In two seasons of The Gilded Age we follow many families and dramas in New York in the 1880s, especially the Van Rhijn house, led by the imposing and cynical Agnes (Christine Baranski), always with the submissive support of her sister, Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). Who takes us to them is the sweet and rebellious Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) whose personal upheaval ends up causing a tsunami in the lives of her distant aunts.

If we looked at the pilot of the series, shown in 2020, we could never say that the oppressed Ada would be in the position in which we say goodbye to her in 2022. One that will change the course of the plot in The Gilded Age, without a doubt. After all, now Ada is not only a widow but a millionaire just when the Van Rhijns lose their fortune (thanks to Oscar (Blake Ritson)).

The Story of Ada Brook

Ada Livingston Brook is the youngest Brooks, born a few years after Agnes and Henry Brook. Like her brothers, she was born and raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and had ties to more traditional New York families on her mother’s side, a Livingston.

The Brook sisters’ lives go through a turbulent time after their father’s sudden death. Henry, as the only man in the house, inherited the family fortune, but, instead of setting aside part of it to support his sisters, he decided to keep it all for himself.

The Brooks had owned land in Pennsylvania since the 1730s and would have been safe for life if not for Henry’s inability to manage it. He liked to gamble, drink, and bet on business (he invested in railways, a common scam that would come back to torment Agnes later via Oscar), and as a result, they had to “fend for themselves” alone.

The only alternative at the time was to secure a marriage with someone with money, even without love. Agnes, the eldest, was then ‘forced’ to accept the proposal of the ‘nasty’ Arnold van Rhijn. She never let anyone forget her sacrifice.

Ada, without obvious attractions and very shy, began to depend materially and psychologically on her sister.

More than Agnes, Ada was Henry’s biggest victim

If marriage was the goal in life for many women, it still hadn’t changed in the years of The Gilded Age. It was also often their only means of survival. To make matters worse, not getting married was a sign of failure and as a result, becoming “single” was a terrifying prospect for many women. For Ada, it was no different.

As the youngest daughter, in theory, she would have every chance of finding a “good candidate”, but, without a dowry, the attraction was reduced by half. Gifted, cultured, discreet, and kind, Ada had everything on paper to be a perfect wife, but the lack of money hindered her.

Just as Agnes had the stern and complex Arnold Van Rhijn interested, Ada also had a few candidates as well. In this case, Cornelius Eckhard would later come looking for her again. But what happened?

Would Ada be an easy target for scammers?

In Cornelius’ case, at first, he seemed like a nice guy, but we soon discovered that he even asked her father for Ada’s hand and was refused. The reason? Not like she thought, because he wasn’t as rich as the Brooks. None of this, it came to the attention of Mr. Brook, and Agnes, that Cornelius was bragging in a bar about being able to get married on a “meal ticket.”

Not even the second time Cornelius takes her into consideration does Ada become aware of the truth. Her affable nature seems to make her an easy target for abusers, but the main abuser appears to be, in fact, Agnes.

Ada and Marian: a connection that saved her niece’s life

Agnes is the epitome of a good person. Not even when Henry left them in a bad light did she seem to have resented his attitude. While the proud and vengeful Agnes stopped talking to her brother, Ada did not follow suit.

Somehow, she kept in touch with Henry, enough to learn about Marian and, when he passed away, suggested that she join the family in New York, even sending a ticket to her niece. Ada probably, like Agnes, deduced beforehand that Henry would leave her daughter with debts and problems, which in fact happened and practically ruined the young woman’s life. The trip to New York saved and changed her life.

Agnes was not aware of Marian’s existence nor the invitation made by Ada, even though she was the person who supported everyone. Therefore she expects total submission. As we know, this didn’t work out so well with Marian, but that’s a separate post.

Ada was Agnes’s co-dependent, but with Marian, she regained her voice

Without a potential husband, Ada’s natural path was to accept Agnes’ help when her sister moved to New York. The sisters’ relationship soon became one of co-dependence, with Agnes counting more each day on Ada’s support and company. The sister was present when Agnes gave birth to Oscar, but only started living with the Van Rhijns in 1872 after her brother-in-law died.

The affection that Oscar has for his aunt confirms that he grew up with “two mothers”. Agnes and Ada complement each other: one is cynical and suspicious, and the other is docile and open. The bargaining chip was more than psychological, it was material and with that, Agnes continued to lead the family. Or so she thought.

Ada always knew how to deal with her sister and still did what she wanted. Marian’s presence at the Van Rhijn house was her plan, saving her niece from poverty and at the same time gaining new companionship.

Marian’s personality, which reminds Agnes of her brother Henry, was Ada’s first step toward rebellion. Yes, she tried to “teach” Marian that Agnes’ strict rules made more sense than they seemed, and that yes, it was possible to circumvent them without necessarily facing a direct confrontation. That was the time she was gaining for her big turn in the 2nd season.

Ada supports Marian, but her personal strategy is more effective

Ada supported Marian’s infatuation with scammer Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel), someone whom only Agnes (and I!) saw as a bad character. However, Ada never wanted or allowed Marian to take unnecessary risks. She would get there calmly, she said, but young people are in a hurry.

The strategy for how Ada dealt with Agnes became clear: go around the edges, almost passive-aggressively, pretending to play the game, but getting what she wants. Ada isn’t a snob like Agnes, but she doesn’t go out of her way to antagonize her sister. She covered up several risky opportunities for Marian, the worst and most dangerous of all being when her niece was going to run away with Raikes to a hidden wedding. Luckily, another rich candidate appeared before Marian was exposed.

Ada loves her niece so much that she harbored a grudge for the first time, almost insulting Tom Raikes at the Russells’ ball when she met him again. Her affection was also present when, in the second season, she saw that Marian was submitting to a loveless union to meet her aunts’ expectations. And he encouraged her not to give up on true love. After all, at this point, Ada could be the example she’s worth waiting for.

Luke Forte: love in maturity, an unexpected passion

Ada Brook’s paradox was that she rooted for love, even though she had no chance of finding it for herself, due to her advanced age. When she met Reverend Luke Forte (Sean Patrick Leonard), the last thing she expected was the change he would bring to her life.

Ada’s excitement for Luke aroused Agnes’ distrust and jealousy, but she had no control over her destiny. As rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church and descendant of the Strong Italian-American Family of Boston, Massachusetts. Luke and Ada hit it off immediately.

At this point, knowing that Agnes would always create obstacles, Ada acted alone. Within months, she and Luke fell in love and got married. Agnes was indignant, and Oscar and Maria were thrilled. At no point did Ada give in to the pressure, this time she would be happy. And it was.

Strong, as in the name, has the strength

Forte, in Italian (and Portuguese) translates for Strong. So in cue with what is coming! Luke faced Agnes’ threats head-on and, not wanting to waste any time, asked Ada to marry him, with her saying yes. She was now the Strong Lady.

But she didn’t have time to celebrate. Shortly after the wedding, Luke discovered he had cancer and passed away within weeks. Agnes put aside the pose and attitudes when Ada needed it, she supported her sister unconditionally, even if she had nothing more than a brief period of happiness. No eye was dry at that moment.

Because of Ada, Marian met Larry

With so much going on in her own life, Ada hasn’t kept up with the relationship that every Gilded Age fan has rooted for since Day 1: Larryan.

Ada owns a cocker spaniel named “Pumpkin”, with whom she is attached and Marian is equally fond. As soon as she arrives in NY, Marian helps her aunt by taking the dog for a walk, but when he runs away, it is neighbor Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) who saves the pet and establishes a friendship with Marian.

Marian and Larry became great friends and ended the second season sharing their first kiss. Agnes doesn’t like his family because they are “new rich,” Ada is less demanding. Larry isn’t treacherous like Tom Raikes, but he doesn’t have a traditional surname like Dashiell Montgomery (David Furr), Marian’s scorned suitor.

The fact that they are perfect for each other doesn’t solve the drama. What’s in store for them? We can count on Ada to try to help them.

Ada will save Agnes but also take command

In addition to the sadness of her aunt, who was suddenly widowed before she was even happy as a married lady, Oscar van Rhijn challenges Agnes to consider her judgment. Just like Uncle Henry, who he never even knew, he fell for the scam of investing in railways and – from one day to the next – the Van Rhijns lost EVERYTHING in a scam that no one realized was happening with the fake scam of Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom).

When everyone is desperate, unaware of the future, the big revelation comes: Ada inherited the lucrative textile business of the Forte family. That’s right, now Ada is a millionaire widow. Not only does she finance the family by paying the employees, but she is now the new matriarch. And Agnes? What does it look like now that Ada is really in charge?

A big role for Cynthia Nixon

For fans of Sex and The City and And Just Like That, it is partly a surprise to see Cynthia Nixon in a role opposite to that of Miranda Hobbes, the lawyer with a strong personality who owns her own nose in both series.

A great actress (and director), Cynthia began playing Ada Brook at the same time that she led a controversial change in Miranda’s life, one of the most criticized in the first season of And Just Like That (when she started getting involved with women) and was so radically opposed to Ada Brook’s docility and shyness that it was difficult to remember it was the same actress.

Little by little, Ada gained space in the plot, showing that she was not as foolish as many thought and today she is effectively Marian’s mother, helping her navigate the complex New York society. In the third season, her challenge will be to impose herself on Agnes, who is used to getting rid of her and humiliating her due to her financial dependence. What will the role reversal be like? Fans of The Gilded Age can’t wait!

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