#TGA spoilers

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

George to Gladys: I will let Oscar down gently

George to Oscar: Get fucked, Mr. Van Rhijn

[laurabenanti]

LAURA BENANTI as SUSAN BLANE 02.02 - some sort of trick

[servants-hall]

The Gilded Age 2x03

[likehandlingroses]

can I say it now: we can’t let that man get married he doesn’t have the constitution for it

[veronicaleighauthor]

Embracing My Inner Marian Brook

SPOILER ALERT!!!

First of all, Praise Jesus, we’re getting a Season 3 for “The Gilded Age!”

::WARNING:: ::THIS IS A LONG RAMBLING POST::

::sighs::

I can’t believe Season 2 of “The Gilded Age” is over. Why did we get nine episodes in Season 1, but only eight in Season 2?!?!?! Not that another episode would have been enough for me. The costumes, the snobbery, the grandeur, the upstairs/downstairs relations – I love it all. It may even surpass my love for “Downton Abbey.” I think it’s because I’m American and this is based in America, and we just don’t have the period dramas that Britain has. We had “Mercy Street” for only two seasons – I’m still not over the cancelation of that show. Anyway, I can easily get lost in the show’s world, even though my ancestors of that era were farmers, laborers, and factory workers in the Midwest. There’s a derogatory comment made in Season 1, that in the past, Bertha Russell dug her own potatoes before she married George and they made their fortune. My people would be closer to that than anyone else on the show.

Last season, I was really drawn to Peggy Scott’s character. I still adore her, but during my rewatch of season one and watching this season, I’ve realized something. My personality is closer to Marian Brook’s. According to a Myer-Brigg’s personality test, I’m an INFJ-T and though I’ve searched around on line, I found only one site that claimed Marian was an INFP. We’re not twins, but I really feel I’m closer to her in personality than I am with any other character on the show. Except maybe Gladys Russell. I might be similar to Gladys…Poor girl.

We’re introduced to Marian Brook in Season 1 when her father dies and she learns she’s left with nothing. Her world is turned upside down. She receives a letter from her Aunt Ada in New York; it contains a train ticket and encouragement to come live with her and her older sister, Agnes van Rhijn. Marian accepts, arrives in the city with Peggy Scott who helps her on the journey, and she is thrust into New York society. Since Agnes married into an Old Money family, Marian is considered part of that family by connection. She makes friends with the Russell siblings across the street, who are New Money! She is also friendly with Mrs. Chamberlain, who broke the rules and is ostracized. ::gasps:: As she navigates society, an attorney friend from her hometown in Pennsylvania, Tom Raikes (who lives up to his surname) shows up and much to Agnes’ disapproval, he pursues Marian. She is persuaded to believe she is in love, and maybe in a sense she was. Maybe it was a first love kind of thing. The audience, and Aunt Agnes especially, knows something isn’t quite right. Tom proposes, Marian accepts, and an elopement is planned and attempted…Well, Marian follows through with the plan, Tom fails to show up and later dares to show his face at Mrs. Russell’s ball. ::boo, hiss, boo:: Marian is brokenhearted, but she’s young and resourceful, she will heal.

Season 2 opens and as the Opera War is being waged, we discover that Tom Raikes is newly married and though Marian is a little affected, she is moving on. She has taken a position teaching water colors painting at a school. ::gasps:: Aunt Agnes is horrified. No one from an Old Money family works. It’s not done, it’s not genteel. While Marian loves her life in New York and the society she belongs to, she finds purpose in teaching her class. It eventually involves into teaching other pupils how to read and write. Just when she finds her place in the world, a cousin of hers (or is it a nephew) by marriage, Dashiell Montgomery arrives on the scene. Newly widowed and the father of a daughter, he soon sets his sights on Marian as a prospective second wife. Marian appreciates his company and likes him and his daughter (despite them insulting her by saying “she’s not a real teacher” and making an off-handed comment that the poor people can wait to learn to read, her attendance at this fancy gathering is necessary). Dashiell is…not a bad man, and in Aunt Agnes’ eyes, he’s a good catch. I have a hard time getting past the Tsar Nicholas II beard that he sports (I swear, whenever he was on the scene, all I could think of was Tsar Nicholas II). But when he puts Marian on the spot by proposing to her in public, to be kind and show compassion to his daughter who desires the match, she accepts…

When the van Rhijn’s encounter financial troubles, I feared Marian would be pressured to continue with the engagement. Thankfully, she waited for a private moment to part ways with him. Aunt Agnes reminds Marian she must be careful – her reputation has taken two hits, society won’t accept a third. But she is free. Free to teach, to help with social causes, to perhaps find love with the Russell boy.

The internet seems divided about Marian’s personality type. One site claims she is a INFP and that’s close to what I am. In my recent binges of the show, I have seen parallels between our personalities. She seems more traditional at first, relying first upon her father and then Aunt Agnes for support. She and Peggy Scott befriend and support one another, yet it is not without some troubles. Though Marian believes all people are created equal and treats them as such, she originally thinks Peggy is poor and calls on her at the Scott family home bringing a “charity bag.” Thankfully their falling out only lasts an episode or two. We are horrified when she misses the racism Peggy faces at a shop she likes to buy from. A well-meaning person, she misjudges Tom Raikes. The audience can see he’s more in love with New York society than he is Marian herself. This nearly leads her into scandal. When Dashiell obviously begins to pursue her, rather than bluntly dissuade him, she permits his attentions because he does some kind things and he’s closely connected to her aunts. For me, that one hits close to home. Marian is nice, but when compared with the more dynamic Bertha Russell or force of nature Agnes van Rhijn, she doesn’t stand out.

A Collider article criticizes her for being the “least interesting character.” I initially overlooked her too. Maybe it was my acceptance of that I’m closer to Fanny Price of “Mansfield Park” than say Elizabeth Bennet of “Pride and Prejudice,” encouraged me to give Marian Brook of “The Gilded Age” a second look. Marian is more introverted; she often has her nose in complicated books like Henry James’ “The Portrait of a Lady” and she doesn’t make waves until she really has to. She enjoys fashion and pretty things, wishing for a fancy fan, that Bertha later gifts her. When pressed, she will stand her ground and fight for herself and others. The criticisms she’s received from articles and online comments, reminds me of the criticisms I received over the years. That I was too shy, not outgoing enough, that I rarely talked, that I could be a Miss Priss. I don’t always have the best judgment about people and I can be swayed into doing what others wish. I prefer to handle things privately.

You know what, there’s nothing wrong with being shy, introverted, reserved, traditional, etc, etc. Shy girls deserve a place in the narrative too. Marian Brook is this “least interesting” girl’s favorite character. I can’t wait to see what Season 3 has in store for her. ::sighs:: 2024 is going to be a long year.

Who is your favorite character from “The Gilded Age?”

[malspinningyarns]

Larry, don’t sleep with your clients. This can only blow up in your face.

Like, sleep with older women, fine. Just don’t sleep with people who will owe you money.

[bookwormchocaholic]

Okay, I've only seen episode one of The Gilded Age Season Two... but hasn't Peggy suffered enough?!?!?!

[dnickels]

Intertextual but somehow the text is House MD

[tgabingo]

THE GILDED AGE Season 2 Bingo

2.03 - Head to Head

The bingo recap for 2.03 - Head to Head has been posted!

Send an ask to this blog or reply to this post to receive a bingo card if you haven't yet! More information here.

[auroravanrhijn]

Possible inspiration for Maud Beaton?

Someone on the tga subreddit mentioned Winnaretta Singer as a possible inspiration for the character of Maude Beaton so, I decided to look into it. If Maud is a lesbian and she and oscar are headed towards a lavender wedding, Singer would be an interesting source of inspiration.

This is an interview with a biographer of hers. The biography studies music, so a lot of the vid is her recounting Singer's contribution to music through her salon (at 5:17 they get more into her personal life):

If her life really is inspiration for the oscar plot, we could get a rough idea of what the rest of the season looks like if her life really is inspiration for the oscar plot in season 2. From looking at her second husband Prince Edmond de Polingnac's wikipedia, it seems like he was an older gay man who had had long term relationships with men in the past. Edmond was the inspiration of some famous characters and is described as "using his wit to shield himself from sincere emotion". He seems to have started his relationship with Singer after loosing a lot of money due to bad investments.

With what we know from previews and spoilers and what I found online here is a possible shape of the rest of the season. Maud could be a closet lesbian who wants to marry Oscar for his social pedigree and the freedom he offers. They could become friends and ultimately marry to help solve Oscar's financial situation. They may have a mutually beneficial situation with differing ideas on what marriage is about. If this is the case it could be interesting to see where they differ on the topic of having kids (something oscar cites as his reason for wanting to get married).

Anyway those are my meager findings. If you are interested I for sure recommend reading more about Singer and de Polingnac.

[adamsvanrhijn]

what do you think the context for oscar's collapse is going to be? not what you hope/want, but what you think daddy julian is going to give us?

so i did post about this a lot the other day and that's all in my oscar tag, but, my thought is that it's going to be a mugging of some kind and the purpose is to kick off the Brook Family Trauma throughline we are getting per christine baranski and/or to develop his relationship(/lack of public knowledge thereof) with john. multiple ways this could go but i think him getting beaten up explains the nature of the injuries/wounds we see more than some kind of accident would as well as the utter lack of outerwear. but the fact that it's broad daylight on easter sunday gives plenty of reason for doubt here

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

I need Larry Russell biblically and not enough people talk about him. His dark, curly hair??? His sweet smile??? I’m SCREAMING.

I think many of us are more focused on his da- *ahem* father

But Larry is a dear. He reminds me of an 1880s Jonas Brother. I don't know why. He'a just got the look.

I think he came off as very golly-gee-wilikers during the first season, but I think his affair with Mrs. Blaine will shift that a bit

[laurabenanti]

Susan Blane and Larry Russell in The Gilded Age, 2x03

[servants-hall]

The Gilded Age, 2x08

[likehandlingroses]

Oscar Wilde calling Oscar OUT- “that is a weasel word” get himmmmm

[servants-hall]

Clip of the George and Bertha scene:

FIRST LOOK AT SEASON THREE

Starting minute 1:01