Intensity, thy name is Season 3 of The Gilded Age. With the pedal to the metal, the show has left us breathless — and we already have a wedding coming next week! It makes sense, since the series has yet to confirm a fourth season, and a whole lot of drama needs to be wrapped up here. And wow, is there drama.

I always knew the day would come when I’d hate Bertha Russell, but now that it’s here, I didn’t expect to be this mad at her. The cunning behind her moves lies in her complete lack of empathy for her children. In just one episode, she managed to outmaneuver George twice — and he was doing his best to keep his promise to Gladys without rocking their marriage. And worse: Bertha already picked out a bride for Larry the moment she found out about him and Marian. I hate Bertha!

Yes, George set limits on Gladys’s dowry offer, as he should, but Bertha — who failed to seduce him as she usually does — taught the Duke of Buckingham exactly how to manipulate her daughter. Gladys is falling for the “honesty” act as a way to cope with the inevitable: marrying someone she doesn’t want. It’s bitter, but that’s how it was. And fate gave Bertha a helping hand: once the Delanceys were out of the running, she immediately zeroed in on the banker’s fortune and his dream of “having his grandchildren born and raised in New York.” With Larry casually mentioning that he knows the banker’s daughter — all excited — Bertha quickly connected the dots. Come on, Larry!

Speaking of Larry, in just one episode, he started veering dangerously into Tom Raikes territory, giving off all the wrong vibes. First, he shamelessly puts Marian in a compromising position, even though she’s been begging for discretion for months. Her panic was heartbreaking, but there’s something to unpack here. Larry says he’s in love — but Raikes said that too. Marian never says she loves him back, and in her fear of the future, she seems less sure of them as a couple than we all are. She knows facing Bertha won’t be easy, and her heart is about to be broken again.

I found it odd that she learned about Susan Blaine from Oscar — after all, Larry had already told her everything when he got back from Newport, didn’t he? Okay, everything in detail maybe not, but he definitely said his heart was broken and that the two of them would be “comrades” together. Marian’s surprise felt off to me. Especially since she met the widowed Mrs. Blaine both in Newport and at the Oscar Wilde play. She’s only putting it all together now? At this point, I kind of want Dashiel Montgomery to start visiting his aunt Agnes again…

And then there’s Larry’s complete lack of business skills. If Jack hadn’t been in that meeting, they would’ve lost the deal. I know Reddit is rooting for Jack and Gladys to become a thing, but I’m now rooting for Jack and Marian — because our girl needs a boyfriend who’s not a mama’s boy or a shameless opportunist. Larry is starting to worry me way too much.

On Peggy’s side, she found the perfect prince — but the whole drama surrounding classism and prejudice within the Black community of that era really caught me off guard. Peggy’s future mother-in-law doesn’t deserve her. She and Bertha would be best friends, no doubt. But I feel more confident in Dr. Kirkland than in Larry. Our girl Peggy has already suffered so much, people! I just want her married and happy. Only because back then, marriage was a requirement.

Over at the Van Rhijn house, Oscar is getting back on his feet professionally, but Ada is feeling sidelined, powerless, lonely, and incredibly vulnerable. Poor thing. She really thought that being the wealthy one in the house would earn her more respect. This is clearly leading her into an emotional — and possibly financial — scam. I just hope it’s not both.

From the preview for the next episode, during Gladys’s wedding, no one seems to know what Bertha is planning for Larry. She’s so confident about pushing Marian aside that she doesn’t even mind leaving them alone for a little while longer. She is cruel. Apparently, George will encourage his daughter to consider running away at the last minute, and Bertha’s sister Monica might help her nieces and nephews somehow. Who else is ready to watch the fall of Bertha Russell?