Amid the release of a salacious book, Mrs. Astor confides in Bertha. Armed with updates from Arizona, Larry returns home to troubling news.
Ward McAllister beams with pride over the entire city consuming his book. It was the pinnacle of what he achieved in high society. He made all of this occur. Now, he demands recognition for his contributions. However, the other members of high society are offended by his gossip. He weaponized intimate details of their lives. They believed he could be trusted. And now, he must face consequences for exposing their humanity. He wants his creation to be seen as attainable. Anyone is deserving of making this climb and demanding attention. Those who wield power don't want that. They want to remain untouchable. They make things happen. No one can challenge them. Their reign must remain pure. Their stature is more important. This world has been crumbling for a long time. It inflicts so much harm on those who decide to play its games. Bertha has made a splash with her entrance. She seeks to keep her upbringing a secret. She can't hide from her family. They see her blind ambition. They don't recognize her as someone offering affection. She uses people to get what she wants. As such, it shouldn't be surprising that she is alone. It's completely devastating to her though. She's the one caught off guard suddenly.
Bertha continues to position herself for success. Mrs. Astor can't host her season-ending ball. She asks Bertha to step into the role instead. That represents a passing of the torch. Now, it's Bertha's turn to shape society. She wields her power effectively. She succinctly expresses that Ward's peril came from overestimating his own power. She could welcome him back into society. She could invite him to this event. She isn't going to do that. Instead, she has her focus on ending the ban on divorced women. She wants to change hearts and minds on that topic. It could foreshadow some recognition that she may be destined for that fate too. Larry returns home. He saves the family from financial ruin. Bertha didn't even know how bad things had gotten. George didn't let her in on his problems. She wants to be a part of the celebration. George and Larry can't offer genuine appreciation for her. Instead, they fear she made Marian end the engagement. The situation is more complicated than that. Marian can't trust Larry because he lied to her. Jack tells her that Larry is sharing the truth now. This relationship is salvageable. It still requires trust. That's daunting considering Marian is willing to accept life as a spinster. That's something Ada can't accept as she understands the pain all too well.
Oscar lashes out at the family. He's grieving John Adams. Marian and Ada want to rationalize his actions as mourning his savior. John saved him from financial ruin. Everyone understands this reaction is more significant than that. Oscar was gifted property. He could set up a home for herself on ancestral land. It doesn't make sense that he would receive this immense blessing. He wasn't related. That's how important this relationship was. Marian offers her support. It's fascinating to see her be so accepting of Oscar despite not fully understanding his sexuality. She's compassionate in that regard while refusing to speak to Larry. He has to confront her at work to figure out why she has suddenly changed her mind. Again, Marian can be foolish frequently. Her heart is often in the right place. Things are always difficult when it comes to love. The pattern has gotten so recognizable that she may have to follow Agnes' advice. She can't trust herself. Her intentions are meaningful. She remains a little too painfully naive. She's there for the important people when they need her the most. Her friends and loved ones will definitely need that support.
Everyone is fond of Peggy and William together. They expect marriage. Peggy isn't willing to discuss that. She enjoys being with him. She has shared her past. She hasn't revealed every detail. That too is weaponized against her. Because she was deceitful about having a child, Elizabeth believes William will turn on her. He wouldn't tolerate a tarnished women. That may be her projecting her own feelings. Once she receives the news, she jumps into action. William gives Peggy the benefit of the doubt. He needs to hear this painful story from her. He can't trust what his mother says. He recognizes the urgency of the moment. This could change everything for him. A lot of the characters are good at recognizing that. Those who fail to do so are often defeated by their own egos. Clay trusted an old survey of the mines in Arizona. Larry commissioned a new report. That led to George confidently boasting of his new success. Clay chose to make George his enemy after he was fired. He never followed George's vision. And now, he may seek the ultimate retribution. The episode closes with George apparently being shot. He's targeted for a reason. A message was delivered. All of this could rally support to his side and put everything into context about what matters. It could also reveal just how shallow some of these emotions have become. As everyone gets older, their lives start to drift apart. Some of that is by circumstances. Some is also driven by shifting priorities.
Some more thoughts:
- The difference between the temperance and suffrage meetings at the Forte house are staggering. When Frances Watkins Harper is finishing speaking, Agnes still wants to engage in the topic. Of course, that leads to an awkward conversation with Mrs. Foster from the Heritage society. That was rather amusing.
- Word of George's financial troubles makes it across the ocean. Gladys and Hector are kept in the loop. That's not ultimately all that important. Instead, Gladys bends her husband's ear about not living up to his full potential. To do that, he must make his own decisions instead of deferring to Lady Sarah all the time.
- Church theorized that Miss André was spreading gossip to the papers. He recruited Mrs. Bruce and Mr. Borden to help catch her in the act. They succeed. However, this plot mostly highlights the disconnect between what Bertha and George find important. It's huge for her while he doesn't care at all.
