Tucked Up In Newport
George Russell is preparing for his hearing against the judge. He’s anxious, unsure of whether he’s going to win or not. All the lawyers by his side have found nothing untoward regarding Dixon’s past and George Russell is growing impatient. It doesn’t looking good.
Meanwhile, Bertha informs her staff that the family are going to be in Newport for 10 days. Not George though, given the court trial he’s currently dealing with. John and Oscar see this news as a good opportunity to improve the latter’s standing with the family, with Oscar dead-set on making good on his promise to wed Glady. John though just wants to carry on as they are.
Aurora takes Marian aside at the Brook household and brings up Mr. Raikes. She’s worried about him, given he seems to be everywhere, but Marian reassures her that everything is okay. Just as they speak, Mr. Raikes appears with a letter. ..
Marian tells Peggy that she’s decided to marry Mr. Raikes and they are surrounded by doubters. Marian visits Raikes at his office and as the pair kiss, solidifying their upcoming marriage.
With Bertha and Gladys over to see Miss Fish in Newport, Peggy and Miss Armstrong begin to stir back in New York. It turns out Peggy was married and pregnant to a man named Elias Finn, who used to work at her father’s pharmacy. Unfortunately when her father found out about Peggy, he forced Elias to sign papers admitting he was previously married.
Peggy is upset because she believes that Miss Armstrong may have intercepted the letter Mr. Raikes sent earlier in the season, confirming he was unable to find the midwife. Armstrong is not stupid, and Peggy realizes she probably told the Aunts what’s happening. So the only thing for Peggy to do is admit the truth to Ada and Agnes. ..
Peggy does just that but Agnes is surprising sympathetic about her plight. She too has lost a child and knows how painful this can be. Peggy decides to leave, while Agnes is not happy with Miss Armstrong given she’s spun the story in an ugly way to claim she bore an illegitimate child. Armstrong is saved from being fired thanks to her stature within the family but Agnes does her best to try and convince Peggy to stay. She admits this is unfair but lets her go.
George Russell’s hearing goes ahead but the lawyers are abuzz as they’ve found a crucial bit of evidence to help swing things in George’s favour. That comes in the form of Miss Ainsley, Mr Russell’s stenographer. Earlier in the episode Marian uncovered Ainsley’s ties to Dixon by change, partly thanks to her disguising her real name which happens to be Dixon. The same Dixon that happens to be in charge of building the railroad.
Ainsley is questioned about her ties with Dixon, where we learn that George’s original note was actually in response to Bertha’s suggestion of a company renovating his office but George found them too expensive. So essentially Ainsley forged the note, word for word, to make it seem like he approved the cheaper parts. She and Dixon had misappropriated funds before and now they’re caught red-handed.
George exonerates Dixon and Ainsley from charges while also promising to make it impossible for them to get a better job above scrubbing floors, keeping tabs on her indefinitely.
With the George issue sorted, tensions flare between Oscar and John in Newport. John and Gladys begin to grow closer at dinner, laughing and generally having a good time. All of this is a game but one that Oscar has a terrible poker face for. ..
Mrs Astor returns to the house though, and quickly smuggles Bertha out through the kitchen. As she heads out the back entrance, with all the staff watching her, Bertha walks away with her head held high, despite the humiliation.
The Episode Review
In this episode of The Gilded Age, we follow the story of Ainsley who was caught copying George Russell’s handwriting and how he has come out on top in the face of adversity. We learn about what really happened here and why Ainsley was able to do this. We also get a look at how George has come out on top in the face of adversity.
Drama is abound in Newport with Bertha and Gladys, who head off to the city with McAllister and get involved in a fair amount of drama themselves. The interesting ties between Oscar and John make for a nice power dynamic, while the same can be said back in New York too.
Agnes has a softer side that is surprisingly refreshing. The way she empathizes with Peggy and what has happened to her makes her character more likable. This change of pace is welcome, as up until this point Agnes has been cold and hostile. Here, we see her understanding what has happened to Peggy and it makes her character more likeable. ..
The producers of “The Walking Dead” have promised a dramatic follow-up to this week’s episode, which is sure to be just as exciting as the first. ..
