The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1, “Ring the Bells” Spoilers Ahead
Rarely does a lengthy time jump work, but I also can’t imagine a season of The Gilded Age where we had to go through a whole angsty waiting period just because. Is it strange that there’s so much we don’t see? Absolutely. But there’s also something delicious about being thrown in the trenches right off the bat, only to see how it’ll all unravel throughout the next seven weeks.
“Ring the Bells” isn’t just a dark episode, but it’s messy, heartbreaking, and simultaneously hopeful. Knowing full well that this is a Julian Fellowes show, I go in every season expecting the absolute worst, but I end up thoroughly surprised in the process. But whether the domino pieces that fall in this episode lead to a compelling end or not, only time will tell.
The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1 Sets Up the Angstiest Arc
Whether it’s Bridget’s concerns about Jack changing too much because of the circle he now runs in, or everything that’s happening with Marian and Larry, “Ring the Bells” is setting up the angstiest season. There’s going to be a lot more frustration and heartache before we get true hope back, but this episode also promises that it’s coming.
We aren’t fully in the dark, no matter how harrowing some of the narrative beats are. And that, alone, makes so much of the episode stick the landing as it ties the characters together.
Marian and Larry Spend the Night – And It’s a Good Thing
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Larry and Marian thus far, but they’re mostly positive. I’m slightly baffled by the idea that they might not have spoken—or written—for a few months while he was away in Chicago, but thoroughly proud of the showrunners for giving them a messy, genuinely complicated situation to come out of. It’s also a situation that’ll stir a lot of mixed feelings in viewers, but that’s exactly what makes this arc so compelling.
For the most part, though, their scenes together are so stunning that it’s exactly what brings light to a mostly heartbreaking episode. I wrote about the implications of their intimacy for an article coming to JustWatch soon, but what I want to focus on in this review is how this feels like a true romance novel. Watching the two of them dance together, then get stranded in a storm, and in a state where they fully give in to their feelings without reservations is what makes historical romance so delicious to read. The angst and longing of shoving societal expectations aside for one night to just live—really live and do the one thing you’ve always wanted is also what cements that they’re it for each other. How all this distance and time apart continues to prove that they’re each other’s soulmates, in every sense of the word.
This scene alone, out of context, is also something that would’ve lassoed me right into the show if I wasn’t already watching it. Picturesque in a way a meticulously choreographed love scene can be, the intimacy is scattered throughout the room. It’s in the performances, the lighting in the room, the music. It’s all gorgeously evident in context and without, and its inclusion allows The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1, “Ring the Bells” to be one of the hottest season premieres we’ve had.
Will a New Grandson Reunite George and Bertha Russell?
With the way the Season 3 finale ended, it was easy to expect that George and Bertha would be in a worse situation than they currently are. There’s a surprising peace in Bertha that almost signals it’s not as bad despite the fact that they’re living separately. (At least they’re not divorced! There’s still hope.) There’s also hope in the idea that characters around them are talking about it, like Larry, who’s the one to call out his dad for not forgiving her, even if he was the one who left the house first. All of this makes complete sense for where we’re at, and it’s exciting to see what the direct follow-up will be when Bertha’s back in New York.
More importantly, it continues to floor me just how deeply Hector loves Gladys and how he’s willing to choose her at all costs. Again, she might not have wanted it in the beginning, but she’s with the best possible man given her track record. The duke’s no coward, and he’s also not someone who’ll ever let anyone touch his wife, which says everything. If she wanted a relationship like the one her parents share, that’s exactly what she gets. And I appreciate that Bertha actually tells her that Hector chose her life when it came down to it. That’s something she needs to know, and the gravity of his choice feels bigger coming from Bertha.
But God, does it hurt to watch Gladys suffer through childbirth. And it hurts even more to know just how much she wanted a big family, but that’s out of the question now. Adoption is very much still a thing, and I’d be curious to see if The Gilded Age addresses that, but first, Bertha and Hector (one or both) will have to break the news to her.
There’s a lot about this scene that also works in favor of the time jump, but we also have to talk about Carrie Coon’s performance because the fear and anguish heavy on her chest as Gladys suffered is something that you can feel in a mother. And when she says to Sarah, “And what you will never understand is what it is to be a mother and to see your child’s life hanging by a thread,” I lost it. Because sometimes, the best words in a single episode are just that—the absolute truth thrown at a woman who’s too preoccupied with her own wants to understand the terrors of what it’s like to love someone so deeply, you’d lay your life down for them. Someone who only cares about a title as opposed to the people in their lives.
Bertha Russell might be one of the most ruthlessly ambitious women in New York, and she might be out for her own gain more often than not, but make no mistake in thinking that her children aren’t her entire world. They’re everything to her. And “Ring the Bells” cements this fact beautifully.
Wedding Bells and Presidential Visits Stir the Pot
Elsewhere on The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1, “Ring the Bells,” it’s admirable how the Van Rhijn/Forte household matters foil the Russells. How a connection between them through Enid both ties everything together and brings forth an even bigger mess than any of them knew was possible. Christine Baranski continues to deliver astounding performances each time, and her calculated reactions never fail to floor me. The way she can go from a woman who’s finally at peace because of her son’s marriage, positively giddy over her former secretary’s new book, then completely blindsided is no small feat.
It’s exactly what makes watching Agnes on this show one of the best things The Gilded Age delivers, and I can’t wait to see how all these matters will continue unraveling for her.
Peggy Wrote a Book!
There are few things I love more than watching Peggy Scott shine, and the news about her book is everything. To see that she’s not only getting positive reception but that William continues to be the most supportive fiancé is everything. There’s so much about her story that I imagine the season will stir because of the trailer, but thus far, there seems to be far more hope than there is despair, and that’s the kind of excellent writing I expect from the show.
At the same time, I really hope we get an even more heartfelt wedding in hers and William’s than we do with Oscar and Enid’s because they’re a couple more of us care about. Their union also isn’t transactional, so it’s even more crucial that we see every part of the planning process as well as the actual event.
Further Thoughts
- This is such an emotionally heightened opening with the birth and the wedding happening simultaneously.
- The way Larry looks at Marian from across the other side of the seats is so gorgeous.
- Everyone looks so good at this wedding!
- I’ve missed Bannister’s snark!
- Bridget is so done with everyone right now. What a vibe.
- What if Sarah didn’t piss me for five seconds? What then?
- “Save the duchess!” Yes, Hector. Yes!
- George, bud, you’re looking kinda rough there.
- A grandchild? Oh, Agnes. Babe. That’s not happening.
- Season 4 Ada is bringing all the snark and I’m so here for it.
- Larry admitting he missed her!?!!! LET ME WEEP.
- “So easy and uncomplicated.” See, Marian! This is what you can always have, babe. Run, don’t walk.
- The momentary, instant joy on George’s face when they get news of the baby. Morgan Spector is exceptional when it comes to giving us a softer side of George, and a scene like this shows it so well. 😭
- Gladys and Hector really are so adorable.
- I really can’t get over how supportive Agnes is of Peggy. How all of them are, but Agnes especially, because it’s a clear sign of all the growth she’s experienced throughout the seasons.
- William! Continues! To! Be! The! Man! And his mother continues to be…something.
- I love that Marian is comfortable talking to Peggy about what she went through, but like, girl, just use your words. This is kind of my biggest qualm with The Gilded Age sometimes, in that I just want characters to actually say what they did. If I have to hear the word pinnacle as we did with Bridgerton, I’m gonna lose it.
- These conversations about the president will become so interesting in the coming episodes.
- Agnes finding out about Enid was so damn incredible.
- Artichokes are good, my little weirdos.
- Oh my God, this little dancing scene with Jack and Bridget is so precious. And followed by her little break makes it all the more heartbreaking.
- I love that Bertha tells Gladys about Hector’s choice. That feels particularly important coming from her.
- I almost forgot about George’s shooter for a hot minute there.
Now streaming on HBO Max: What are your thoughts on The Gilded Age Season 4, Episode 1, “Ring the Bells?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO