Summary
- George Russell tells the officers to not shoot the mill workers on strike.
- Marian accepts Dashiall Montgomery’s marriage proposal, while Peggy confesses having feelings for Mr Fortune.
- Reverend Forte is diagnosed with cancer.
The Gilded Age season 2, episode 6 deals with people from various social backgrounds and how they deal with their contrasting fates. This week’s episode has some interesting developments, such as George Russell refusing to open fire on the mill workers and Marien agreeing to marry Dashiell.
The episode embraces the series’ characteristic melodrama, allowing it to affect all its characters. There are multiple subplots, and the characters face various highs and lows.
The most important development in the episode is regarding the workers’ strike and George and Henderson’s conflict. Throughout the episode, George is conflicted between listening to the workers and prioritizing his own profits as a businessman. The ending finally hints at a ray of hope for the workers as George chooses to do the right thing.
The Gilded Age season 2, episode 6 ends with George ordering the officers not to open fire on the mill workers. He stops a major bloodbath and spares the lives of the mill workers. While it is not clear whether he plans to listen to all of the workers’ demands, it seems like the logical thing to do.
Here’s a complete recap of The Gilded Age season 2, episode 6, “Never Propose in Public.”
1. Marian Agrees to Marry Dashiell
Marian hastily agrees to marry Dashiell Montgomery when he proposes to her during his garden party. She loved Dashiell’s daughter, who was also her student and did not want to disappoint her or embarrass Dashiell in public.
Since season 1, Marian has always wanted to make a name for herself. But given the current circumstances where her job as a teacher is not enough to make a living, she agrees to marry Dashiell for the time being.
One of the most important reasons behind Marian’s decision is Frances, Dashiell’s daughter, who looks at her eagerly during the proposal. Moreover, Dashiell proposes to her in public during the party, so she is pressured to say yes.
People who know Marian, such as Aunt Ada and Larry Russell, also realized that she agreed out of guilt and pressure. But now that Marian has said yes, many things are at stake if she wishes to walk out of the marriage. Above all, she must find a secure job for herself as her present job is not enough to sustain herself.
2. Peggy Admits That She is in Love with Mr. Fortune
Peggy finally tells Marian that she has fallen in love with her editor, Mr. Fortune. However, Mr Fortune is married. Although they shared a kiss previously, it was prompted by the circumstances of their near-fatal encounter with a violent mob in Tuskegee, Alabama.
But Peggy cannot ignore her feelings or her chemistry with Mr Fortune. Peggy’s feelings create serious difficulties for their joint work on their upcoming story, which may only increase their intimacy.
3. Reverend Forte is Diagnosed with Cancer
Aunt Ada and Reverend Forte get the tragic news that Luke Forte has been diagnosed with cancer just after their honeymoon at Niagra Falls.
Luke’s back pain turns out to be a symptom of cancer and can prove fatal to his health. Aunt Ada is overwhelmed with grief at the prospect of losing her beloved husband so soon after getting together with him. Aunt Agnes shows her compassion by supporting her sister in these tough times and inviting the rector to stay at her home where he can get medical care and rest.
4. Why George Doesn’t Shoot the Mill Workers
George asks his officers not to shoot the mill workers on strike as he feels conflicted between maximizing his profits and doing the right thing for the workers. George Russell was never such a ruthless man, and he considers listening to the workers’ demands instead of killing them.
George Russell thinks about the workers’ demands for an eight-hour workday, which would allow them eight hours of sleep and leisure. Although he is reluctant to compromise as a businessman, he initially agrees to accommodate some of their demands. Moreover, if he agreed to all their demands, he would have to bring structural changes, which is not an option.
The union leader, Henderson, knows these demands will not affect George’s overall profits. Henderson believes that someone’s excessive wealth should not come at the cost of the bare minimum necessities of others. It helps that George is not malicious and perhaps agrees with Henderson in this regard.
As a result, George stops the officers from shooting the mill workers. He will likely at least partially give in to their demands, and Henderson and he can come to a happy compromise.
5. About The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age is an American historical drama television series created and written by Julian Fellowes for HBO that is set in the United States during the titular era, the boom years of the 1880s in New York City. The series premiered on January 24, 2022.
The series follows a young woman entering 1882 New York City’s rigid social scene who is drawn into the daily conflicts surrounding the new money Russell family and the old money van Rhijn-Brook family. The two are neighbors across 61st Street near Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The series also shows conflicts faced by the upper and upper middle classes, the African-American upper class, and the domestic workers who tend to all of their needs.
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