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As much as she dislikes relationship drama, it just keeps finding poor Marian Brooks (Louisa Jacobson) in The Gilded Age. Though she has nothing onBertha (Carrie Coon) and George (Morgan Spector) Russell, Marian’s had a tumultuous experience with her past love interests, starting all the way back in Season 1 with Tom Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel).
After a detour in the form of cousin Dashiell (David Furr), Marian and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) finally have the all-clear to be together, only for everything to get messy again. Complicated is probably the most apt word to describe Marian’s love life going into Season 4.
Of course, Marian’s past impacts her love life decisions in the present, so Swooon is breaking down everything you need to remember about her exes and — most importantly — where she stands with Larry.
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What happened between Marian and Tom Raikes?
With how many other developments have gone down, it’s easy to forget that Marian was once engaged to lawyer Tom Raikes back in Season 1 (hence her slow-burn with Larry).
Tom’s Season 1 plot revolves around helping Peggy (Denée Benton) figure out what happened to her ex-husband, while also secretly planning to marry Marian. Marian’s Aunt Agnes (Christine Baranski) disapproves of him. In the finale episode, Marian and Tom are going to elope, only for Marian to learn that Tom went on a date with someone else to the opera. Then, Tom doesn’t show up at their meeting place before their planned nuptials.
When Marian finds him at his office, he’s exposed as the slimy social-climber Agnes pegged him as. Tom reveals that he was actually planning to marry the wealthy Cissie Bingham (Katherine Romans), breaking Marian’s heart. Tom doesn’t return for Season 2, so he can remain firmly in Marian’s rearview mirror, where he belongs.
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What happened between Marian and cousin Dashiell Montgomery?
Agnes wants Marian to marry her nephew by marriage, Dashiell, in Season 2, but luckily, she doesn’t have her way. Dashiell is also a widower, and his young daughter attends Marian’s watercolors class, growing closer to her instructor. About mid-way through the season, Dashiell publicly proposes to Marian, basically forcing her to accept to avoid scandal.
Essentially minutes earlier, Dashiell has the audacity to say that Marian isn’t a real teacher, so obviously, Marian isn’t to happy about her circumstances. The final straw, though, is Dashiell calling Marian by the name of his late wife a couple of episodes later.
Marian realizes Dashiell only views her as a replacement mother for his daughter. There’s no chance he would’ve accepted her desire to continue teaching.
When did Marian and Larry Russell first kiss?
Thankfully, that breakup paved the way for Marian and Larry’s first kiss in the Season 2 finale. After seasons of being each other’s supportive friend, Larry makes the first move.
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When did Marian and Larry Russell get engaged?
Due to their feuding families, Marian and Larry keep their courting a secret at the outset of Season 3. Marian also wants to take things slow due to her past two failed engagements. Around the mid-way point of Season 3, however, Marian accepts Larry’s proposal. Agnes and Bertha aren’t happy about the development, to say the least.
Why did Marian and Larry break up in Season 3?
Larry and Marian’s engagement bliss only lasts for two episodes, and the reason for their breakup is… a bit frustrating, but makes some sense due to Marian’s past. Larry has preexisting plans to hit the towns with his friends on the night of their engagement, which Marian is fine with. Larry tells her he went to Delmonicos, but really, he went to the much more scandalous Haymarket.
When Marian discovers his lie, she tells Larry she doesn’t feel like she knows him. She doesn’t believe him that nothing happened as he says. She ends things then and there.
Did Marian and Larry end up together?
When an outside party corroborates Larry’s story, Marian realizes the mistake she made. She tries to explain the role her past played in her decision. But now, Larry is jilted: Marian clearly doesn’t trust him. At the Russells’ ball in the finale, Larry and Marian smooth things over, but whether they’re officially back together isn’t totally clear, though they want to move forward and go about things differently in the future.
There you have it! We told you it was complicated. What are your hopes for Larry and Marian in Season 4? Are they meant for each other? Tell us in the comments below!
The Gilded Age, Season 4 Premiere, Sunday, November 1, HBO