The Gilded Age: Head to Head

November 13, 2023 9:06 PM - Season 2, Episode 3

Opera war escalates. Surprise guest at Bertha's fundraiser. Agnes supports Academy preservation. Peggy offers to cover Tuskegee story. Ada hosts luncheon for Mr. Forte. George woos Henderson. Watson mulls offer.

Alice Burton's Recap - Vulture

Thoughts in No Particular Order

• The Miss Turner Robe Drops
• Tuskegee is going to turn bad isn't it?
• No I'm not comfortable taking management's side in a labor dispute
• To that point, the only good that can come of this plot is if they show how bloody and terrible the labor fight was
• But I am cheering for Bertha to kneecap the former Miss Turner
• Wasn't a huge fan of the whole Oscar Wilde thing
• Are you still a remittance man if you're merely sent across the continent?
• Reverend Forte's accent is an ever evolving miracle

posted by drewbage1847 (4 comments total)

Then, seemingly later that same day, George comes to Bertha’s room because he needs her help at the luncheon for the Pittsburgh union representative, and when she’s still angry at him, he says, “You’re being jejune.” JEJUNE? Do you know who uses that word? Assholes, George! And don’t tell me it was much more common at that time because I looked it up, and the answer is “kind of.” I’m surprised Bertha didn’t punch him right in his beardy face. If my wife ever said that to me, I would never let it die. “Oh, is that too jejune?” I would ask about literally everything.

We had to pause the stream and repeat the JEJUNE line over and over again, promising to call each other on our JEJUNE shit at every opportunity in the future. George's intonation was righteous. Bertha's (BERTHA?? how did I not know her first name before?) wounded indignation didn't skip a beat, so clearly the two of them hurl JEJUNE around all the time like it's nothing. It was amazing. And only one of us was under the influence.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 5:46 AM on November 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

The idea that Robert Sean Leonard in all his glory would be single for no reason at his age beats the baby story as most terribly unbelievable. He's so cuuuuuute!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:29 AM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

This entire episode is worth it just for Peggy's facial expressions at the ladies' tea when it is revealed that both operas will open on the same night.
posted by archimago at 5:58 AM on November 15, 2023

I don't think I've seen Robert Sean Leonard in anything for years, my mental image of him was as he appeared in Dead Poets Society and I nearly died of horror when I saw him. When did he (and by extension, me, as I am only 4.5 years younger than him) get to be so old? [reaches for her smelling salts]
posted by orange swan at 8:29 PM on February 22