HBO Max's period drama The Gilded Age takes place in the late 19th century, during the period of the same name and focuses on the wealthy residents of New York City. The series begins with Marian Brook venturing to the city for the first time, while Bertha Russell hopes to break into the old-money crowd. As the series progresses, the New York City elites squabble for power and influence through their various social events.

The series largely revolves around the The Gilded Age's (mostly) fictional characters. Their stories continued across season 2, as tensions between the groups rose, hearts were broken, and one person came out victorious.

10 Ada Married Forte, But He ed Away

Ada Finally Found True Love, And Lost It

The Gilded Age season 2 introduced Reverend Luke Forte, the new rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and tensions grew between Reverend Forte and Ada for several episodes at the beginning of season 2. After spending more time together, Forte and Ada became engaged in season 2, episode 4 and were married in episode 5. After always playing second fiddle to Agnes and feeling less important in her own home, Ada's marriage finally made her happy and gave her someone who truly loved her.

Sadly, after being married for just a short time, Reverend Forte was diagnosed with cancer in episode 6, and the character dies in episode 7. Ada is understandably distraught after her new husband's death and remains in mourning through the end of season 2. Ada and Forte's story is very important at the end of season 2, both because it shows Cynthia Nixon's Ada in a different light than ever before and because his death provides a shocking turn of events for the Van Rhijn-Brook family.

9 Marian Ended An Engagement, And Shared A Kiss With Larry

Marian Chose Herself Over Dashiell

From her introduction at the beginning of season 1, Marian has always been a very modern and forward-thinking woman, and season 2's ending continued that trend. Earlier in the season, Marian was introduced to Dashiell, a widower with a young daughter, and the two began courting. In episode 6, Marian accepts Dashiell's marriage proposal, though even at the time she seems unsure about the decision. In the final two episodes of the season, this question becomes even more prominent, as Marian realizes that he has not moved on from his wife's ing.

Ultimately, Marian rightly chooses to break off the proposal, putting herself first.

By The Gilded Age's season 2 finale, Marian realizes that she can never be the right woman for Dashiell because she is not his late wife. She did not want to be in the shadow of the other woman's ghost. What's more, Dashiell's priorities varied greatly from Marian's, and she would not have been able to pursue a career as she wanted. Ultimately, Marian rightly chooses to break off the proposal, putting herself first. She also happily kisses Larry in the episode's ending, hinting at a potential romance for next season.

8 The Education Board Attempted To Close Several Schools For Black Students

The Black Community Worked Together To Stop The Board

New York's Black community and the racism that they face from both individual people and governing bodies is an important aspect of The Gilded Age, and in season 2 that was largely played out through their struggle with the New York Education Board. In episode 6, Peggy and Fortune begin investigating the board for the newspaper and learn that they plan to close all the Black schools. The pair then jump into action to warn New York's Black community about what is happening, and a large group works to gather evidence of their need.

The Education Board's plan is certainly conniving and very intentionally unjust toward Black students, but the community works to thwart their plans by creating a solution that would see new white Irish students and teachers attend school with the Black students and teachers. Though the Education Board changed the date of the meeting to ensure that the Black families will not attend, the planning group learns the truth and the Black community is able to rally at the meeting and save two of the three schools.

7 The Van Rhijn-Brooks Were Able To Keep Their House

They Narrowly Escaped After Oscar's Blunder

The Gilded Age season 2's second half was a stressful time for the Van Rhijn-Brooks thanks to Ada's marriage and her husband's ing, but their situation was made infinitely worse by Oscar's big mistake. Throughout season 2, Oscar Van Rhijn attempted to find a suitable wife who would enable him to hide his sexuality. As part of this, he decides to court Miss Beaton. Though things seemed to be going well at first, in episode 7, it is revealed that Miss Beaton and Mr. Crowther were running a scam, and Oscar had lost nearly all of his family's money to them.

While his mother, Agnes, is fairly harsh at the best of times, Oscar's behavior understandably makes her very upset. As a result of his actions, the family looks set to lose their house and their belongings. It is only when Ada reads the will left by Reverend Forte that their luck changes. In the final minutes of season 2, Ada reveals that Forte left her everything, and their family will have more than enough money to continue their wealthy lifestyle, pleasing everyone and setting up a power shift in season 3.

6 Bertha (And The Met) Won The Opera War

Bertha Came Out On Top Over Mrs. Astor

One of the biggest society dramas that unfolded over the course of The Gilded Age season 2 was that of the opera war. As of season 2, episode 1, the new Met Opera house is midway through being built, and Bertha Russell decides to put her money on the Met as being the popular destination of the season rather than the existing Academy of Music. Like many of Bertha's actions in The Gilded Age, she decides to back the Met because the old-money crowd who the Academy, particularly Mrs. Astor, continues to snub her.

Bertha feuded with the new Mrs. Winterton (formerly Turner) over the best box and tried to persuade New York's elite that the Met was the place to be.

Thus, the opera war began. The battle to back the more popular opera, and to have the best seats within the opera house lasted throughout the entire season, heating up as it went. Bertha feuded with the new Mrs. Winterton (formerly Turner) over the best box and tried to persuade New York's elite that the Met was the place to be. She and Mrs. Astor also each attempted to gain the favor of the Duke of Buckingham. Finally, just before the operas each begin, it becomes clear that Bertha won the opera war by a landslide.

5 Agnes Lost Ground With Ada And Marian

Agnes' World Is Changing Faster Than She Can Adapt To

While some of The Gilded Age's characters are fairly modern and forward-thinking in their approaches to life and other people, Agnes van Rhijn is not one of them. She has staunchly ed the old-money class from the beginning, meaning that she has often been at odds with her niece Marian in particular. Agnes also often talks over and is fairly controlling of her sister Ada. These traits did not change much over the course of season 2, but everything around her did, including her family.

Throughout season 2, Marian expresses her desires and hopes for her own life in her own way, from refusing her marriage proposal to attending the opera with Larry at the Met rather than the Academy. Even more significantly, the dynamic between Ada and Agnes was reversed in the final moments of the season when Ada learns that Reverend Forte left her all his money just as the Van Rhijns were about to lose everything. With Forte's money, Ada becomes the new head of the household and the employer for all their staff, giving her more power for the first time.

4 Jack Received His Alarm Clock Patent, And An Offer From Larry

Jack Will Have A New Business Opportunity In Season 3

Jack's biggest story in season 2 was his work on his alarm clock, which unfolded over the course of several episodes. In episode 6, several of the Van Rhijn-Brook household helped him gather enough money to apply for the patent. However, it was initially rejected because Jack is not a member of a guild. In episode 7, Bannister helps Jack resolve the problem, allowing him to finally gain an approval, and Larry is impressed with the invention.

In The Gilded Age season 2, episode 8, Jack shows his new invention to Larry Russell, explaining how the clock will be the first to run smoothly without getting stuck or using oil. Excited by the idea, Larry tells Jack that he will ask around to see if investors might be interested in the idea, enabling the two to work as partners. The alarm clock and Jack's patent, as well as Larry's interest in it, are hugely important to Jack. What's more, it sets him up to excel in the business world in season 3 as he attempts to market his clock.

3 Peggy Quit Her Job At The Paper

Peggy Realized She Needed Space From Fortune

Peggy Scott had her hands full in The Gilded Age season 2 with her work at the paper and her involvement in saving the city's Black schools, but by season 2's ending, she chose to go in a different direction. From her season 1 introduction, Peggy has always been characterized as a great writer, and that still rings true. When she informs Fortune of her decision to leave The Globe, she tells him that she hopes to work more on her novel, and while this might be partially true, it is not the only factor in Peggy's decision.

Though this leaves Peggy a bit more up in the air going into season 3, she made the right choice for herself.

What makes Peggy realize that she needs to quit the paper is seeing Fortune's wife and baby in town while she is out with her mother. Though Peggy attempts to deny that anything is suspicious between her and Fortune, her mother tells her to be careful about their relationship. In fact, Peggy was harboring feelings for her boss throughout season 2, and this even came to a head when the two shared a kiss in Tuskegee. Though this leaves Peggy a bit more up in the air going into season 3, she made the right choice for herself.

2 Bertha Promised Her Daughter, Gladys, To The Duke

To Win The Opera War, Bertha Needed The Duke

The Duke of Buckingham was the talk of the town throughout The Gilded Age season 2 with both the old and new-money social groups vying for his attention. At the last minute, Bertha stages a coup, and he miraculously appears at the Met, leaving those at the Academy wondering what she offered him that could have persuaded him. Given that Mrs. Astor had already offered the Duke plenty of money and access to New York society, the patrons deduced that there was only one thing more valuable that she could have offered: her daughter Gladys.

Bertha's desire for power in New York society is her greatest motivator, even if that means setting her daughter up with someone that she does not truly love. Especially considering that Gladys was proposed to earlier in the season by Oscar, and declined because she was not in love with him, this is a huge change in the course of her story. Gladys has been stifled by her mother's ambitions and decrees before, but if she does end up marrying the Duke in season 3, it could be the source of very significant drama.

1 New Money Triumphed Over Old

The Power Structure In New York Is Changing

On the night of the opera, Mrs. Fish attends the Academy of Music, but upon seeing how empty it is, promptly leaves and heads to the Met where she congratulates Bertha Russell. When she arrives and sees how full the hall is, Mrs. Fish claims that Bertha has "reinvented American society" by besting Mrs. Astor in the social sphere. This moment definitively proves that new-money gained a lot of ground during The Gilded Age season 2, finally and fully usurping old-money and changing the power structure of the city.

The Gilded Age season 3 will premiere on HBO Max on June 22, 2025, with a new episode airing each week until August 10.

Though there are a few people who are clearly still happy to cling to their rigid social structure, namely Mrs. Astor and Agnes Van Rhijn, the majority of New York's upper-class chose the Met and, by extension, Bertha. The shift from old-money to new-money is also clear in Agnes' changing dynamic in her family and the growing ability for working-class people like Jack to rise through the ranks due to their own ingenuity. This process only began at the end of The Gilded Age season 2, but we will likely see even more changes in the episodes to come.