There are so many lovely, genuinely touching details about Larry Russell and Marian Brook’s romantic relationship and how it has bloomed from an honest, tender friendship. The two of them getting together at the end of the Season 2 finale was gorgeous, but even more precious is the way Larry proposes to Marian in The Gilded Age’s “A Different World.”
In an ensconced space, surrounded by a willow tree, Larry gets down on one knee and promises Marian forever. He tells her he loves her one more time, with the biggest smile on his face, and it’s endgame after this.
Proposals, at times, can be even more romantic than weddings because of how intimate they are—a moment that belongs solely to the couple, no one else. And it’s effortless to appreciate the fact that Larry does it while they’re completely alone, keeping his promise not to wait under second after Gladys’ wedding. The setting also matters here because there’s something about the vibrancy of the tree and how it grows and grows, rooted in a solid foundation, just like the friendship that their love grows from. It’s cemented, everlasting—taken care of and strengthened to where they stand together.
The tears in both their eyes, the unmistakable love playing across their faces, casting a light into a shady but still sparkling area, is further proof of their softness for one another. For two people who’ve both experienced love in different forms, with other people, everything about the performances from Louisa Jacobson and Harry Richardson shows us that this time, it’s different. This time, it’s unlike anything they’ve experienced before. This time, it’s going to last because the foundation they’ve fortified is what’s keeping them solid. This time, Larry is in love. And while Marian hasn’t said the words yet, we know she feels the same way.
We know that her yes is a declaration of her love, and we know that everything she feels for him is more terrifying than before because her feelings for Larry go beyond anything she’s known. The same undoubtedly applies to him, and that’s the conversation they’re having amid their tearful elation. He’s silently repeating the three little words over and over and over again as tears of joy prick his eyes. She’s saying them back, over and over, testing the words until it’s no longer scary to eventually say it out loud because losing Larry would hurt far more than any of the other men she was tethered to.
In an isolated space, we also get external proof of the fact that their love is different. It’s unique and meant to last, in the quiet corners and the big, loud ones, too. All of this authenticates that they’re endgame—built to endure every storm. They’re best friends first, which makes the romantic love they have for one another that much stronger. More intimate. The way he kisses her hand and never once breaks eye contact further showcases that this isn’t a game to him—it’s real. And no matter what obstacles come their way, it won’t change the fact that Larry Russell is so in love with Marian Brook that he wouldn’t even dare look at another woman. She’s the one he’d get down on one knee for, and there are few things more sacred than that.
Now streaming on HBO Max: What are your thoughts on Larry proposing to Marian? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©HBO Max