The 10 Best Couples in ‘The Gilded Age,’ Ranked

Period dramas have been loved since before the days of Jane Austen‘s beloved novels. We – humans – love to dive into the past and watch how our ancestors lived. Whether it’s their antiquated societal norms or their beautiful gowns, the past intrigues us and provides us with an escape from our present. And sometimes, these period dramas parallel many of the same things that are happening in our current world. Many of these things are our favorite aspects of period dramas. But one aspect that is a favorite aspect of most period dramas is the romance!

The newest star in the period drama world is HBO‘s The Gilded Age, brought to you by the same brilliant mind behind Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes. With three seasons under its belt, The Gilded Age has found its audience and has grown to record viewership in its most recent third season. There has been plenty of time to develop and create romantic connections that fans are obsessed with.

10. Enid Winterton and Oscar van Rhijn

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The newest potential relationship that comes about towards the end of the third season is the relationship between Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran). While most have loved Oscar from his first moments on screen, Enid is a different story. Enid started out as Bertha Russell’s lady’s maid. During her time at the Russells, Enid openly mocks Bertha (Carrie Coon) and tries to seduce Mr. Russell (Morgan Spector). Enid is fired, and to Mrs. Russell’s horror, Enid is the new Mrs. Winterton in Season 2. Enid had married the much-older Mr. Winterton. By the third season, Mr. Winterton had tragically passed away.

Back in Season 1, Oscar and Enid’s paths crossed when he asked Enid to spy on the Russells so she could help him get a chance of marrying Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), the Russells’ daughter. Now, two seasons later, they are both single, damaged by the last two seasons of drama, and are ready to scheme a future that would be mutually beneficial. While the relationship will likely be filled with its own host of drama and mischief, it doesn’t seem hard to imagine this couple becoming a fan favorite.

9. Mrs. Bruce and Mr. Borden

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Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Mr. Borden (Douglas Sills) are a cute pair of servants working in the Russell household. Mrs. Bruce is a senior member of the staff and is the leading lady in charge of the servants behind Mr. Church (Jack Gilpin). She keeps everything running smoothly in the house and is kind and considerate, which was a big contrast to Enid’s behavior. Mr. Borden is a funny character who is first introduced as Monsieur Baudin, the French chef who works for the Russells. However, we eventually discover that he is not French, but instead a chef from Kansas.

A romance begins to bloom between these two characters, which is lovely. They don’t have plenty of screen time, but from what we’ve seen, it’s been lovely. Unfortunately, their romance hit a road bump when Mr. Borden found out that Mrs. Bruce is currently married and has a husband locked up in a mental health facility. Regardless, that doesn’t seem to have deterred Borden, and it will be interesting to see how this relationship develops further.

8. Dorothy and Arthur Scott

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The parents of Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), Dorothy and Arthur Scott, are complex, imperfect, and great characters in The Gilded Age. Dorothy is played by the incomparable Tony-winning Broadway legend, Audra McDonald, while Tony-nominated John Douglas Thompson plays Arthur. Both of Peggy’s parents are estranged from her because Arthur decided to annul Peggy’s teen marriage. Later on, we discover that Arthur had lied about her pregnancy loss and gave the child up for adoption without permission. This led to a huge rift not only between Peggy and her parents but also between Dorothy and Arthur.

Their storyline in the second and third seasons is all about how they find a way back to one another. By the third season, both Dorothy and Arthur are fierce advocates of their daughter, and you start to see the genuine love between the two parents. And how that love manifested itself in Peggy.

7. Bridget and Jack Trotter

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Both Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) and Bridget (Taylor Richardson) work for the van Rhijn-Forte family. Jack works as a footman and Bridget as a housemaid. In the first season, Jack tries to go on a date with Bridget and develop a relationship with her, but Bridget rejects him. Later on, when Jack starts talking to a housemaid from the Russell household, Bridget visibly gets jealous. In the third season, when Jack sells his invention with the help of Larry Russell (Harry Richardson), he develops his own wealth.

Throughout his journey of self-doubt and worry, the house, including the upstairs and the downstairs, all supported him in his inventor journey. This, of course, includes Bridget, who always provides Jack with his pep talks. By the end of Season 3, Jack invites Bridget to his new home and invites her to dine with him as a guest. This romance is a favorite for slow-burn romance lovers.

6. Oscar van Rhijn and John Adams

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For those of us who are Downton Abbey lovers, we probably all remember the struggles, loss, and heartbreak footman Thomas Barrow dealt with as a gay man in early-20th-century Britain. In The Gilded Age, the son of the great traditionalist Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), Oscar, is secretly gay. From the very first episode of the series, we discover Oscar is in a secret relationship with John Adams (Claybourne Elder), the fictional great-grandson of John Quincy Adams. While Oscar believes that he could continue to see John on the side as he pursues a marriage with a woman, John vehemently disagrees and doesn’t want that.

Oscar pursues Gladys, and this leads to John and Oscar eventually breaking up. However, after Oscar loses everything at the end of Season 2, he falls into a deep depression. John is the one who saves Oscar in Season 3. He helps him find new clients and restart his life. John truly cares for Oscar, and you can see even more proof when he leaves Oscar at his cottage after his tragic death. In the highlight from Season 3, Ritson displays utter heartbreak and grief in an emotional conversation between him, his mother, aunt, and cousin. While the relationship is over, their love story has left a mark on viewers.

5. Gladys and Hector Vere

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Gladys Russell and Hector, Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) have one of the most complicated paths in their relationship. This relationship has also had the greatest impact on the Russell family in terms of their standing in society, but also on how the family views Mrs. Russell. Despite Mr. Russell (Morgan Spector) promising Gladys she could marry for love, Mrs. Russell was determined and unshakable in her path towards a marriage for her daughter that would raise her status. Mrs. Russell deterred all of Gladys’ other suitors that she found unfit, and forced Gladys into an engagement and marriage with the Duke.

What’s in it for Hector? A massive amount of money from Mr. Russell. As a result of the relationship and Mrs. Russell’s decisions, Mr. Russell and Larry are both unforgiving and disapproving of her behavior. It has led to a strain in their relationships. But while Gladys has been away in England, she and Hector have slowly grown fond of each other. There’s an almost sweet and pure love that develops between the two towards the end of the third season, which ends in the bombshell revelation that Gladys is pregnant.

4. Marian Brook and Larry Russell

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Similar to Gladys and Hector, Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell’s relationship has been a slow burn. Larry and Marian crossed paths several times over the first season, and in many ways, Larry became a source of support in troubling times for Marian. After Marian is stood up by Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel) and leaves her heartbroken, she confides in Larry. And after she breaks off her engagement with Dashiell Montgomery (David Furr), she again seeks support from Larry. At the same time, Larry is heartbroken after being dumped by an older widower, Susan Blane (Laura Benanti).

By the end of Season 2, the show left space for them to fall in love. By the time we reach season three, they have fallen in love and are engaged, but then Marian breaks it off over a miscommunication. With this rollercoaster, Larry and Marian are both left in confusion about where their relationship stands. But viewers who just want to see Marian finally happy are rooting for the relationship and hoping for a reconciliation.

3. Bertha and George Russell

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George Russell is a ruthless businessman, but a loving and caring husband and family man. Bertha Russell is similarly ruthless in every space of her life, which includes her family. While it’s unclear what George’s origins are, it’s insinuated that he is a self-made millionaire whose wealth was acquired with the help of his beloved wife, Bertha.

Throughout the first and second seasons, viewers witness their unwavering love and support for one another through all their troubles. Mr. Russell is also an exception to the man of his time, and frequently shares, confides in, and seeks advice from Mrs. Russell in all things. However, in Season 3, their relationship is strained by her unrelenting desire for Gladys to marry the Duke. Unfortunately, this leads to a distance between the two that feels irreparable in the Season 3 finale.

2. Ada and Luke Forte

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Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) is the sweet, kind, and warm aunt to Marian and sister to Agnes. Frequently referred to as a lonely spinster by Agnes, Ada had never fallen in love. But in Season 2, everything changes when Ada meets the equally kind and warm Reverend, Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard). The two quickly fall in love with one another, and before you know it, they are married. Viewers were thrilled to see Ada finally find love and happiness after only being able to witness it for so many decades.

Unfortunately for Ada, and to the viewers’ dismay, the marriage doesn’t last long, and Forte passes from cancer. The now-widowed Ada Forte is left to live on without him and continues to try to find any way to reconnect with him. Despite being short-lived, the honest and loving relationship these two characters shared created a warm presence anytime the pair were on the screen, and that love is still ever-present in Ada.

1. Peggy Scott and Dr. William Kirkland

Peggy Scott has been through thick and thin throughout the three seasons of The Gilded Age. Besides being a brilliant journalist and writer, Peggy is also incredibly kind and a great daughter and friend. After having her marriage forcibly annulled and grieving the loss of her child, she discovers that her child is alive. However, to pour salt on the wound, she discovers that her child has died as a result of scarlet fever. This kind of hope and loss could break someone, but Peggy perseveres and overcomes this huge obstacle. Moreover, she continues to push and break stories that will positively impact the world with her work at the New York Globe. However, after Peggy and her married boss have a moment, she leaves the company and decides to allocate her time to writing her own novel and continuing to work for Mrs. van Rhijn.

After falling sick and a white doctor refusing to treat Peggy, she meets Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), a kind and generous doctor who falls quickly in love with her. Despite the constant obstacles created by William’s mother, Elizabeth Kirkland (Phylicia Rashad), William refuses to listen to his mother’s dated beliefs and instead devotes himself to Peggy.