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The Gilded Age Season 3 Kept the Champagne Flowing and the Drama Bubbling
When The Gilded Age Season 3 finished, all I could think about was the fact that I could have easily watched another eight episodes to get me through to the return of fall television.
During its first two seasons, the series played out in the fall and winter, and while any time is a good time for The Gilded Age, there was something enjoyable about having it air during the summer.
Without much else to geek out over, save for a few cable goodies and reality television fare, the series was able to build momentum each week, making its third season the most popular one yet.
Not only was it popular, but it was also the most cohesive and entertaining from an audience perspective.
The season was all about change, from romantic changes to new business ventures and the evolution of society away from the old ways of doing things toward something a little newer and unknown.
It wasn’t a flawless season, but it was indeed solid on all fronts, culminating in one of my favorite hours of the entire season.
In taking a look at the season as a whole, there were certainly more highs than lows, and I’m going to take a look at it all in The Gilded Age Season 3 report card!
Best Episode – The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 8
Season finales should do two things in my book: close out season-long storylines and get audiences excited for what’s to come.
The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 8 did all that and more.
The season has been building toward a changing of the guard, something Bertha has long wanted, as she infiltrated New York society with all the money she could want but not the old-world last name.
With the divorce epidemic hitting hard, Bertha was able to step in to throw the big end-of-season ball, and what should have been her crowning moment was abruptly overshadowed by George’s shocking revelation.
Everything about the hour, from the opening sequence of Dr. Kirkland and company racing to save George’s life, to all the romantic entanglements and George’s decision to leave, was just top-notch, and a fabulous way to cap off an outstanding season.
If we weren’t assured of The Gilded Age Season 4, this could have served as a series finale, but luckily, that was not the case! Instead, there are various stories to pick up on when the series returns, and plenty to keep us talking over the presumably lengthy hiatus.
Worst Episode – The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4
There wasn’t really a BAD episode this season, but The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4 was a rather sad affair, as we had to see everyone pretend like everyone wanted to see Gladys get married while she barely made it down the aisle.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this one, and it served as the midpoint of the season, but it wasn’t quite as compelling as some of the other hours.
The wedding came about so quickly, and we didn’t necessarily need to see the two exchange vows or anything, but Gladys marrying the Duke has been in the works for so long that it felt anticlimactic for it to all be over in a matter of seconds.
This episode was noteworthy, though, as it was the one where George seemed to really be over Bertha, as from this point forward, he became more and more detached from his wife.
So, while it was a turning point hour, it wasn’t all that entertaining.
Best Romance – Peggy and Dr. Kirkland
If you’ve been following my musings this season, then you’ll know that I adore Peggy Scott.
She is such a vibrant and fascinating character, and one of the sweetest things this season was seeing her developing relationship with Dr. Kirkland.
The two met during The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 1, under less than ideal circumstances, when Peggy fell ill.
From there, the two embarked on a charming courtship, and even though it was tested mightily by Dr. Kirkland’s dearest mother, played to wicked perfection by Phylicia Rashad, their love found a way.
Peggy’s not always had it easy, and even when things went south for her and her beau, he showed up for her. And now we get to plan a wedding next season!
Well, not us, but they’d better actually give us the whole shebang this time! I want all the fluffy vows and sweet kisses for my favorite Peggy!
Worst Romance – George and Bertha Russell
It pains me to say this, but George and Bertha, once the series’ most in-love couple, completely deteriorated this season, and it was a train wreck in every sense of the word.
George and Bertha are so similar, and it’s one of the things that has always made their dynamic work. They understand each other more than anyone else, and in ways that many others may not.
But there was a vast disconnect this season, and it was rooted in Bertha’s duplicitous scheming to ensure that Gladys married the Duke and not the man she was in love with.
Even though George eventually relented, even helping to convince Gladys that she was making the right decision in going through with the marriage, each hour you could see him growing more and more resentful of his wife.
He pushed her away, and while you could chalk it up to him being mad at her for her various schemes, he was madder at himself for going along with them.
Their confrontation at the end of the finale was a long time coming, and while Bertha was rightfully upset, it was fascinating to see her so surprised.
She seemed to assume that George would always be there and always understand, but she failed to see just how much George had been changing, and only changed more after he was almost killed.
These two will more than likely find their way back to each other, but they need to have some serious conversations about how they communicate, and also really get to the heart of who they are and whether or not they’re compatible at this stage of their lives.
Most Frustrating Storyline – Larry and Marion’s Aborted Engagement
Larry and Marion have been dancing around each other for a long while, and when they finally kissed at the end of The Gilded Age Season 2, fans were thrilled that the show was finally going there.
And things were going well for a while this season!
The two continued to fall in love, even getting engaged under the backdrop of a picture-perfect secluded spot in the park. But that was the last happy moment for the couple this season.
Deciding to break the two up over a stupid misunderstanding was one of the most baffling narrative choices of the season, as was the decision to have Marion call off the engagement without even having a proper conversation with her fiancé.
And I get it, okay! Marion has supreme trust issues, and Larry was moving a little too quickly, but if there was a need to throw a wrench into this new romance, they could have come up with something better than this.
It all played out very high school, and that may have been the point. Still, it was highly frustrating to watch a couple you’ve been waiting to see crumble before they even got a real chance to soar.
Most Shocking Moment – George Gets Shot!
Let me just say that John Adams’ carriage disaster gets an honorable mention for this category. Still, George’s almost assassination was just slightly more jaw-dropping because of who George Russell is.
George played with fire all season, as he was willing to do whatever it took to make his master railroad plans a reality. And we all could have predicted that the way he treated Clay would come back to bite him.
But I naively assumed that Clay would take another tactic to affect George’s business, not try to murder him!
Sure, we don’t actually know whether or not it was Clay, but he certainly had the motive to want George dead, if for no other reason than his ego and pride were bruised.
George, of course, survived, but seeing that shot go off before the title card appeared was about as gasp-worthy a moment as you’re going to see on television.
Best Character – Ada Forte
Aunt Ada has always been a star, but she shone this season as she continued to deal with the death of her husband, all while adjusting to being the lady of the house.
Ada has always been a calming and considerate character, and I was interested to see if that changed with her coming into money and thus having more power not only within her own home, but also within society.
I should have known she would stay her grounded self, figuring things out, all while continuing to be a comforting aunt and sister when the time arose.
She was incredibly lonely most of the season, though she tried to hide it, but she always showed up for her family. And the relationship between her and Agnes was as strong as ever.
The two sisters do not see eye-to-eye on much, but they love each other fiercely and are intensely protective of each other.
I know Agnes was proud of Ada this season, just like the rest of us.
Worst Character – Lady Sarah
Look, I understand that Sarah was always going to be Gladys’s foil, and I can accept that.
Her role was always meant to be that of someone willing to go along with the marriage ruse, but wanted to ensure that she was still the leader of the land and, more importantly, her brother’s keeper.
But even understanding all that didn’t mean that we had to like it, or her, for that matter!
Every time she made Gladys feel small, you could see her shrink in on herself, and it was sad to see Gladys like that after her whole life had changed.
The Duke was of no help, of course, and Sarah would have continued her reign of terror had Bertha not come over and helped Gladys gather her confidence.
One of the best moments of the season was seeing Gladys humble her just a bit, and honestly, it was time. She needs to go live her own life and let her brother live his.
Overall Grade – A-
When you have an A- season, there’s not a whole lot to say about it because you can just let the season speak for itself.
Every character had their time to shine, as storylines were explored, romances were formed, and romances were broken.
There were tears and plenty of laughter to go around, and the series’ popularity was so lovely to see as a longtime fan.
When The Gilded Age is on and firing on all cylinders, there’s nothing more visually appealing and entertaining than this story of the decadence and decay of the late 1800s.
Okay, that’s enough from me! What did you guys think about the season?
Was this the best season yet?
What were some of your favorite moments?
Please leave your comments below so we can discuss it all! Thanks again for taking the ride with me this season!
Watch The Gilded Age Online
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The post The Gilded Age Season 3 Kept the Champagne Flowing and the Drama Bubbling appeared first on TV Fanatic.
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