I agree that the Unofficial Gilded Age After Show was by far the best part of the series--thank you. Because of your sessions I've just contributed to the Frick, Pittsburgh.
I loved this episode. I even loved how the Tom and Marion breakup went down. Mrs. Fane having to go to Mrs. Chamberlain's, her talk with Ada who sent her there and Mrs. Fane not even knowing why, it was awesome. I felt that Marion just felt that if someone wanted her that badly, it must be love so she should agree to marry him. She didn't love him and the tears after she talked to him were more pride that others were right than grief that she'd lost him. I thought it fitting that he was just like 'I love you but I can't have the fancy life I want with you' because it was important for her to grow up a bit and be more wise about the world she's living in. She'll be much more thoughtful next time and recognize when she's not really in love. The fun part of it all was rushing to intercept Larry. lol I really hope they get together. This ball, priceless. Such stellar acting that so much happened with no words spoken, just looks. I didn't see Agnes dancing though, which would have been epic if she'd had to. lol
So many people we're so convinced that Raikes was out to con Marion, or had stolen her inheritance from her father, or would live up to his "name"... But there was no evidence of this in the rating anywhere in the show. Sure, a " rake " is that drunk, swindling gambler. It's what we would call Marion's father, according to her aunts. But "Raikes" was just a very popular Welsh last name of many of the people who emigrated to the area where Marion grew up. It might hint at something sinister about the character, but I think the name was chosen because it would have been a realistic representation of a person who would have moved to New York to pursue a lucrative career in law at that time. What's disappointing about the Marion and Tom story line is that poor Marion had to suffer through the same kind of young boyfriend lots of girls get-- a guy who thinks about himself and no one else and likes a lot of female attention so he doesn't mean anything he actually tells them. It's a romantic notion and it's very effective so it's still in use today. True I would have liked a much more intriguing relationship between Tom and Marion, and so would millions of other people! But it's the Gilded Age, not Bridgerton. Different writers with different aims; and very different shows.
Come through Alonna. Loved Harry Richardson in Poldark. BTW.. I lived in West Palm Beach. The Flagler mansion, Whitehall, is amazing. There is an exhibit of Flagler's private rail car. It is worth a visit
Love this show! I adored the mirrored scenes of Mrs. Astor and Carrie & Bertha and Gladys...both women made their choices for their daughters and one declared victory, while another declares defeat!
Oh, just you wait until Mr. Russell notices the millions in stocks he's got for a "Mr. Brook" and realizes he waa Marian's dad and runs across the street to tell her himself she's filthy rich.
Congratulations on a great first season of episode reviews, historical commentary, and conversation. Take care of yourselves and I look forward to seeing you again next season.
The sisterly dynamic of Agnes and Ada reminds me of Aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) & Jet (Diane Wiest) in "Practical Magic". The same bickering, the same contrast in personalities - I love it!
Throughout the period the costume balls were a huge event for the elite and many participants would have a studio photo made after the fact as a keepsake for their own records which is understandable given the efforts that some went to to create a memorable ensemble. The cat costume discussed, though unusual would not be completely out of keeping with some of the more extravagant examples of millinery of the period where entire taxdermied birds were mounted on hats.
It not just that just remember, even if you had money but you live other parts of America during that time you would have a very hard time making dress of that quality. Even now the show cannot reproduce some of the outfits because it too expensive.
I'd like to think that the Cat Costume was made from replicated items. Everyone was pet-lovers, so I wouldn't think she'd show up with pieces of an actual cat carcasses would be draped on her person. That would be like waltzing with a dog or horse cadaver.
Thanks for this series. Any additional insights into how life was lived during this period would be welcome. I assume there must be quite a story in Frick's move - from what I saw as a very family-oriented home in Pittsburgh, to the coldly perfect mansion he built in New York. Was this move prompted by the same social ambition which motivated the fictional Mrs. Russell? NB: I enjoyed your expressions (amusement, disbelief, horror) when the 'cat dress' was discussed.
Mr. Frick's business dealings were the main reason for relocating to New York, though there was certainly a social consideration as well. After 1900, Mr. Frick was spending more and more time away from Pittsburgh and eventually it just made more sense for the family to be in New York. We'd love to explore this further in future content, so stay tuned!
I have enjoyed this season so much and I have loved your input about the episodes. I love the story lines and I was smiling so much during this finale. Thank you for bring me into The Gilded Age arena. Keep up the excellent work.
Interracial marriage was not legal in New York state until 1946. Even so, the racial lines were so set in stone, no white man would have worked for Peggy's father under any circumstances.
The idea of someone being a rake, from my understanding, has Art historical meaning and precedence in Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress and is a shortening of his character’s name Tom Rakewell.
I have really enjyed your episodes and will look forward to the next season. I would love watching some videos if you would do them about real Gilded Age families all across the country.
The Bingham's were a wealthy Southern family from Louisville. Check out the Bingham Academy for Boys, Robert Worth Bingham in democratic politics and the book IRREPRESSIBLE, The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham.
Great question about who is dressing Bertha. I'm more puzzled about who is dressing Peggy. We know all the staff at that house (versus the Russells, where there is a large staff and we don't know everyone so there could be some unnamed maid)
They did have undergarments that a person could put on themselves. Corsets had hooks up the front that a person could put on themselves. The servant staff would most certainly dressed themselves, so that would have been necessary. I’d like to know where Peggy stored all those gorgeous dresses. Her room looked pretty small.
I thought he wanted to marry her because he handled her fathers estate and knew about a secret stash of money that he could only gain access to through marriage.
