Warning: SPOILERS for The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 3 - “Love Is Never Easy.”
The most saddening to watch inThe Gilded Ageseason 3 is Gladys Russell’s ongoing relationship struggles and fights with her mother, Bertha Russell. Bertha is one of the most entertainingcharacters inThe Gilded Age, but she can be quite ruthless in her pursuit of what she wants and what she thinks is best, even if it means making her daughter unhappy.
Bertha’s ruthlessness became all too clear inThe Gilded Ageseason 2’s ending, when she promised Hector, Duke of Buckingham, that he could marry Gladys in exchange for a hefty dowry from her husband, George Russell. This helped Bertha win the opera war, but it set up a dire predicament for the Russells' only daughter. Gladys ran away from home inThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 1, but her would-be fiancé, Billy Carlton, subsequently broke up with her in episode 2. Still,the betrayal that hurts Gladys most is from the man she believed would protect her.
George Russell Betrayed Gladys In The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 3
Gladys Was Counting On Her Father To Help Her
George Russell had made it clear that he wanted his daughter to have a love marriage, despite his wife having other ideas. In George’s mind, because he and Bertha married for love and have been happy, he wanted his daughter to experience that same happiness. It comes as a big surprise, then, that inThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 3,George ultimately gives up trying to stop Gladys' marriage to Hector, the Duke of Buckingham.
Faced with any obstacle, Gladys' mother, Bertha Russell, has used every means in her power to ensure she gets what she wants, and her daughter’s future marriage is no different. However, it did seem like George would be the stopgap Gladys could rely on to stop her mother’s scheming. Believing her father to be on her side,it is not until one small moment in episode 3 that Gladys realizes the extent of George’s betrayal.
This moment occurs late inThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 3, after Bertha convinces the Duke to return to the Russell home to accept George’s previous offer of payment to Buckingham. In this, Bertha not only signs away her daughter’s marriage choice, but also the money George had set aside as allowance for her. Upon entering the room and realizing what has happened,Gladys notes how cold she feels while staring directly at her father, forcing him to see how betrayed and alone she feels.
Gladys' Painting Reveal And Broken Pearls Hint At What’s To Come For The Character
Gladys Seems Close To Snapping Under The Pressure
Shortly after Gladys realizes that she will be married to the Duke regardless of what she wants,Gladys' painting fromThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 1, is set to be unveiled as part of an event to announce her engagement. The painting itself represents Gladys' transition into adulthood, and,despite how beautiful she looks, her portrait also looks rather sad. Gladys' painting shows her as an elegant, refined woman, but there is also a sense of loneliness in the painting and the scene more generally.
While everyone around her is clapping and celebrating Gladys and Hector’s engagement,Gladys herself slowly becomes more visibly agitated. This is most obvious by her repeated fidgeting with her pearls, eventually resulting in the strand breaking and the pearls spilling out onto the floor as the episode’s credits begin to roll. The strand of pearls breaking works well for dramatic effect, and it perfectly captures Gladys' mental state.
Gladys has always felt trapped by the pressure that her mother puts her under.
Gladys has always felt trapped by the pressure that her mother puts her under and has always desired to get away. Now, when faced with the prospect of a marriage to someone she does not love and barely even knows, it feels inevitable that Gladys will falter under the stress. Whether she does actually end up going through with the marriage to the Duke of Buckingham or somehow finds a way out,The Gilded Ageseason 3 is certainly setting up more dramatic and stressful moments for Gladys Russell in the coming episodes.
