The Gilded Age season 3’s reveal of who leaked Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) secrets to New York’s newspapers continues a similar trope from Downton Abbey. Bertha plotted throughout The Gilded Age to marry her daughter, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), to Hector, Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb). This, and the Russell family’s other activities, were regularly printed in gossip columns.
In The Gilded Age season 3, episode 7, the Russells’ household staff unmasked the leaker: The perpetrator was Miss André (Rachel Pickup), Bertha’s new lady’s maid. While Miss André had no animosity towards the Russells, the French maid couldn’t resist the continual profit of $40 for each detail about her employers she leaked to the press.
The Gilded Age‘s creator, Julian Fellowes, is finding similar success with his hit HBO series as he enjoyed with his worldwide phenomenon, Downton Abbey. Though The Gilded Age‘s sensibilities reflect its America in the 1880s setting, Fellowes occasionally draws parallels to Downton and relies upon familiar tropes, such as problems his protagonists have with their lady’s maids.
Bertha’s Enemies In The Gilded Age Repeats Cora Crowley’s Downton Abbey Trope
Cora Was Seriously Harmed By Miss O’Brien
Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern) could certainly relate to Bertha Russell’s lady’s maid woes. In Downton Abbey‘s first 3 seasons, Cora’s lady’s maid was Miss O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran), a schemer who resented the Countess of Grantham. O’Brien even caused Cora to trip on a bar of soap, forcing Lady Grantham to suffer a miscarriage.
When O’Brien abandoned the Crawleys at the start of Downton Abbey season 4, her replacement was, briefly, Edna Braithwaite (MyAnna Buring). While Lady Grantham was pleased with Braithwaite, her new lady’s maid secretly plotted to fake a pregnancy to force Tom Branson (Allen Leech) to marry her. Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) learned of Braithwaite’s scheme and sent her packing.
Finally, Braithwaite was replaced by Phyllis Baxter (Rachel Cassidy), who was planted as a spy by Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier). Baxter spent time in prison for stealing from her previous employer, a fact she confessed to Lady Grantham. However, Baxter ultimately earned Cora’s trust and remains her lady’s maid throughout the Downton Abbey movies.
Cora In Downton Abbey Still Had Better Luck Than Bertha In The Gilded Age
Bertha Needs A Good Lady’s Maid Like Cora Found In Baxter
Despite Cora Crawley’s repeated issues with finding a trustworthy lady’s maid, Lady Grantham ultimately found a gem in Miss Baxter. Bertha Russell could use similar good fortune in The Gilded Age. Miss André is now the second traitor in three seasons of The Gilded Age who has found her way into Bertha’s intimate dwelling and betrayed her employer.
Bertha’s previous lady’s maid was Enid Turner (Kelley Curran), who openly resented Mrs. Russell and plotted to seduce her millionaire husband, George Russell (Morgan Spector). After Turner was fired, she married the elderly but wealthy Joshua Winterton (Dakin Matthews) and rose up in society as Mrs. Winterton. This placed Enid as a rival to Bertha in New York society.
Thankfully, HBO has renewed The Gilded Age for season 4, and with new episodes must come a new lady’s maid for Bertha Russell. Here’s hoping that, like Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey, the third time will be the charm for Bertha.
