The Gilded Age Episode 1 begins with Gladys facing a dangerous childbirth in England, while back in New York, marriage is on almost everyone’s mind. Oscar has found a surprisingly practical match in Enid Winterton, Peggy is preparing for her wedding, and Marian insists she has moved on from Larry. That claim doesn’t survive the episode.
The Gilded Age Episode 1 Recap: Gladys Gives Birth
In England, Gladys is in labor with the Duke and Bertha right by her side. Unfortunately, things aren’t going well, so the doctor is called.
He informs Bertha, the Duke, and his sister, Lady Sarah Vere, that the baby is breech. He then asks the Duke an awful question. If the situation becomes more complicated and he can save only one of them, should he prioritize the baby or Gladys?
Lady Sarah immediately says the baby, hoping for a boy. Bertha begs the Duke to save Gladys.
He agrees. He pleads with the doctor to save them both, but if a choice has to be made, he wants his wife saved.
Fortunately, that choice is never necessary. Gladys gives birth to a baby boy, providing the male heir everyone has been waiting for.
The danger, however, is not over.
Gladys is exhausted and preparing to rest when her maid notices that she is hemorrhaging while fixing her bed. The doctor is forced to remove Gladys’s uterus to save her life, which means she will never be able to have another child.
Bertha and the Duke decide not to tell her yet. They want Gladys to recover first.
Before leaving England, Bertha speaks with Lady Sarah, who maintains that Gladys had a duty to provide a male heir. Bertha has little patience for that argument after nearly losing her daughter. She tells Sarah that she will never understand what it means to be a mother and see her child’s life hanging by a thread.
Oscar and Enid Understand Exactly What Their Marriage Is
Back in New York, society is preparing for another wedding. Oscar van Rhijn is marrying Mrs. Enid Winterton, and the arrangement works remarkably well for both of them.
Enid gains the prestige of marrying into a historic New York family. Oscar gains money and a wife who can provide the social cover he needs as a gay man. They also understand each other.
Later that night, Enid suggests they decide what they want society to mean to them. She proposes hosting a salon, like those held in France or Italy, that attracts artists, musicians, and the kind of people everyone else will eventually want to meet.
Oscar offers to put together a suitably exclusive guest list.
When the night is over, they go to sleep in separate beds. They make no pretense about what this marriage is.
Agnes, meanwhile, is thrilled that her son has finally married, although Enid is about to give her another reason to worry.
Mrs. Armstrong tells Agnes that she knows Enid once worked as Bertha’s lady’s maid.
Agnes is furious and confronts her new daughter-in-law. Enid doesn’t deny her past and points out that it never became a burden during her previous marriage, so she doesn’t expect it to become one now.
She also makes it clear that she and Oscar entered their marriage with their eyes open, strongly hinting that she knows Oscar is gay.
Rather than retreating from Agnes, Enid even offers to support her causes, starting with the presidential dinner.
Ada Refuses to Finance Agnes’s Presidential Dinner
Oscar’s marriage is not Agnes’s only major event. As vice president of the Heritage Society, she is preparing to host the president of the United States.
There is one problem: she needs to keep asking Ada for money.
Ada grows increasingly frustrated with the arrangement and feels she matters to Agnes only when money is needed. Then Peggy gives her another reason to reconsider supporting the event.
Ada learns from Peggy that President Cleveland is not popular with Black Americans. Peggy explains that Black people in the South live under the constant threat of violence, while Cleveland has still failed to take a stand. Ada decides she will no longer finance Agnes’s event with the president.
George Russell Is Running Out of Options
George Russell has much bigger financial problems.
Rockefeller is not moving, and without his oil, George’s railroad business cannot survive. George himself cannot continue operating at the rates he is currently facing. His problems are coming from several directions at once.
A proposal to put anti-monopoly legislation on the agenda is also on the table, while George considers an expensive new project. He sends Larry to Chicago to learn about the architecture of a steel-frame tower.
Russell Industries could build one in New York. Such a tower would send a clear message to their competitors that the Russells are still on top of their game, but the cost could also ruin them financially. With Rockefeller already trying to drive George to his knees, it would be an enormous gamble.
At the same time, there is finally a lead on the person who tried to kill him.
George’s men have been following a man for several days. When they show George sketches, he recognizes him. They also tell George that the suspect entered a house where a woman answered the door. George recognizes the woman too, but he cannot place her.
His men are standing by and waiting for his orders.
Marian and Larry Spend the Night Together
Larry is back from Chicago in time for Oscar and Enid’s wedding, where Marian sees him again. She assures Ada that she and Larry have moved on and that she is happy with her choice.
That becomes much harder to believe when they meet again. Marian decides to join Oscar and Enid at a party downtown, only to run into Larry there. The spark between them is clearly still alive. They dance and have fun together, and when an awful storm hits, Larry offers Marian a ride home in his carriage.
The journey does not go according to plan.
The horses are spooked by the storm, and one carriage wheel breaks. Larry suggests they take two rooms at a hotel for the night. Later, he visits Marian in her room and offers to stay with her until she falls asleep. Instead, they kiss and sleep together.
The following morning, Marian is scared and ashamed. She knows what happened could ruin her reputation, and she rushes home without telling her aunts. She hints at what happened to Peggy, who tells Marian she is being too hard on herself and deserves to be loved.
Whatever Marian told herself about having moved on from Larry, their night together says otherwise.
Peggy Prepares for Marriage and Publishes Her Book
Peggy has her own wedding to prepare for, with help from her mother and her very insistent future mother-in-law.
Mrs. Kirkland and Peggy have very different tastes, but Peggy decides to put up with her interference. Mrs. Kirkland even invites Peggy and her mother to her club. The tension between them remains obvious when Peggy presents her with the first copy of her book and Mrs. Kirkland is hardly moved by it.
Dr. William Kirkland, however, suggests that Peggy might actually enjoy the society his mother has invited her to join.
Jack Struggles to Fit Into His New World
Jack struggles to adapt to his new place in society.
His new peers do not fully accept him. He lacks some of the education, university experience, and manners they take for granted, leaving him feeling that although he is now in business, he may never truly be one of them.
Mr. Bannister and Mrs. Bauer step in to help, teaching him etiquette and how to dance. Bridget is less enthusiastic about Jack changing. She worries that he will forget the people he came from.
Mrs. Bauer understands that Bridget has feelings for him and advises her to keep showing up. Sooner or later, she believes, Jack will show his feelings too.
George Refuses to Reconcile With Bertha
Bertha eventually prepares to return home from England after seeing Gladys through the birth and its frightening aftermath.
George has no intention of welcoming her back. As soon as he hears that Bertha is returning, he announces that he will move out and go back to the club.
Larry tries to reason with his father, but George will not reconsider. Whatever time apart may have done for George and Bertha, it has not convinced him to make peace with his wife.
I was also supposed to point out two very special guest stars in this episode, but honestly, I couldn’t spot them anywhere. It’s possible there was a mix-up in our screener notes, and they’re actually meant to appear in a future episode. So, rather than spoil the surprise, these two huge names will remain a secret for now, at least here on The Viewer’s Perspective.
THE GILDED AGE will air every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO for its eight-episode fourth season, beginning SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, with episodes also available to stream on HBO Max.
