Oh, No! I’m Yelling at Marian on ‘The Gilded Age’ Again

As much as I love HBO’s The Gilded Age, I have yet to get through a single season of this show without wanting to yell at one Miss Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson). First, I spent The Gilded Age Season 1 absolutely flummoxed as to why she would ever give the creepy Mr. Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) the time of day, much less her heart to break. In Season 2, I intellectually understood why she entertained Cousin Dashiell’s (David Furr) proposal, but also, again, thought it was obvious that this situation would end in tears. Now, as Marian decides to blow up her engagement with Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) without even getting his side of the story, I really have to accept that she is pathologically incapable of managing her personal affairs.

Marian Brook, I fear it is time, once again, for me to rant at you. (Or, you know, the writers who keep doing this to you.)

The Gilded Age’s Marian Brook is one of the luckiest period drama heroines in the history of TV. After her father dies, leaving her destitute, she’s not forced into hard labor or sex work. No, she gets adopted as an adult by her incredibly wealthy and well-connected aunts in New York. Now, she does get robbed at the train station, but she is also fortunate enough to be there at the same time as Peggy Scott (Denée Benton). Peggy takes pity on Marian, buying her a new ticket, and quickly becoming her best friend.

When Marian arrives in Manhattan, she’s able to easily adapt to high society. Aunt Agnes (Christine Baranski) outfits her in the most stylish clothes and connects her with the most important people. She becomes fast friends with Larry Russell, opening the door for her to mingle with the powerful new money people in town. This all happens without a hitch because Marian is beautiful, kind, smart, charming, and from a good family. Marian has zero struggles in life, except when it comes to her personal life.

Whenever Marian is confronted with a quandary when it comes to men, she whiffs, badly. Instead of picking up on Mr. Raikes’s attentions as clearly predatory — he’s a social climber who knows how to love bomb — she fancies herself in love. Then, instead of establishing boundaries with Dashiell and his daughter, she lets them rope her into a scenario where they’re casting her as a replacement wife and mother. Now, as everything with Larry falls into place, Marian must continue to be Marian. She blows it all up.

On this week’s episode of The Gilded Age, Marian learns that Larry didn’t go to Delmonico’s with the boys. Instead, he used the famous steakhouse as cover to go to the scandalous Haymarket. Marian immediately freaks out and assumes, because Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom) is a sex worker there, he cheated on her. (He didn’t. He just drank alcohol.) Marian crashes out and decides to end it all with her out-of-town fiancé. She leaves a letter ending their engagement at the Russell house.

Now, I used to think the reason why Marian made so many poor decisions was the fact that she didn’t live in a time and place where her gal pals could take her out for a drink and give her straight advice. However, in this week’s episode, both Peggy and Aunt Ada (Cynthia Nixon) try to tell Marian she might be overreacting. Sure, Larry lied, but she is jumping to conclusions. There could be more to this story. (There is.) Nevertheless, Marian acts impulsively, leaving the letter waiting for Larry before talking to him in person.

I suppose there’s some sort of logic to Marian’s behavior. The very fact that she’s had such a blessed backstory means that the only real trauma she’s struggled through are her romantic woes. She literally prefers to sabotage her chances with Larry to avoid a bigger heartbreak. Also, she’s been hella sheltered. She can’t comprehend the idea that a person might want to go out to a club to drink or that Larry, you know, might have had sex before marriage.

So I’m stuck understanding Marian’s actions, but I still finding it frustrating to watch this woman who has everything continue to create drama that doesn’t need to exist. But I suppose if Marian wasn’t so self-sabotaging, she wouldn’t have any drama to offer The Gilded Age.

But, seriously, Marian, just stop. Please stop making the worst choices every single time!