Drama! Drama! Drama!

The consequences of Bertha’s omissions — and her relentless push to force Gladys into a loveless arranged marriage — come at a steep price: George begins shutting her out of both business and emotional decisions, and she’ll have to fight hard to regain her leadership and his trust.

Let’s start with the good news:

George fires Clay in a harsh and humiliating way (which will likely backfire later), because his railroad project has stalled. He appoints Larry to take on the task of returning to Arizona and securing the land — and ends up triple shocked: first, because Larry negotiates the terms instead of blindly accepting the job; second, because he finds out his son is a millionaire in his own right (and might just save the Russells’ empire); and finally, because Larry announces he intends to marry Marian. That’s right — it’s official, Larians of the world: our favorite couple is getting married. For now.

Larry mentions that Bertha will react badly, which only strengthens George’s support for the union. And yes, this almost makes us forgive him for being weak in Gladys’s storyline. He’s clearly remorseful, and promises — to Larry and to us — that he won’t let Bertha interfere. If only it were that simple…

After the talk with George, Larry formally proposes to Marian and asks Ada and Agnes for their blessing. Ada is delighted, but Agnes responds with disdain, saying she never thought this match was even possible. Wait until she finds out that Bertha will be rude enough to publicly suggest that Marian is marrying for money — and that if she could, she’d oppose it. That showdown is probably coming soon, but for now, the engagement must stay quiet because Larry is heading immediately to Arizona.

Before leaving, Larry tells Marian he’s having dinner with friends at Delmonico’s — a lie. “Delmonico’s” was code for “suspicious club,” and Larry actually takes Jack to the Haymarket. There, he bumps into Maud Beaton — the same woman who stole all of Oscar’s money — now using the name Dolly Trent. Larry doesn’t press her, but the next day, he informs Oscar. And with that, a serious problem is born.

Oscar, unsettled, talks to John Adams, who advises against revenge: the money’s gone, Oscar is thriving, and if Maud is working at the Haymarket, she’s already been punished enough. But Oscar seems unwilling to let it go.

Across the Atlantic, Gladys is predictably miserable in her new life as a duchess. Lady Sarah — unbearable as ever — dominates Sidmouth and criticizes everything Gladys does or doesn’t do. The final straw comes when she fires Adelheid without consulting Gladys. Frustrated and helpless, Gladys sends an emotional letter home, begging her parents for help.

The Russells continue to live under a constant Mercury retrograde. George, still heartbroken over Bertha’s role in the Gladys debacle (which he helped enable, let’s not forget), is furious when he receives the letter. Bertha insists she’ll fix it with a visit to England, but George no longer trusts her. His mistrust is also tied to her negative reaction to Larry’s engagement — and even worse, to her overly flirtatious performance as hostess when George asks her to help him connect with Alfred Merrick.

At the dinner, Bertha openly flirts with Merrick, but even so, he refuses to do business. The Merricks control Illinois, a key region for George’s transatlantic project. And here’s my warning: Bertha never loses. In this episode, she may seem like she’s spiraling, but it’s probably a clever illusion. George might be pulling away and threatening to leave her when she returns from England, but anyone who knows Bertha knows she never folds without a fight.

Meanwhile, Ada participates in a séance with Madame Dashkova, who claims to be communicating with Luke. While it sounds dubious, Ada believes it — and announces she’ll start wearing colors other than black. Agnes, for her part, is outraged to learn Jack is a millionaire and demands to know exactly how much he made selling the watch to Larry.

Peggy is now openly dating Dr. Kirkland, but runs into T. Thomas Fortune, who — still very much married — arranges an interview with Frances Ellen Watkins Harper just to get close to her. Shameless! But it doesn’t work. Peggy stands firm and, with William by her side, puts an end to Fortune’s hope of rekindling something.

In Newport, Marian visits a very unhappy Aurora Fane, who has been shunned by society ever since her divorce. At a luncheon hosted by Mamie Fish, Aurora is publicly humiliated — until Bertha surprisingly defends her. Everyone knows Mrs. Astor is using the Fanes’ divorce to distract from her daughter Charlotte’s own marital crisis, and it was refreshing to see Bertha show loyalty to someone. Marian leaves the event with Aurora, but not before Mamie calls out Mrs. Astor’s hypocrisy. Is this another defeat for Astor? (Spoiler: yes.)

With only two episodes left, The Gilded Age Season 3 accelerates the drama, digs into old wounds, and throws its characters into a whirlwind of moral, social, and romantic dilemmas. Bertha may seem to be losing her grip, but the game is far from over — and in high society, the real battles are always fought behind closed doors. Drama? Always. Tension? Rising. And the Sunday countdown? Already started.