This Gilded Age Finale Theory Predicts Oscar’s Fate

HBO’s The Gilded Age has been praised for its low-stakes drama, but as Season 2 draws to a close, things are taking a turn for the stressful. During the Dec. 10 episode, Oscar van Rhijn learned that he invested all of his family’s money into a bogus railroad company. His would-be fiancée, Maud Beaton, fabricated the entire opportunity then disappeared without a trace.

So, what will happen to Oscar, his high-maintenance mother Agnes and the rest of the van Rhijn clan in The Gilded Age season finale?

Well, Agnes’ horrified expression at hearing what happened to her son confirms that it’s not looking good. But according to a new fan theory, there might be a twisty way out of this mess — for a price.

The Tables Will Turn

Reddit user u/Milocobo predicted the fallout from Oscar’s investment in a Dec. 11 post, suggesting that Cousin Dashiell will no longer want to marry Marian Brook with her family’s scandalous financial situation. (Marian probably wouldn’t hate that outcome.)

As for Oscar? According to the theory, George Russell would lend him the money to make up for his loss — but this is The Gilded Age, so it would be conditional. The Redditor referenced George saving the Fanes from financial ruin in Season 1, and in return, he wanted Aurora to welcome his wife, Bertha, into society.

Oscar, of course, is a member of that same society. His mother’s opinion would be extremely influential in swaying the ongoing battle of the opera houses: the established families’ Academy of Music and the nouveau riche’s Metropolitan Opera. “I don’t see a reason why in exchange for some of that charity, the [van Rhijn] family can’t support the new Met,” u/Milocobo writes.

A loan would ensure that the van Rhijns are always “under his thumb,” the Redditor adds. What more could the Russells want? It might not be the most graceful way to secure a spot in high society, but it would certainly do the trick.

And best of all, it would be deliciously dramatic. As one user commented, “I would love to see Agnes’ pained face as she shows up for the opening of the Met Opera as Bertha’s honored guest.”

“Hold On To Your Hat”

While fans will have to wait for the Dec. 17 finale to know exactly what happens with the van Rhijns, co-showrunner Sonja Warfield recently teased what to expect in an interview with TheWrap, and, well, the theory tracks.

“If you think it heats up in the beginning, wait until the end of the season,” she said. “I mean, literally hold on to your hat. There will be a race to both opera houses, and people will show up at one and they’ll realize they chose the wrong one and literally jump into their carriage and race across the town to the other opera house to see.”

It would likely take something special to stir up that kind of chaos — like opera-goers finding out at the last minute that Agnes is suddenly supporting the Metropolitan.