The downstairs characters are significantly underdeveloped compared to those in Downton Abbey, have less screen time and when on screen spend a disproportionate amount of time reacting to events upstairs and talking about their employers instead of, you know, their own lives.

I understand the show is constrained in the sense that the cast is much larger than in Downton Abbey, and that the series follows various aristocratic households instead of just one. And I don’t think there is much that than be done in this regard, it’s just how the show is structured, the scope is much wider.

But it’s still a shame, I would love to known more about Bannister, and Mrs Bauer, and Mr. Church and all the others. I think in order to understand how insular the Gilded Age elites were, and how privileged their lives were, even impoverished aristocrats like Marian, its useful to follow the lives of working class people, what their struggles were, that concerns they had etc.

I am currently rewatching all seasons since there is nothing else to watch and I couldn't help to notice that Mrs Van Rhijn often makes threat to anyone who wrongs her but rarely if ever she acts on these threats and this is quite frustrating.

For example I would really like to see what she did about the doctor that refused to treat Peggy and what happens to him. I think audiences would really enjoy those types of confrontations between the characters involved.

the character of Marianne reminds me of Nellie Olsen from Little house on the prairie.

Miss Ellen may not have much of a speaking part but oh my goodness, her face does all the acting towards Marian. 😂😂😂😂

Wasn’t she meant to be Jay Gould’s illegitimate daughter (before she was revealed as a scammer of course). So new money and of illegitimate birth? Wasn’t that a little scandalous for her to have such an easy ride in high society? How did Agnes agree that she was a suitable match for Oscar when she spend the whole series looking down on new money people?

So I was watching Enola Holmes and I thought Lady Tewkesbury looked familiar. When I went to her Wikipedia, realised they are married.

I was just thinking of how many of us are experiencing hot temperatures and what in the world they must have done during the gilded age or pretty much any time period before 1960? Thinking of their dresses, all the layers, I simply can’t imagine dressing like that and being in this current humidity. When I step outside I’m sweating. It almost gives me anxiety!! I imagine coming home and ripping off all my petticoats and taking a bath? I have honestly no idea what I would have done!! Does anyone have any insights as to what they did to beat the heat?

I'm rewatching TGA and am on season one. Marian's dresses are so much prettier than in later seasons. Are her aunts dressing her or who is making the decisions? Why do her dresses get uglier as the seasons progress?

^(Disclaimer: sometimes the GIFs in the post may cause the reddit mobile app to glitch and run poorly and is best viewed from a browser, even the mobile browser on your phone works fine.)

do I hear wedding bells?

We open with a little house envy at Russell Manor: Newport Edition and our Societal Alpinist is doing that thing where she is trying to act calm but you can tell she is about to have some sort of stress related medical emergency. It's early (based on the view of the house looking like day break and her literally telling the Butler "sorry to ask for such an early start") and they are talking about the fact that they needed to borrow footman from other houses even though they brought everyone from Russell Manor Proper with them (and that house has like 100 footmen? what the fuck guys?!) there is a loud crash followed by raucous laughter in the other room, so Bertha follows the sound to find Curls and one his friends engaging in frat boy antics (and I am an expert on frat boy antics because I married one) So Larry starts sass mouthing his mom and this is white privilege on display because I'd like to see what would happen to one of the boys from Peggy's borough try this to their mom (I may be from California but I have several aunties from Brooklyn and I know of no cousins that would try this on a Black mama) anyway poor frat boy friend is like super embarrassed and is trying to clean up the mess they made but he's also so drunk he's wobbling like a Weeble (this guy is more like my husband's frat boy behavior to be honest) so Bertha is like "put the broken glass down, that's why we have servants? also you and my son are leaving like now so go pack" and he's just like "yes ma'am, right away ma'am" and scampers off apologizing on his way. So Bertha turns to her son and is like "yeah, you need to go back to New York until you get over your stupid and ill advised love affair with someone old enough to be your mother" and he's like "but you're happy to see me trampled and heartbroken!!" and she's like "no I'm not because you're my sweet baby boy" and she plays with the little curl that gave him the nickname and he looks at her like oh god, she really is the same age as my lover was and he slinks away to get ready to head back to THE CITY.

Speaking of the city we are back in it but at Sweet Aurora and Anthropomorphic Ken's dream house. Aurora is being visited by Oscar's Mark and she's like "sorry our chat is too short for tea or luncheon, but I got to get ready for the Duke Dinner in Newport" and The Mark is like "yeah, sounds like it's going to be the event of the summer, it's sad that Oscar wasn't invited" and Aurora is like "but not surprising" and The Mark is like "yeah because he was trying to marry the Russell heiress, so do you think he only wants to marry me because I am an even wealthier heiress?" and Aurora is like "well he's my cousin so I have to be nice about him but honestly he's great? just like don't rush into a relationship and you'll figure that out for yourself" and then Ken comes in and is like "oh we have company!" and The Mark is like "nope, I am leaving! have fun in Newport!" so she pops away and Aurora turns to her husband and is like "WOULD IT HAVE KILLED YOU TO BE HERE 5 MINUTES SOONER?!"

ope

On the cozy side of 61st, Little Miss Stubborn once again pushes into the drawing room announcing that she's late because she's SOO BUSY because she has an actual job and isn't idle like her aunts and Agnes once again is like "my god why do you insist on being so common and menial?!" Ada is like "ok but I have something to say in private so lets kick out the footman" and Oscar is like "is this one of those lady conversations that I should excuse myself from?" and Ada is like "nooo! you guys are like my own babies even though I only met Marian a year ago" so then Agnes is like "the fuck are you blabbing about? you are not allowed to have secrets that I am not in on!" and so Ada just blabs out "I'm engaged to the Reverend Mr. Boston!" which causes Marian and Oscar to cheer out with glee and Agnes to be like "shut up you two! this isn't something we are going to celebrate! the whole idea of it is CRACKERS!" and Ada is like "ok but I am like marrying him next week" and then she goes on to detail exactly how the day will go because she hasn't been planning this for days, she's been dreaming about it for decades and her sister is like "cool except count me out!" and the three other people in the room and basically everyone watching this have a bitch, WHAT?! look on their face. So she elaborates and is like "marriage is for young women who need to secure their future. your future is secure? why tie yourself down to the misery that is married life?!" and Ada is like "well I am looking forward to not being a spinster and as my sister I would hope you'd at least want me to be happy?" but before they can go on Bannister comes in to tell Oscar that a cab is waiting to pick him up so Agnes is like "did you know Ada trying to leave us to marry that dumb preacher man?" and Bannister is like "THAT IS WONDERFUL!" and Agnes is like "NO IT ISN'T!!" and Bannister is like "oh, no...sorry that's a terrible idea Miss Ada" So Agnes huffs out of the room, Oscar hails his cab, and Ada bursts into tears.

Agnes, you can't be serious!

Down in Tuskegee we get to see first hand how in awe of our Pretty Peggy that these students are, just as Mrs. Fannie Washington predicted last episode. They are asking her more questions than she is asking them and they are hanging on her every word.

Back to Rhode Island, the Societal Alpinist is like "this menu is not stuffy enough!" and Faux Frenchie is like "I mean, it's bland because English people have literally no tastebuds. Isn't that the definition of stuffy?" and she's like "it needs to be impressive to him but still palatable for the Americans that will make up most of the guest list" she turns to Butler and is like "make sure to bring out the stuffiest table settings too" and the two men leave the room. Housekeeper is like "I have cleaned everything 4 times, but I need you to like check its up to your standards" and the SA is like "yeah you know what's not up to my standards is Mousey Maid's ability to do hair with a tiara pinned in place" and Housekeeper is like "yeah we kind of dropped the ball on hiring a new maid for you, so much so that your former maid was able to hatch a plan, find a mark, and get him to marry her several months ago already"

Oscar needed that cab 3 scenes ago to meet up with his own mark, Miss Beaton. They are walking arm in arm and she's like "you're looking a little woebegone, shouldn't you be chuffed to be with me?" and he's like "my mommy said I can't go to my aunties wedding which is a really big bummer because she's like my second favorite woman in the world and I want to give her away but the risk of my mother disinheriting me in favor of my cousin is really high" so the Mark is like "just go? be brave and stand up to your mother!! I know I am giving you advise that I won't follow myself because I can't say no to my father either." and he's like "ok I will go but will you be my date?" and she's like "absolutely! especially since you are coming with me to my father's man of business to help me understand big money things that my small simple girl brain is just not smart enough to understand!"

At the Troublemaker's house and I have questions, because this is the same house she was in at the end of the last episode when she had that absolute conniption and we learned her name is Enid...I'd recognize that staircase anywhere for that exact reason. But I thought that scene took place in Manhattan, and this scene has to be taking place in Newport simply because the hot footman (no seriously dude, congratulations on your face) we established she was friends with 2 episodes ago is at her house and in the opening scene of this episode we were told all the footmen from 61st were in Newport for the dinner. ANYWAY, so after they shit talk Bertha and her staff she's like "hey bud I need a favor, I'll definitely pay you for this favor, but the favor is sabotage and one of the under chef's Faux Frenchie hired is going to help you with it" and he's like "you had me since you said it was a paid favor"

Back to Oscar and The Mark (that would be a good band name) they are waiting outside an office and the hallway is bustling. So the man of business opens the door and The Mark is like "hey Mr. Business Man! I brought a friend because my dumb girl brain is too dumb to keep up and he can help!" and the man of business is like "girl, what? this is supposed to be TOP SECRET!!" and Oscar is like "I am so trustworthy and I swear you'll be hard pressed to find someone who can keep a secret better than I can in all of New York!" so the man of business lets them into the office and Oscar is like "so this woman has told me everything you are doing with this secret plan to buy a railway and that you need more funding and that Jay Gould who may or may not be but totally is her father is involved?" and the man of business is like "girl, we talked about this?!" and she's like "sorry! dumb girl brain!" and Oscar is like "still can guarantee I am the BEST secret keeper so don't worry!"

Back at Oscar's Mama's house, Bannister comes into the dining room where Marian and Agnes are waiting patiently and is like "Sorry ma'am, Miss Ada is doing that thing where you guys try to ice the other by eating by yourself off of a tray in your personal dwelling, so she won't be joining you two" and Agnes is like "she's totally healthy! you are only supposed to do that if you're sick!!" and Little Miss Stubborn puts her fighting gloves on and is like "OR MAD, which she definitely is because you are being such a brat about the fact that your little sister is finally going to unspinster herself?!" and Agnes is like "Daddy wouldn't have consented to this marriage!" and Marian is like "YOUR PARENTS HAVE BEEN DEAD HALF A CENTURY! LET IT GO!!" and Marian storms off so Bannister pops his head in and is like "ok so I should be preparing two trays, yes?

I think Bannister has the best lines this episode

Back down South we get to see the dorm that Pretty Peggy travelled all the way to Tuskegee to write about, doesn't look as grand as everyone has been eluding to but ok...She scans the crowd looking for people to get quotes from and she finds the sweet David Sturt who taught her how to milk a cow last episode. So she's like "hey tell me what this means to you!" and he's like "I'm going to cry I am so proud of the hard work I put in to make this building a reality" and now I retract my previous statement because that is kind of grand. So she's like "and what will you do with the degree you earn from building this building among other things?" and he's like "Well miss, I plan on becoming like a real farmer with my own farm and everything because my Mama has a restaurant and it will be more profitable in the long run if we do the growing in house too!" Mr. Fortune comes over then David turns to him and is like "y'all should have dinner there tonight!" and Mr. Fortune is like "oh hell yeah! I wanted to take this one on a date but I needed to have a cover so this is perfect!"

this kid is so adorable

On 61st, Curls has arrived back from Newport and he appears to be a bit more sober than the last time we saw him. Has luck would have it, Little Miss Stubborn comes outside of her house at the exact same time that Curls exits his carriage and she darts across the street to say hello, so she's like "oh my god I thought you'd be gone all summer!!!" and he's like "I got my heart broken and was sent away to lick my wounds" and she's like "LUCKY!!! when I got my heart broken by that Worthlessington last year I had to lick my wounds right here!" and he's like "so where you going with that basket in tow?" and she's like "I'm going to pick flowers because I have a real job!" and he's like "well since I am unemployed now I can join you!" so they lock arms and skip off towards Central Park.

At the house Curls was banished from, the Societal Alpinist decided to make a brief descent into the kitchens to make sure Faux Frenchie truly took complaint about the menu not being stuffy enough to heart and the senior staff is NOT amused by this visit. Butler is like "are you lost?" and she's like "no, just here to micromanage!" and then she turns to Housekeeper and is like "by the way, did you find me a maid?" and Housekeeper is like "a little hard to find a whole new maid but I did get a hairdresser who is a tiara expert!" so Bertha fucks off and we have a brief moment where hot footman and the under chef that the Troublemaker hired locked eyes so we know the subterfuge is definitely still on, then Mousey Maid squeaks at Housekeeper "NEW MAID?! AM I FIRED?!?!" and Housekeeper is like "no but you better study this hairdresser's moves or you will be"

The Reverend Mr. Boston is like walking through the church stuffing his face with snacks like any normal person does and he opens the door to his office to find Agnes waiting for him, which almost makes him choke on what looks like a donut or some other baked confection so he's like "my secretary likes to bake, should we have some of this and some coffee because this is a social call? or should we head to the confessional booth? or..." and she's like "sit down, this is not friendly or professional, I am here to scold you" so he sits and she's like "my sister is broke you know. you will get nothing financially from this match" and he's like "well that wasn't my reason for proposing, I proposed because I love her" and she's like "love and marriage are antithetical" and he's like "yeah I perform many marriages and can tell you that's not true in at least 50% of unions" and she's like "look, everything I have done in the last 40 years was to be able to keep my sister safe and by my side, and now you are taking her away from me at the time of my life where I'd need her the most" and he's like "you'll still see her basically every day?" and she's like "yes, but what about the nights?" and he's like "yeah no, not the nights because the bible says we can get naked and horizontal and I intend on following that to the letter"

him choking on that donut might have been a mercy

We are more than 20 minutes into the show and we are finally seeing Railroad Daddy for the first time, where can I formally complain about this? Anyway so father and son are catching up on the woes of Russell Evil Incorporated and Daddy is like "yeah so now that you're back in The City for the summer, I need you to take over one of my projects because I paid for you to study engineering so I need to collect on that payment" and Curls is like "I told you last year that I am a real boy and I don't want to work in nepotism! I am an architect!" and Daddy is like "yeah well, while we wait for your next assignment how about you just do this, at the very least it won't involve someone you want to sleep with. I need you to check out the chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge project, no one has seen or heard from him in years and I want to know why!"

My Girlie Gladys is moping in front of the mirror because she's being treated like a doll and she doesn't like it one bit. So she's like "I want to wear the blue dress!" and her mom is like "no. you have terrible taste, but when I dress you there are OP EDS talking about how amazing you look" and I am trying to find out if Bertha is paying for these PR pieces about her daughter because Gladys' never looks well dressed to me...at least her hair isn't frizzy right now.

marking this Bertha quote for commentary later

The lady soon to be formerly known as Spinster Sister is having a panic attack in an unfamiliar drawing room, but the camera pans to reveal she's panicking in the presence of the Reverend Mr. Boston so this must be the vicarage. So she's like "sorry I am freaking out but my sister has been my whole life up to this point, I can't fall out with her! I don't know how to survive without her!! Maybe if we wait a bit longer to marry she might get used to the idea?" and he's like "I am supposed to tell you to look to god for the answer but honestly, I don't want to wait to get you into bed marry you so why don't you just like talk to your niece before you decide to postpone?"

Curls is off doing Daddy's business just as he was asked to do and we catch a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge to remind us of the business Curls has been employed to undertake. So he pops into the house and the secretary of the project is like "yeah I didn't expect you to actually come here, I thought when your father said you were representing him it was one of those figure head roles where you were actually off spending your trust fund getting drunk with hookers while pretending to work" and Curls is like "yeah so anyway where is the man in charge?" and the secretary shrugs and is like "well this is his wife, Mrs. Roebling" and she's like "yeah my husband is in Newport because..." and before she can finish another guest is announced and she's like "oh yeah I got to talk to that guy about mundane housewife things!" so she leaves and for a second I could swear I see a look on Larry's face that reads I thought father told me this assignment won't involve someone I want to sleep with? but I could be projecting...anyway the secretary sits down with him and Curls is like alright where is the engineer, why is he in Newport when this thing is opening like soon?" and the secretary is like "oh you know, Newport is beautiful and this is the perfect time of year to be there!" and Curls is like "but the bridge project needs a hands on supervisor, how is he managing it properly from the seaside?" and the secretary is like "oh look at the time, gotta run!" As Curls goes to apparently see himself out he hears Mrs. Roebling talking and realizes she's not talking about mundane housewife things like she said, he follows the sound of her voice and she's huddled in a back room with half a dozen dudes giving the orders and looking over plans. She spots Larry spying on her and she's like "well gosh golly Mr. Russell, now that I have read this letter of instructions from my husband to the workers, I have to go run some mundane housewife errands now!"

Detective is going to be Larry's next career path

Back on the cozy side of 61st, Little Red is measuring and pinning to make alterations on one of (still a) Spinster Sister's dresses. So Little Miss Stubborn comes in and is like "out Red, I got to talk to my auntie" and when they are alone Ada is like "it's not like she's altering it for an actual purpose since I am not getting married" and Marian is like "what do you mean NOT getting married?! you can't possibly be this dumb" and Ada is like "but my sister? she's against this and I can't lose her!" and Marian is like "well she's WRONG, I mean I always think she's wrong and do the opposite of everything she says and she usually ends up being right about it and I should have listened to her about the Shyster Worthlessington but I mean she can't possibly be right about this! BE STUBBORN LIKE ME! STAND UP FOR YOUR MAN!" and Ada is like "but I have no one to give me away?" and Marian is like "oh I have another ill advised date with my not an actual cousin, he'll do! anyway I better go get Red back to finish your dress!" and she fucks off while Ada calmly smiles.

this is the joy you want to kill Agnes?!

Later that night Little Red is working on Ada's wedding veil, Our American Dreamer is messing with his alarm clock, and Mrs. Gambler is taking notes or doing some accounting maybe? I dunno she seems to be reading and writing simultaneously. So the Bigoted Lady's Maid shows up and tries to be a bitch to everyone like always so she tells both LR and AD that they are wasting their times on their prospective projects because there ain't no way that Ada will marry against her sister's wishes and she doesn't think Jack is smart enough to figure out the clock and he's like "well aKsHuAlLy I think it's fixed, want to try it?" and BLM is like "ha, no." So Mrs. Gambler is like "I believe in you baby bird! Let me test it for you!" and Jack is like "oh no, I like you too much to mess up your day even if the chance of failure is like 0.01%" and then he puts the clock down and is like "wait, if Miss Ada really does marry the rector and they are trying to pull some not incestuous but pretty adjacent to it thing for Miss Marian, are we all going to be fired soon? Like Mrs. Van Rhijn doesn't need a more than a butler and a cook/housekeeper?" and BLM is like "don't forget me because she couldn't possibly put a comb through her own hair! besides Mr. Oscar might get married and then move in" and Little Red laughs and is like "I might be young and dumb, but even I can tell that guy is not straight"

our Little Red has grown so much!

A TRAIN!!! (CGI score: 4/10, they probably shouldn't have gone so close) and inside the train Daddy of the railroad and Mr. Smooth Voice are in a fancy private car eating steak and drinking wine and talking about busting unions like robber barons should. So Mr. Smooth Voice is like "yo, you know Johann Most got kicked out of Germany and is over here rabble-rousing and convincing your workers in Pittsburg to take up arms against you unless you give them SIXTEEN HOURS of off time. Its ludicrous!" and Daddy is like "I don't know, why is it so terrible that we give them time to see their kids, bang their wives, and get a decent amount of sleep? wouldn't that make them more productive on the job?" and Mr. SV is like "WHAT?! Don't be such a weak ass punk! Every minute of their day not spent working is like a $100 loss in profits! We need to work them to the bone!!" Daddy just kind of stares at him then starts downing his glass of wine cos that shit isn't going to drink itself.

At the office of Oscar's Mark's Man of Business, Oscar and the Man of Business are meeting without the Mark. So Oscar is like "so I have this check here and..." and the Man is like "no thank you" so Oscar is like "but you need more money and I am willing to give you more money to close the loop on your business deal" and the Man is like "but the partners are very close and they don't know you" and Oscar is like "but I am friends with Miss Beaton and since she's a partner, they DO know me! Now take my money!!!!" and he slides the check across the table to the BRIGHT CRIMISON RED FLAG.

Outside of Oscar's Mama's house an open air carriage pulls up bringing home Little Miss Stubborn from her aforementioned ill advised date with her not an actual cousin, Hot Widower. His creepy child is also in tow and she is a stage 5 clinger on Marian and is like "father loves to make a fuss and he's so happy he could give you the best picnic luncheon ever! he'd do anything for you!" and Marian is like "oh good, so could you do me the biggest favor and give Aunt, well my aunt who isn't actually your aunt but you still call her that, Ada away at her wedding this weekend? Our actual mutual Aunt Agnes said her worthlessington son isn't allowed to and I think he's going to listen to his mother for fear of disinheritance" so he's like "yeah, no sweat. Frances can be the flower girl and I guess you're the maid of honor so we can all do a trial run of this wedding business before we do it again in a few months!" and Marian just kind of blinks rapidly as she awkwardly half smiles.

!

Curls returns to the house of the bridge engineer because he wants us all to know he's more than a nepo baby, his detective skills are honed. So he's like "surprise motherfucker! I bet you thought you saw the last of me!" and the engineer's wife is like "no, I definitely was expecting you to come back after you caught me girlbossing last time" so he's like "so YOU are the engineer?!" and she's like "yes" and he's like "so why are we pretending your husband is?" and she's like "have you like ever been outside? the entire city would be more likely to fall to its knees then rip the bridge up from its foundation than they would be to walk across a bridge engineered by a woman" and he's like "but that ain't right!" and she's like "no, but its real"

humans are so fucked up

In Newport, Daddy is being dressed for dinner by Creepy Valet who is telling him in full about his boring side plot. Daddy is like "so are you leaving The Big City for The City by the Bay? because I guess I'll have to interview new valets or something" and CV is like "I told my daughter's husband that I won't leave unless she is the one to ask me to do it" and RD is like "that's fair, I wouldn't do shit until I heard it from Gladys either" so then the Societal Alpinist comes in and CV leaves the room because he's good at his job. So she's like "babe! I am so glad you're here! lets make out but only a little bit because I had my hair dressed by a professional!" and he's like "I shouldn't be here, my workers are literally about to set fire to my..." and she's like "you better shut your mouth about that job because tonight we are focused on SOCIAL CLIMBING and HOBNOBBING WITH NOBILITY"

We follow Creepy Valet down to the kitchens and when he walks in he sees Hot Footman and his partner in subterfuge, the Shady Chef, whispering nefariously in the corner. He chats up Housekeeper for a second but he keeps his eye on them because this man is a known stalker so we know he knows exactly what being shady looks like.

Out front of Russell Manor: Newport Edition, the carriages are rolling through and the red carpet has been rolled out, inside there is a fucking string quartet because Bertha really does need to be extra about everything. So we zoom in on her and Daddy arm in arm chatting with New York and Newport's biggest gossips, Mamie Fish and Ward McAllister. So Ward is like "please tell me I am sitting next to the toff! also this guest list is off the charts! where is my Mystic Rose though?" and the Societal Alpinist is like "you've got the 2nd best seat in the house and she was invited but didn't come probably because she doesn't want people to think this event is the end all be all of the Newport season" and Mrs. Fish is like "well too late for that because this is absolutely THE event of the season!" then Ward is like "girl, if you keep this friendship with the duke going you will have the Opera War sewn up!" and just then Butler announces the arrival of His Grace, still with that goofy ass haircut and he's like "this party is just the right kind of stuffy!" So then Daddy introduces the duke to our Sweet Aurora and her Anthropomorphic Ken doll and Aurora is like "how are you liking our little summer getaway spot so far?" and the duke is like "oh its marvelous and Mrs. Russell has my whole trip planned out so thoughtfully I imagine it will keep being marvelous" and like the succubus she is, the Troublemaker (and her grampy of course) pop up out of no where and she she's like "well I had an even better holiday planned for you before you ditched me" and the SA doesn't miss a beat to redirect his attention so she's like "anyway Your Grace, I don't think you've met our daughter Gladys" and My Girlie glides into the room and the dress she's wearing isn't that great? What was her mother on about her being the best dressed deb? Where is the best dress? Anyway the duke does not seem to notice the mid dress (is mid the right word here? I am v old but I hear the kids say that all the time) because that man has been hit by cupid's arrow. The arrow missed Gladys however because she just kind of awkwardly smiles and then follows the sound of Mrs. Fish calling her name. This reaction causes the duke to deflate like a balloon in real time. But the SA is like "she's a great conversationalist and you will learn this because she's your table buddy at dinner" and the balloon begins to re-inflate.

BAM, CUPID! but here is the later commentary on Bertha's previous remark: HOW IS THIS DRESS NOT FUSSY AND GIRLISH?! It's hot pink with frills!!! Barbie before Barbie!!

In the kitchens Butler tells everyone the curtain is up and we watch the Shady Chef sprinkle a packet into the pan of food he's working on, and just as we noted before Creepy Valet does not miss it happen because his stalker instincts told him to watch this man. So CV goes and narcs on SC to Butler and Faux Frenchie, and when they go to test the sauce he was making they are gagging so they are like "we cannot serve the dish he was working on!" and I'm like but guys, he only put the sauce on like 5 of those plates...you're telling me you don't have extras?!

literally on the first row...no need to cancel the whole course!!

Upstairs we are in the dining room which I don't think we've seen the one in this house yet but it's as gaudy as you'd expect. Anyway so My Girlie Gladys is trying to make her way down to the fun end of the table but her mother (who has an excellent dress on...why did you do our girl so dirty when you are dressed so well?!) stops her and she's like "nope you got to chat up the man with the title!" So Gladys takes her seat and Aurora sees this and has a pleased look on her face that she knows EXACTLY what Bertha is trying to spark here, Daddy also sees this and he also knows but his look is more worried than it is pleased. The look on Gladys' face is like ugh this is going to be boring but we can't dive too deep into that now because the Troublemaker and Hot Footman have to do the silent nod to show they are still in cahoots and LE GASP Hot Footman is pushing in the chair for His Grace!

We follow HF back into the kitchen where he tells Faux Frenchie the rich people are seated and hungry, so then Shady Chef comes and stands next to HF and they banter for a second and we are all thinking why are they letting this man stay in the kitchen after they know he tried to sabotage the dinner?! shouldn't he be locked in an office somewhere?! Anyway Creepy Valet is still stalking them from the shadows so he instantly runs over to FF and the Housekeeper and is like "yo, I think Peter the footman is also up to no good because he seems to be friends with the bad chef" and Housekeeper is like "but we QC'd this batch of food and it's the delicious flavor explosion Mr. Borden was going for!" and CV is like "but there are more ways to ruin the evening than just sabotaging the food...who is HF serving?" and then they all have a lightbulb moment and CV runs as fast as his creepy little legs will carry him. Upstairs the Russell Footman are marching perfectly in sync, one man for every guest, soup being ladled into a bowl and they keep marching along until the reach the guests. Somehow CV's wheels have carried him faster than HF can march because CV reaches the Butler in time to tell him that the Hot Footman is up to no good. So Butler swoops in and snatches the bowl right out of the hands of Hot Footman and serves His Grace himself. The Troublemaker sees this and starts to silent scream inside her head but Mrs. Fish is very tuned into drama so silent screams are her dog whistle and she turns to the Troublemaker and is like "girl, are you ok? you look like you are losing your shit"

On the opposite side of the table His Grace is like "ooh this soup is one of my favorites! how did you know?! This is such an amazing way to start dinner!" and Bertha is internally screaming because she just knows this wasn't supposed to be the first course but his response calmed her down somewhat so she's like "Why don't you talk to my daughter instead of me, you've heard all my good jokes already!" so he turns to My Girlie and is like "Newport is cool huh?" and she's like "well I am not allowed my own opinion, so according to my mother...yes it is" and he's like "well soon enough you'll run your own household and have get to be the opinion maker!" and she's like "does that really become a thing for like anyone?" and he's like "well I guess we have like five courses worth of debate to have over this so lets get to it!" and she smiles because she's excited to be allowed to express her own opinion.

Back on the other side of the table, Sweet Aurora notices My Girlie and His Grace giggling like children (well I guess because Gladys is children) so she's turns to Daddy and is like "your wife definitely knows how to get the best social climbing value out of any situation, but it looks like your daughter is going to emerge as the star of the evening" and he's like "my girls are gems and my wife is a genius" McAllister turns to Bertha and is like "shouldn't you be spending the dinner talking to the guest of honor?" and she's like "he's engaged in deep conversation, I wouldn't want to disturb that" and Ward is like "or you hope he'll soon be engaged!" >!now a lot of you reading these have been following me since the formation of the Hector Hive and the fact that I saw Hector and Gladys becoming a love match from the jump, I actually started to think it was possible from this scene. Even out of focus you can tell this isn't just a polite conversation, you can see a big ass goofy grin on Gladys' face. She's enjoying it. I was still not 100% on him until the end of this season, stay tuned I will point out the exact moment the Hive was built.!<

I don't need the camera to be in focus to see you CHEEZIN' girl!

Oh shit! We forgot about the South again. So I don't know why our girls Peggy and Marian keep going on ill advised dates but here is Peggy on one with her married boss. They followed David's advice and are having dinner at his mama's restaurant and Mama Sturt is just as in awe of Peggy as David's fiancé and all the other women we've met in the South so she's like "I am going to bake you a whole ass cake!" when she walks away Pretty Peggy says to the married boss "I am so full! I don't have room for more food!" and he's like "maybe you could go and take off some layers of clothes to make room...I can help!"

At the Newport dinner, His Grace is raising his glass to toast the dinner and praise our Societal Alpinist who is flying back up that mountain to the summit. So she's like hand on heart with the who me?! feigned modest look on her face and on the other side of the table you see the Troublemaker absolutely SEETHING.

girl, you just need to let this one go.

So back at Mama Sturt's, Pretty Peggy and Mr. Fortune are drinking coffee, so to they must've eaten that cake by now. He asks her what her favorite part of their trip has been and you can tell he's hoping she'd mention seeing him shirtless but she gives a real answer and talks about how the women she has met down here inspire her because they don't complain about their circumstances, they fight to make the most of them. Before they can turn this into a full conversation some drunkards kick the door in and start making a scene and of course they are white. If you missed this before or are new here, I am Black and my husband very much is not. When I asked him why white people are like this he said that it might be jealousy over the fact that we don't get sunburnt as easily if at all (this is a joke to lighten the mood of the dark scene incase it's going over your head). Anyway so Drunk White Man 1 is like "yo BEA!!!!" and I am hoping that her name is Beatrice or actually just Bea and he's not using an abbreviation for a common pejorative slung at women. So Mama Sturt comes out and she's like "oh god, I'll make you some food but you got to go after that" so he grabs her and yells "don't you tell me what to do! just because you're like free or whatever doesn't mean that you don't have to respect me" and this is one of those scenes that remind me if I lived during this time I wouldn't have lived for very long because I would have stabbed this man. Mr. Fortune feels the same way so he stands up and is like "don't touch her!" so DWM1 is like "are you stupid? don't talk to me" and Mr. Fortune who is a little stupid is like "ok but let her go" so DWM2 is like "Mr. Sturt is not just a white man he's a LAW MAN so you best shut your mouth" and Pretty Peggy is like "WAIT Y'ALL HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME!?!!??!" and Mama Sturt nods but is also looking at her like shut up! and then Mr. Fortune who is still stupid says again "put her down!" and so DWM2 lunges at Fortune who decks him back and then poor Pretty Peggy has to run after eating all that food.

why can't we all just be cool and enjoy the chicken?

We cut to the Washington's house and they are packing up their shit because they need to get out of the South and fast, like reactivate the Underground Railroad fast. Fortune is apologizing like a dozen times and Mr. Washington is like "that doesn't matter, we got to get this woman out of here alive"

Debrief on the Duke Dinner, Mommy is happy with the how her evening went and Daddy is returning his focus on his actual job so Mommy is like "how can I help" and then I could swear the music started going bow chicka bow wowwww. Downstairs the senior staff all pat themselves on the back for thwarting the revenge of the Troublemaker and we confirm Russell Manor will be short one (hot) footman.

if your man doesn't look at you like this, throw him in the TRASH

The lynch mob is out with their tiki torches looking for Pretty Peggy and that Worthlessington who got her in this pickle. She is practically in tears and is like "I never say this but my mama was right and coming here was 10 levels of stupid" and he's like "no the stupid part is I couldn't keep my mouth shut" and she's like "I like that you stand for your convictions no matter what though" and he's like "and I like you" and then they make out and the crowd shouts BOOOOO!

I threw something at the TV here

So much shit has happened in this episode I clean forgot that Ada was getting married! Fortunately Hot Widower and his creepy child did not because they show up in their carriage to pick up the bride. When HW goes inside to grab them Agnes is like "my god is everyone in on this betrayal?!" and he's like "I am not even going to dignify that with a response, this is your sister!" and Ada is like "yeah and because we are sisters I know well enough that she's going to stay stubborn on this" then they just stare at each other before Marian peels Ada away. They head outside and all the staff is leaving to head to the church too. Bannister is the last to leave and Agnes is like "MORE BETRAYL!" and Bannister is like "at the risk of impertinence, get your head out your ass. She's your sister."

team Bannister forever.

So at the church a shit ton of people are there and Marian mentions other cousins outside of the ones we already know and I am like ok introduce us! but Oscar grows a pair and he's there too so now there is a debate as to who will walk her down the aisle, Oscar wins because he's her actual nephew. So he walks her down the aisle and the ceremony starts when the door bangs open and GIRL! YOU KNOW THE BRIDE SHOULD BE THE LAST PERSON TO ENTER THE CEREMONY!! But Agnes just has to be that dramatic to enter last. But she smiles at her sister so at least they're cool.

peep the dirty look she gives Oscar at the end

I haven't seen a post addressing the joke Lady Sarah made in S3E5 so forgive me if this has been done before.

I always thought it was strange that Lady Sarah makes a joke at the dinner table of a man who confuses the rector with the valet. Rector and valet are words are do not sound alike and their roles couldn't be any more different. A rector, as mentioned by Agnes and Ada, is defined as a priest who oversees a church. A valet (in the context of the Gilded Age) is the personal servant to a wealthy man, a man's equivalent of a lady's maid. So what was so funny?

It could be one of two things. One, Lady Sarah is poking fun at someone who is not culturally aware enough to know the difference aka poor people. A poor person could know what a rector is if they go to church services but unless they are well read, and many of those who were extremely poor could not be, they would not know the difference. It's the equivalent of asking an amateur chef to tell you the difference between a spring onion and a leek. Her making fun of uneducated people fits in with her personality as she scolds Gladys for wearing diamond stars in her hair. Instead of educating Gladys, she insults her tastes and then fires Adelheid for not being "up to the tasks." I also Googled the type of clothes a rector would wear to see if there was a difference in appearance. There was no everyday clothes as they would always wear clerical street clothing. There was no way a rector could go into a public space or dinner and not be recognized.

Two, and I had to REALLY Google around for this answer, is that the butt of the joke was the confusion between valet and vicar. Valet and vicar are not words are that close in the slightest but I myself have confused words with the same first letter. A vicar is a member of a church clergy who is often a substitute for a high ranking official, such as a rector. If people are introduced to one another, I highly doubt one could slip up so badly as to say vicar instead of rector and be somehow understood as valet. To be honest, this one is a stretch so I don't find it likely. I truly think the butt of Lady Sarah's crude joke was her making fun of someone who didn't know any better which aligns to her rude, stand offish, and frankly childish personality. No wonder Gladys didn't get it.

That the cast from The Gilded Age go out of their way to interact with fans because the show needs social media publicity.

Because otherwise, they must be the friendliest, most obliging group of people to make a television show. Or maybe it's the Broadway background. I cannot ever remember a show I loved where the cast and crew were so obliging as to let fans watch outside location filming. Where they did not hide away during filming but stood around in full sight. And where all the cast look so comfortable and are having fun with the 'publicity' shots in and out of costume.

Making all the filming clips available is working. I can't wait for Season Four