The fourth season of The Gilded Age opens with significant developments for Marian Brooke (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson), continuing a storyline where Marian has historically faced misfortune in love. Following Oscar van Rhijn's marriage to Enid Winterton in the premiere episode, titled "Ring the Bells," Marian is persuaded to visit a brothel bar where she reunites with Larry. The encounter references their argument from the previous season regarding his visit to a house of ill repute with Jack Trotter.
The pair begins dancing before Larry offers Marian a ride home in his cab amidst a tropical storm based on a real 1885 event that struck New York. The severe weather spooks the horses, causing the carriage wheel to break and forcing them to secure two hotel rooms. Although separate accommodations are arranged, Larry knocks on Marian's door to find her in her nightclothes, leading to an intimate encounter between the two.
Louisa Jacobson described the scene as both magical and cathartic for the characters to finally express their love physically, though she noted frustration upon reading the script regarding the consequences. She emphasized the importance of the morning-after scene in setting up Marian's arc for the season. In the episode, a shaken Marian wakes Larry and rushes home without explaining the situation to her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Forte née Brooke (Cynthia Nixon), who had been notified by telegram that she would be staying overnight.
Jacobson highlighted the responsibility of portraying the severe 19th-century stakes for women regarding premarital sex. She noted the tension between Marian experiencing what might be the best night of her life while living in a society where such an act is considered shameful and could lead to social exile. Co-showrunner Sonja Warfield explained that she and creator Julian Fellowes engineered this situation after HBO suggested taking the characters a step further. They sought a reason for the couple to be alone, moving beyond the chaperoned interactions of previous seasons.
Warfield credited research by Dr. Dunbar for identifying the 1885 tropical storm as the catalyst that prevented the characters from simply finding another cab. Harry Richardson expressed enjoyment in tackling this storyline, noting Larry's initial ignorance of the intensity of the situation for Marian. He described Larry as eager to connect but ultimately facing a humbling awakening and maturation upon realizing the grave consequences his actions have caused for the woman he adores.
Sources: Deadline.