In Episode 5 of “The Gilded Age,” titled “Charity Has Two Functions,” history and fiction continue to intertwine in the most fascinating way. Bertha (Carrie Coon) allows Gladys to have a maid and invites Archie Baldwin, the young man who interests her daughter, to their home. Peggy (Denée Benton) sets boundaries in her friendship with Marian (Louisa Jacobson). Ward McAllister (Nathan Lane) makes his first appearance in the series and meets Bertha, Marian and Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel). Clara Barton (Linda Emond) shows how pragmatic and intuitive she is. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of “The Gilded Age” Episode 5. AHEAD SPOILERS.
Golden Age Episode 5 Recap
According to Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), charity has two functions in good society. The first is to raise funds for the less fortunate, while the second is to serve as a social ladder for ambitious people. The thing is, everyone involved in this kind of endeavor is well aware of this, because the characters are in “The Gilded Age.” Clara Barton is under no illusions why someone like Bertha Russell is interested in the Red Cross and comes to meet her in Dansville, New York, where she started the first branch of the organization in 1881. She also knows what Aurora gains by introducing Bertha to her. She accepts the transactional aspects of these transactions because they are ultimately good for the people she is trying to help.
At the Russells, Gladys continues to rebel against the constraints that her mother imposed on her. George (Morgan Spector) warns his wife that such a strict attitude towards their daughter could prove detrimental to ensuring her safety, but largely stays out of it. Mrs. Bruce convinces Bertha to allow Gladys to have her own maid, and Adelheid, a girl Gladys’ age, is promoted to the position. Meanwhile, Oscar (Blake Ritson) and Mrs. Turner (Kelley Curran) get to know each other and decide to work together so they can both get what they want.
Bertha finally meets Ward McAllister at Aurora Fane. Marian and Raikes are also there to keep the conversation going. It soon becomes apparent to everyone present that Bertha and McAllister are cut from the same cloth. They are both ambitious, ruthless in their own way, and very pragmatic when it comes to wealth.
Marian and Peggy resume their friendship but not before the latter sets certain limits. Peggy’s mother visits the Brook house and asks Marian to convince Peggy to return to her own family in Brooklyn. Agnes sends Peggy with Marian as she travels to Dansville to meet Barton. They accompany Bertha and Aurora, and Raikes also joins the group. In Dansville, Barton happily gives an interview to Peggy. Later that evening, Marian and Raikes share a kiss but are interrupted by Peggy before it becomes anything more.
End of episode 5 of The Gilded Age: what happened in Millbourne, Pennsylvania? Why are George and Bertha so worried?
While the Russell family is hosting Archie Baldwin, George’s secretary, Richard Clay, receives an emergency message from Millbourne, Pennsylvania, and rushes to his employer’s home. He arrives just as Baldwin is leaving. It is revealed that a train has derailed tracks that George’s company has fixed. According to initial information, three people are dead and several others are seriously injured. Richard tells George that unconfirmed news suggests the three deceased are male, but they can’t be sure.
George asks his wife to telegraph Barton details of what appears to be an accident and asks him to drive to Millbourne. He knows this can potentially be a massive disaster in terms of loss of life and should be treated as such. Richard and the Russells also decide to keep the news out of the papers for the time being. Even at 19and century, optics were important to the survival of any business. George and the others knew that an accident had to happen sooner or later as it is an unfortunate part of being involved in rail business. And now George has to control the narrative and deal with what happened before these things ruined him.
Why is George threatening Archie Baldwin? Does Archie accept George’s offer?
At first glance, Archie seems like a good match for Gladys. He comes from a wealthy family and seems to have a bright future ahead of him as an investment banker. More importantly, he and Gladys seem to really like each other. However, Bertha desires something more for her daughter and convinces her husband to make sure Gladys and Archie’s relationship does not progress further.
After dinner, while they are alone, George makes Archie an offer. If he agrees to cut off all contact with Gladys, he will become the intermediary of the Seligman brothers. If Archie refuses, George will ensure that the young man never works in the financial sector in the United States again. Although his decision isn’t shown onscreen, it can be gleaned that he chooses to accept George’s offer, given that he leaves abruptly.
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