It’s a testament to the ability of Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) as a writer that he can have you rooting for the rich and privileged class while they do rich and privileged things. In episode 2 of “The Gilded Age”, Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Peggy (Denée Benton) try to save the job of Mrs Bauer, the cook of the van Rhijn house. Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) reveals that he has decided to settle permanently in New York. Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Fane hold a charity bazaar and inevitably insult Bertha (Carrie Coon). Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of “The Gilded Age” episode 2. AHEAD SPOILERS.
Golden Age Episode 2 Recap
Episode 2 begins with a tall, imposing man threatening Mrs. Bauer for the gambling debt she has accumulated. Desperate, she tries to pay him with silver candlesticks she steals from the van Rhijns, but he is only interested in the money. Peggy sees their interaction and later tells Marian about it. Marian approaches Oscar (Blake Ritson) to ask him about the money Mrs. Bauer owes. He agrees to give the money on one condition: Marian will give lunch and invite Gladys Russell. Marian realizes Oscar is a fortune hunter and is after Gladys for a reason but has no choice but to agree. Luckily for her and Gladys, Aunt Ada (Cynthia Nixon) finds out and steps in.
Ms Morris and Ms Fane are hosting a charity bazaar, to be held in the New 7’s Veterans Roomand Regimental Armoury. Predictably, they don’t ask Bertha to join the effort. George asks Bertha to invite Mrs. Morris and her husband, Alderman Patrick Morris, to dinner. Unlike his wife, who is extremely reluctant to go, Patrick is intrigued. He knows George Russell is a force in New York, and he can’t afford to get on the wrong side.
After dinner, the two men chat over a game of billiards. George reveals that he wants to build a new station in the city for his railroad from New York to Chicago and needs Patrick’s help to make it law. In exchange, he tells the alderman that he and his colleagues can buy shares on margin of his company which can only explode once the bill is passed. Later, Patrick informs George that the other aldermen have accepted his proposal. However, they have some reservations about George, whom they probably consider a robber baron.
End of episode 2 of The Gilded Age: Why does George Russell buy everything at the Charity Bazaar?
George Russell is described as one of the most important railroad tycoons in the country, with enormous wealth and power. But as the title suggests, money isn’t everything in polite New York society. Most families who are part of the highest social level can trace their wealth back to the Revolutionary War and before. They view anyone who tries to get in as upstarts, and the Russells are no exception.
However, the problem for people like Ms. Morris and Ms. Fane is that they end up fighting a losing battle. Change is inevitable. If they don’t accept it, there’s a chance they’ll be swept away by it. And neither of them is influential enough in society to maintain their social standing if that happens. They find out they can’t hold the charity bazaar at the Armory because it’s been double-booked. When Mr. and Mrs. Morris earlier visited the Russell home for dinner, Bertha offered her grand ballroom as the location for the bazaar should the Armory become unavailable. When it does, the two women choose the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
This decision frustrates Patrick Morris, who has no intention of agitating George over their agreement, and infuriates Bertha. On bazaar day, the entire Russell family shows up. George pays each vendor $100 to buy everything they sell, then orders them to deliver the goods to his house within the hour, then close and dismantle their stores. This demonstration of power and wealth leaves everyone speechless. Even Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy), New York’s politeness ruler, is impressed by the decision and compares George to a roaring lion.
The bazaar was to last three days. George’s actions end it shortly after his inauguration. On the one hand, it is the most successful bazaar of the season. On the other hand, these gatherings are used by members of civil society to conform their statutes to each other. With a quick gesture, George forces people with old money to realize that he is someone to be reckoned with.
Read more: Is Blake Ritson’s Oscar van Rhijn gay in The Gilded Age?
