We don’t know about you, but we can’t resist supporting Oscar van Rhijn, the party boy and scammer of the Gilded Age.
Perhaps it’s Blake Ritson’s incredibly endearing portrayal, or perhaps we just want the lone homosexual character in the series to have a happy ending.
John Adams, his former flame, and character. Although it appears that Oscar’s latest effort to marry a wealthy woman is going much better with Maud Beaton than it did with Gladys Russell, our most recent Gilded Age notion leads us to believe that he may be being duped. Big time.
Oscar and Maud during the Gilded Age
To refresh your memory, one of the richest men in American history, Jay Gould, is said to have had an illegitimate daughter named Maud Beaton (played by Nicole Brydon Bloom), who was first revealed in season 2.
Although Gould couldn’t possibly acknowledge Maud as a member of his family in public (consider the controversy!), it’s said that he is quite fond of her and has therefore provided her with extensive accounts to guarantee a life that is more than comfortable.
But as Maud bemoans to Oscar, Gould has also been utilising her to assist with business matters, which worries her so much that she approaches Oscar for assistance.
This is when we began to notice warning signs and came up with an idea that could be problematic for Mr. van Rhijn.
Who is Maud Beaton Gilded Age?
Maud Beaton is the illegitimate daughter of Jay Gould. Our concern is that Maud Beaton is based on a real-life person named Cassie Chadwick, who for many years claimed to be Andrew Carnegie’s (one of the wealthiest men in American history) illegitimate daughter and heir.
Over nearly ten years, Ms. Chadwick accrued debts and loans totalling roughly $2 million ($65 million in current currency) from institutions that presumed complete repayment. Once Carnegie passed away, she received his wealth.
That was all a lie, of course; Chadwick operated under the presumption that no one would inquire about Carnegie’s illegitimate child for fear of upsetting him, even if she had no relationship with him at all. To support her allegations, she also created securities in Carnegie’s name.
She eventually came to light and was imprisoned, but she was able to continue her deceit for over eight years.
If Jay Gould won’t even acknowledge his daughter in public, then why in the world would he use her for business purposes? Additionally, it bothers me that banker Maud brings Oscar to see it first.
Telling him that the group of investors is prestigious and elite does not allow him to invest in this ambiguous railway business.
Naturally, this merely prompts Oscar to increase his offer, which they subsequently accept. We’re not sure about you, but we think our child, Oscar, is being taken advantage of.
Nevertheless, Maud did visit Oscar’s cousin Aurora Fane and seemed to click with van Rhijn, asking bluntly if the actor was a gold digger. But was she genuinely worried about her destiny, or was she merely attempting to determine if Oscar would make the ideal pawn in her plan? Time will tell.
Hopefully, Oscar’s con artist tendencies will surface before Maud has a chance to the finest of him.
HBO releases new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. EST. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Gilded Age are available to stream on MAX.
