The Gilded Age 305 Recap: Everyone's come undone!
The wedding has left a trail of emotional destruction. Is this mess too big for Bertha?
Welcome to Second Story, a newsletter for fans of old houses and The Gilded Age. If you don’t subscribe, sign up below! Of if you like what you read, tap the heart at the bottom of the screen to boost this post! Xx Robert
I am happy to say that we have reached PEAK Gilded Age. What an episode! The best so far of the whole series, I think. We’re talking deliciously dramatic moments, upset power dynamics, and everyone having mental breakdowns. In the cold light of day after the wedding, maybe not everything is turning out as Bertha hoped it would. The train is starting to careen off the tracks, and there’s no telling what lies ahead. Let’s get into it!
We open on the Duke and Gladys as they arrive to the expansive grounds and aggressively excited tenant farmers of Sidmouth Castle. Even though she’s now a duchess, Gladys is still as clueless as ever in her ridiculous hats. Clearly, nobody briefed her on Sidmouth. Didn’t she think to ask questions as a way to fill the time during their Atlantic journey? If history has taught us anything, it’s that if you’re an American joining any rank of British aristocracy, you must! do! your! own! research!