This Gilded Age Star Is Leaving But It’s Not All Bad News

As people in the 1880s always said: Boy, bye!  

Turns out Gilded Age star Louisa Jacobson‘s jilted heroine Marian Brook won’t have to suffer silently at the opera next season. Her onetime fiancé Tom Raikes, played by Thomas Cocquerel, won’t be returning for season two of the HBO series. 

The season one finale saw Marian’s heart broken by the opportunistic lawyer after he ghosted her on what was to be their wedding day. When confronted by Marian, Tom explained that he couldn’t marry her since they’d be penniless, confirming that he was nothing more than a social climber as her aunt, Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), had predicted.

In other Gilded news, 13 recurring actors were promoted to series regulars for the upcoming season. Among the returning socialites are Kelli O’Hara‘s Aurora Fane and Donna Murphy as New York society leader Mrs. Astor. This means that there’s hope the upstart Russell family will continue to mingle with New York’s old money.

The Van Rhijn’s will also be comforted by the continued service of their staff, including Debra Monk as lady maid Armstrong, Kristine Nielsen as the cook Mrs. Bauer, Taylor Richardson as housemaid Bridget and Ben Ahlers as footman Jack Trotter. Likewise, the Russell’s will welcome back Douglas Sills as chef Baudin aka Borden, Celia Keenan–Bolger as housekeeper Mrs. Bruce, Michael Cerveris as valet Watson, Erin Wilhelmi as housemaid Adelheid Weber and Patrick Page as secretary Richard Clay.