Spoilers for The Gilded Age are forward! If in case you have not seen Seasons 1 by 3, stream them with an HBO Max subscription.
The Gilded Age is aware of the best way to shock. Throughout its Season 3 run on the 2025 TV schedule, we acquired one deeply surprising dying and an assassination try within the span of two episodes. Throughout Season 2, there was a stunning energy shift proper on the finish. Nevertheless, none of these are my favourite plot twists of this sequence from Julian Fellowes. No, no. My favourite plot twist is definitely additionally the present’s most ridiculous one, so let’s discuss it.
My Favourite Plot Twist Was When It Was Revealed That The Russells’ French Chef Was Really Not French
Because the look ahead to The Gilded Age Season 4 begins, my buddy and I made a decision to binge-watch the primary three seasons with our HBO Max subscription. Going into it, I knew the stakes acquired extra intense because the present moved alongside, so I knew some shockers have been coming – just like the sudden and stunning dying of Oscar’s lover, John Adams, in Season 3 and Ada inheriting her late husband’s wealth on the finish of Season 2.
Nevertheless, one of many huge shockers on the finish of Season 1 of The Gilded Age truly type of got here out of nowhere and left me most shocked.
I’m, after all, speaking in regards to the reveal the place we discover out that the Russells’ chef shouldn’t be truly French, and he had been pretending the entire time! That’s proper, Douglas Sills’ character shouldn’t be Monsieur Baudin, that was merely a disguise, as his actual title is Josh Borden and he’s from Kansas.
It was a critically huge twist within the present, and it felt prefer it got here out of nowhere. Nevertheless, what makes it even higher is that this wild reveal truly had a really critical influence on one of many main storylines within the remaining episode of Season 1.
This Plot Twist Wasn’t Simply Surprising, It Was Really Vital
Now, what makes this plot twist much more brilliantly ridiculous is the quantity of lore behind it and the way important it’s to the Season 1 finale of The Gilded Age.
So, because the Russells have been making ready for his or her huge ball, the seemingly French chef realized that his estranged spouse had tracked him down and wished to reconcile. This led him to inform George Russell that he was certainly “only a farm boy from Kansas,” who labored as a service provider seaman earlier than leaving that job in France to scrub dishes in Cannes, the place he finally realized the best way to prepare dinner.
Nevertheless, when he returned to New York, he couldn’t get a job as a result of nobody wished a “prepare dinner from Witchta,” they wished a French chef. So, he held up the ruse for years.
Proving Borden’s level, Bertha did fireplace him proper earlier than her large ball. And the Russells employed a drunk (actual) French chef, who did them no good and virtually ruined the occasion of the season. So, finally, they employed Borden again. Then, everybody acquired snort out of the entire state of affairs at the beginning of Season 2, and it was promptly forgotten about.
Nevertheless, I by no means forgot about it! And I by no means will. Interested by him falling out and in of his faux French accent whereas telling the opposite employees about all this nonetheless makes me crack up three seasons later. Nevertheless, I additionally can not help however be impressed by simply how elaborate, impactful and surprising this plot twist was.
Due to this fact, each time there’s been a plot twist in The Gilded Age, my buddy and I’ve (and can proceed) to check it to the bar that was set by the faux French chef.