The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 7 Recap: “Ex-Communicated” Ends With a Bang

OMG OMG OMG! I’m still recovering. The Gilded Age Season 3, Episode 7 (“Ex-Communicated”) gave us high society drama, gut-punch emotion, and an ending that left my jaw on the floor. HBO really said, “Let’s wreck some lives and tease a potential death just for fun.” I screamed, I gasped, I hit rewind.

Every single minute of this episode delivered. From heartbreaking revelations to ballroom betrayals, this show continues to prove why it’s one of the most compelling period dramas on TV right now. No surprise that HBO renewed The Gilded Age for Season 4 because with storytelling like this? We need at least three more seasons.

Let’s break it all down. Here’s my full The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 7 recap with everything you need to know about “Ex-Communicated.”

Peggy’s Secret Is Out — And So Is William’s Reaction

Let’s start with who I always root for: Peggy Scott and William Kirkland. Their storyline continues to be one of the most emotionally rich and layered in the series, and this episode brought it all to the surface. Peggy’s secret, her previous marriage and the devastating loss of her child was revealed. But the way it came out? Whew.

We got that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene between Leslie Uggams and Phylicia Rashad, two absolute legends, on screen together, sharing a moment that carried so much weight. Seeing these two Black women, with all the history and gravitas they bring, even in a brief scene, was a reminder of how rare and important their presence is.

But then, of course, Mrs. Kirkland did what she always does (being annoying) ran straight to William with the information, without the full context. Messy. And yet, let’s not forget: Peggy tried to tell William. She was ready to open up, and he brushed it off with, “We all have a past.” So now that he’s shocked and hurt, I need him to rewind the tape and remember that moment. He doesn’t get to act betrayed when she literally warned him there was more to the story.

I truly hope this doesn’t end them, because they’ve grown so much together. They deserve peace, and after all Peggy has endured, she deserves someone who will hold space for her truth. Justice for Peggy!

Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

Marian and Larry: A Misunderstanding That Needs to Be Fixed

Let’s talk about Marian and Larry, because this relationship has been simmering in the background all season and now it’s finally reaching a boiling point.

Thanks to Jack, who stepped in and cleared up the bachelor party rumors, Marian is starting to realize that she may have messed up big time. For weeks, I kept saying I wasn’t sure about their chemistry, and to be fair, it felt lukewarm… until now. Suddenly, I’m rooting for them. Marian’s blind spot about Larry hurt him deeply, and she needs to own up to that.

What really made me do a double take, though, was that quiet but heartbreaking scene with Ada, who admitted how lonely it is to be a spinster. “You don’t know the loneliness of it,” she said and I felt that. Marian needed to hear it. Larry deserves better than to be doubted. And Marian? She’s starting to see that maybe it’s time to fight for something real.

Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

Oscar’s Heartbreaking Breakdown: A Near Coming Out Moment

Oscar’s storyline this week was devastating and so beautifully acted.

After the death of John Adams, Oscar receives an inheritance, a house and some money but that’s not what breaks him. What breaks him is the fact that he can’t publicly mourn the man he truly loved. He finally lets go of some of the emotional control we’ve seen him carry for three seasons, and the result was one of the most emotionally raw scenes of the series.

He almost came out. The words weren’t said, but the pain in his eyes, the trembling in his voice , Ada, Agnes, and especially Marian knew. Marian, bless her, was the only one who gently let him know that she understood something deeper was going on, even if she couldn’t name it.

Blake Ritson deserves every flower. That performance was powerful, not subtle, and deeply moving. Honestly, The Gilded Age should have spent more time on this storyline. We needed a funeral for John, we needed to see Oscar sit with his grief longer. It deserved more than just a subplot, because what it said about love, repression, and loss? That’s the heart of this era.

The Gilded Details: Jack Buys a House, Gladys Falls in Love, and Bertha Cleans House

Let’s shift gears and talk about the whirlwind of side plots that added so much richness to this episode.

• Jack bought a house! Yes, our loyal friend and staff member, got a win. Loved seeing that.

• Bertha’s maid is exposed as the source of all those tabloid leaks and got sent packing with a quickness. Girl… $40 per article? That’s what you risked everything for? Not even a decent bag?

• Bertha Russell may be intense, but she knows what’s going on. She clocked Gladys and the Duke from a mile away and turns out, she was right. These two are falling hard, and I am eating it up. Also, let’s not pretend: the Duke? He’s fine. Give us more of this love story.

• Gladys' sister-in-law? Bye. She’s finally on her way out, and I won’t miss her for a second. She’s been an energy vampire all season.

Bertha may be pushing people away, but she’s also not wrong. Her instincts are sharp. She's building an empire and sometimes, that means making bold (and slightly brutal) moves.

Mr. McAllister's Society Scandal: A Random Twist?

Now… can someone explain to me what Mr. McAllister is doing?

This man published what’s essentially a society gossip book, spilling tea like he’s Lady Whistledown and somehow thought he’d still be invited to dinner? The delusion. It came completely out of nowhere, and while it was spicy, it also felt totally unearned. Like, sir when did you even write this book?

The confrontation with Mrs. Astor was brutal. He went low, calling out her unhappy marriage, and it was cold. You could feel the finality of that moment, their social alliance and friendship done. And with that, Bertha Russell steps into the spotlight to take over the season’s most important ball.

And she’s not just filling a role, she’s changing it. By inviting divorced women, Bertha is rewriting society’s rules. Whether people like it or not, she’s shaping New York’s future. So is McAllister headed back South? Because let’s be honest, he’s socially finished in New York. And I won’t miss him that much.

Photograph by Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

That Ending: George Russell Gets Shot At?!?!

Let’s talk about THAT ENDING. I still have chills.

After Larry pulls off the mining deal, tens of millions of dollars, mind you, George Russell is back on top. And when George is winning? He doesn’t do it quietly. He invites his enemies to his office just to rub it in. Petty, powerful, iconic. He drops the mic with the ultimate line about winning. But just when you think he’s untouchable, BOOM. Someone takes a shot at him.

It was quick, but deadly serious. A hitman? Corporate revenge? Sabotage? We don’t know yet, but it completely flipped the tone of the episode in the final seconds. We went from victory to life-threatening danger in an instant. Is George Russell dead? Hurt? Shaken? Episode 8 cannot come fast enough.

“Ex-Communicated” Is a Standout Episode

The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 7 did everything a great drama should: it gave us emotion, intrigue, romance, scandal, and an explosive cliffhanger. The episode was titled “Ex-Communicated,” but it could’ve easily been called “Exposed” because so many characters were stripped bare this week.

From Peggy’s pain to Oscar’s grief, from Bertha’s strategy to George’s potential downfall, this was one of the strongest episodes of the series.

HBO’s The Gilded Age continues to prove that prestige TV can be both stylish and emotionally smart. This is how you do historical drama.

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