhijn and John Adams
Oscar (Blake Ritson) had a rough time in Season 2 after being scammed out of his fortune — which almost forced his family out of their home. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much luck in the romance department. He and John (Claybourne Elder) were in a secret relationship, and John disapproved of Oscar’s plan to marry a woman (Gladys) for money.
John still cared for Oscar, comforting him after he learned his fortune’s all but gone, but he also seemed to have moved on romantically by the end of Season 2.
