After the shocking death, series creator Julian Fellowes teases that the grief that follows will unbalance things for one person in particular
Season 3 of The Gilded Age has had no shortage of drama, ranging from a messy wedding, more maneuvering among the New York City’s social elite and shrewd business deals. But episode 6 ended with the most shocking moment yet: the death of John Adams.
The beloved character played by Claybourne Elder was killed when he was unexpectedly hit by a carriage on the street. The shocking moment came after he aided his friend and former lover, Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson), through the latter’s financial ruin and unexpected reunion with the woman — Maud Beaton played by Nicole Brydon Bloom — who stole all his money.
For fans of creator Julian Fellowes’ historical drama about Manhattan’s high society in the 1800s, John’s death is a major blow. It also marks the end of a short-lived LGBTQ storyline on the series between Oscar and John.
John was first introduced on The Gilded Age as a potential suitor for Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), Oscar’s cousin.
It quickly revealed though that John — who is a descendant of President John Adams — and Oscar were having a secret affair.
Their relationship became complicated as both men lived out straight lives. During the first two seasons, Oscar attempted to court and later proposed to Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga). While John understood what Oscar was doing, he wasn’t for it.
The two eventually broke things off, but John remained present — if not seen often — on the series. During season 2, playwright Oscar Wilde (Jordan Waller) took a liking to him while visiting New York for the performance of his play, Vera; or The Nihilists. However, it was after the show when John revealed to Oscar (van Rhijn) he was dating another man — and was happy with who he was as a gay person.
In season 3, John comes to the aid of Oscar, offering his financially-strapped friend an investment opportunity in an effort to revive his career and business standing. After writing him a check, Oscar was able to make good on the investments and start climbing his way back up the ranks.
Oscar’s good fortune, however, was almost ruined by the return of Maud, who was discovered to be a dancer at a gentleman’s club. After confronting her, he learned that she lost all his money she previously swindled out of him in season 2.
In a change of heart for Oscar, he later bought her a train ticket for Sandusky, Ohio and gave her $100 with the caveat that she never return to Manhattan.
During their final interaction in episode 6, John said, “I like this new version of Oscar van Rhijn.”
He then offers his friend some comfort over the loss of his money, saying that Maud was tricked as well. As the two walk down the street, John revealed that he “will invest more” in Oscar’s career, praising him for having “defied the odds.”
“This is where we part,” John said, adding that they’ll meet again when he brings along a new investor for Oscar to take on as his “latest lucky client.” In response, Oscar gushed, “You are my savior. I thank you with all my heart.”
Then, as John stepped out onto the street to hail a ride, a carriage came crashing into him, killing him in front of Oscar, who was left shocked and bewildered.
While speaking to Out magazine, Elder reflected on the impact of playing John on the show.
“The Gilded Age has been such a meaningful experience for me,” Elder said. “As a queer actor, getting to portray a queer character in this particular historical setting feels both exciting and important. The late 19th century wasn’t exactly a time when queer people could live openly, and yet we know they existed, loved, and found ways to carve out spaces for themselves.”
“What I love about John is that he’s complex — he’s navigating a world that doesn’t necessarily make room for him, but he has this desire to do what’s right,” he continued, noting that it was “cool” that his character had ties to real-life history. “It’s a reminder that queer people have always been part of the story, even if history hasn’t always chosen to spotlight them. I feel incredibly honored to bring that to life.”
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about season 3, Fellowes echoes Elder’s sentiment about John existing in a time and place when he couldn’t be out in the open. “I think my main consideration with John Adams was that there are a lot of people inevitably in a society that is pretty intolerant of any aberration, so it means a lot of pretending and a lot of people are living artificial lives, you know, more or less successfully.”
“On the whole, Oscar manages his double life without frightening the horses and so on,” Fellowes continues, before teasing that “when real grief comes into that, then it’s all unbalanced because you can’t just pretend that nothing’s happened and that you are fine and everything’s okay. You need to get through it somehow.”
The Gilded Age season 3 airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max.
