The Gilded Age Explains Away Marian’s Ex in Season 2 Premiere; Julian Fellowes Talks Up Her Charming New Suitor

Andy Swift
·4 min read
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After spending the better part of The Gilded Age‘s first season rooting for Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) to end up fancily ever after, fans were disappointed to witness their relationship crumble in last year’s finale — even more so to hear that Cocquerel wouldn’t be returning for the HBO drama’s sophomore season.

Well, Season 2 is finally upon us, and Sunday’s premiere wasted little time explaining away Marian’s ex-fiancé. A chatty new priest (House‘s Robert Sean Leonard) mentioned to Marian and her family that he’s preparing to officiate the wedding of a Mr. Raikes to a Ms. Bingham, innocently asking, “Do you know them by any chance?” Awkwardness ensued.

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During a considerably more emotional follow-up chat, Marian admitted to Ada (Cynthia Nixon) that she did love Tom, to which her aunt replied, “I’m glad you used the past tense. It helps to accept that a thing is finished and done with.”

But is that relationship really “finished and done with”? Is this the last we’ll hear of Tom, now that he’s off the market and Marian has seemingly moved on? Series creator Julian Fellowes isn’t looking to get anyone’s hopes up, but he also isn’t ready to rule out the possibility of Tom’s return somewhere down the line.

“Almost the only thing I’ve learned from writing these kinds of ongoing dramas is to never say never about any character, because you just don’t know,” Fellowes tells TVLine. (And he really is speaking from experience here. Remember when we all assumed that Matthew and Mary were endgame on Downton Abbey? Ha!)

Fellowes continues: “I don’t know, I loved Tom Raikes. I thought he was very good, because he was seduced by the things that seduce people, and you think you’re [protected] against that stuff until you’re exposed to it. You say, ‘Oh, I don’t care about money.’ Then suddenly you’re given $20 million, and on the day after they say, ‘Well, why don’t you give your $20 million to the hospital? It’s just the right amount. That’s what they’re looking for.’ And suddenly you discover that [the money is] more important to you than you realize.”

But just as The Gilded Age taketh away, The Gilded Age also giveth back…eth. Sunday’s premiere introduced Marian to the extremely handsome, extremely widowed Dashiell Montgomery (played by David Furr), someone just far enough removed from her on the family tree to make them a potential match.

“Does that make us cousins?” Dashiell asked when Ada introduced Marian as her niece, to which Marian replied, “Almost, but not quite.” It was as good as a marriage proposal in that day and age — and who knows, maybe Marian would be better off with a more experienced gentleman who already knows how to treat a lady.

“I think what Dashiell sort of represents is this [complete] family,” Fellowes says of the possible connection. “He has a daughter, and there’s some symmetry there because Marian’s mother also died when she was very young. On paper, Dashiell is everything right. He’s everything that Marian could hope for.”

Of course, the beginning of Marian and Dashiell’s apparent love story wasn’t the only highlight from Sunday’s premiere. We also saw Marian challenge her aunt’s authority after Agnes forbade her from teaching art at a local school; Oscar was attacked in an apparent gay bash, though he carefully concealed certain details to maintain his cover; Peggy, unable to stand living with her parents (and their overwhelming grief) in Brooklyn, asked Marian if Agnes might rehire her as a secretary; George conspired with his fellow Legion of Doom members to discuss rumblings of a union uprising; and Bertha set her sight on obtaining a coveted box at the Academy of Music, come hell or high water.

Your thoughts on The Gilded Age‘s long-awaited return? Grade the Season 2 premiere below, then drop a comment with your biggest takeaways.

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