Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Gilded Age Season 3, episode 5 - “A Different World.”
Gladys Russell has not had it easy inThe Gilded Ageseason 3 thanks to Bertha Russell’s controlling demeanor, but her marriage to Hector, Duke of Buckingham, has now created a new problem for the character. Compared to many ofThe Gilded Age’s characters, Gladys has never been power-hungry, but that may have to change in coming episodes.
After her tearful wedding at theend ofThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 4, Gladys’s marriage is already far from perfect.Gladys had no other option but to marry the Duke. Now, despite trying to make the most of it, Gladys has a new enemy that another character actually predicted in episode 4.
Bertha Russell’s Sister Predicted Gladys' Feud With The Duke’s Sister
Monica O’Brien Was Willing To Say What Other People Did Not Want To Hear
Bertha Russell’s sister, Monica O’Brien, was a great addition toThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 4, and while she does not appear again in episode 5, something she noted in the last episode has already come true. While at a family dinner before the wedding,Monica questioned Lady Sarah’s future after Gladys moves to England.
Monica elevated the wedding episode because of how willing she was to make those around her uncomfortable.She was happy to ask the tough questions and call Bertha out about her behaviorand how her ambition was harming those around her.
When Monica asked Lady Sarah whether she planned to leave Sidmouth Castle when Gladys moved in, it was clear that Sarah had considered no such thing.
As a result, their dinner with Hector, Duke of Buckingham, and his sister, Lady Sarah, was at times uncomfortable to watch but also thoroughly entertaining. However, it was one question about what Lady Sarah would do (and whether she would move out) upon Gladys' arrival in England that has now proved the most telling.
When Monica asked Lady Sarah whether she planned to leave Sidmouth Castle when Gladys moved in, it was clear that Sarah had considered no such thing. One episode later,audiences now have confirmation that she, rather than the Duke, is indeed the one in charge at their ancestral home.
Whether Monica was truly trying to unsettle Lady Sarah could be up for debate, but she did correctly predict that the noblewoman would quickly become Gladys' biggest problem in England. The subtle foreshadowing was easy to overlook with the wedding looming, but noweven Bertha Russell can’t ignore the battle that Gladys is facing.
Lady Sarah Is The Real Power Behind The Duke Of Buckingham
She Was Behind The Plan To Marry Gladys All Along
Just as Bertha Russell was maneuvering her daughter into the marriage with the Duke to gain social influence, episode 5 revealed that Lady Sarah was positioning her brother to be married for her own gain, too. She planned for him to marry a wealthy American because of how desperatelythey needed the money to maintain their ancestral home.
When the Duke tries to remind Sarah that it was her idea all along, she remarks that she is aware of that buthadn’t considered what it would actually be like when Gladys arrived at Sidmouth Castle. The moment highlights her disdain for the young American bride and hints at what she has in store for Gladys in the future.
Lady Sarah is willfully rude to Gladys and even attempts to fire her lady’s maid, Adelheid, without consulting Gladys first.
Lady Sarah claims that her goal is simply to train Gladys to become a proper English Duchess, but if that were the case, surely there would be kinder ways to go about it. Instead, Lady Sarah is willfully rude to Gladys and even attempts to fire her lady’s maid, Adelheid, without consulting Gladys first.
The Duke’s relationship with his sister even seems a little too close for comfort, and Gladys has already been left out of the loop a couple of times because of it. The siblings make plans and discuss the maintenance of their home without consulting Gladys and Lady Sarah purposefully attempts to embarrass Gladys at dinner.
Even after just one episode of seeing Gladys and Lady Sarah’s dynamic, it is clear that she will be the one that Gladys has to fight with rather than the Duke.He and Gladys previously promised each other honesty, but after seeing how controlling Lady Sarah is, it seems that may not have been his to offer in the first place.
Is Gladys Too Weak To Become Duchess In The Gilded Age?
She Has To Prove To Lady Sarah That She Is In Charge
The Gilded Ageseason 3 has put Gladys Russell into a very unfortunate situation that would be very difficult for her to get out of. As such, her future is not currently looking too bright. Sure,she is now one of the show’s most powerful characters, but she is completely miserable and alone in a foreign country.
What’s more, Gladys has been under her mother’s thumb for years. Now she has her own home to run, but has no idea about how to actually do that.This has allowed Lady Sarah to continue exerting her control over what is now technically Gladys' domain, raising the question of whether Gladys can truly become the Duchess of Buckingham.
Even if Gladys is not trained the way Sarah would like, she is the Duchess and should be treated as such.
Much like Bertha Russell, Lady Sarah has a strong, controlling personality that Gladys may find it hard to overcome, butSarah needs to understand that she is no longer the Lady of the house. Even if Gladys is not trained the way Sarah would like, she is the Duchess and should be treated as such.
As a result,The Gilded Agemay see Gladys change and grow in the coming episodes if she is to survive at Sidmouth Castle. For this to happen,the Duke needs to back his wife up, showing that things have truly changed. Right now, the Duke growing a spine or Gladys asserting herself still seems a long way off, though.
The Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 6, “If You Want to Cook an Omelette” will premiere on HBO Max on Sunday, July 12, 2025, at 9 pm EST.
Based on the miserable letter she sent her family, it seems like Gladys may be ready to give up. Instead, I hopeThe Gilded Ageactually sees her take control of her future for the first time ever, ousting Lady Sarah and showing the Duke that she can make the most of a bad situation, finally taking her own power.
The Gilded Age
Cast
The Gilded Age, set in 1882 during a time of economic prosperity, follows Marian Brook, an orphaned Southern general’s daughter, as she moves to New York City. She navigates society’s complexities with her aunts and Peggy Scott, an African-American masquerading as her maid, amidst the city’s opulent elite.
