The Gilded Age director reveals how important the Haymarket location is to the future of the show 

Episode 5 of The Gilded Age season 3 takes the story somewhere new, changing how it moves and feels: the Haymarket club. Far removed from the refined drawing rooms and carefully curated dinner tables of Fifth Avenue, the Haymarket appears as a space where formality gives way to unpredictability. It’s not just another backdrop. It opens up the show in a way that feels intentional. The way it was introduced felt intentional but also a bit unpredictable, which works.

According to director Deborah Kampmeier, who helmed the episode, the Haymarket offered a chance to explore a new world within the show's established universe. Built with historical accuracy and visual density, the setting reflects a side of 1880s New York that doesn’t usually cross paths with the wealthy world the series follows.

A new world within an established structure

Kampmeier joined the show during season 2. Episode 5 of season 3 was her first opportunity to design and shape a completely original space.

“I came into the show during season 2, so I was stepping into a world that's really been established. But this was a place that was entirely new in my episode, so I was able to really run with all of the research,” she told Screen Rant.

The Haymarket was a real club in late 19th-century New York, known for its association with nightlife, gambling, and stage performances. Kampmeier and the creative team took that and turned it into something layered and alive.

A setting shaped by excess

The director talked about how much thought went into shaping the Haymarket.

“We had the bearded ladies, we had the gambling, we had the dancing, and we had the Ladies of the Night, if you will. It was just a very full world that was fully researched. And it was so fun to get to play with all those elements, and to lead the audience into that world through Jack's eyes,” she said.

Costume design and stunt work also played a key role in making the club feel alive.

“There are all these incredible sketches that our amazing costume designer was using to build the wardrobe for them, and it was so fun to bring our stunt coordinator in to work with these stunt actresses on that,” Kampmeier added.

She called it a rewarding experience, especially from the perspective of a female director discovering new aspects of that world.

The return of Maud Beaton

One of the most significant narrative moments of the episode in The Gilded Age happens at Haymarket. Maud Beaton reappears, now using a different name and working in a different context. The reveal is timed carefully to align with the moment of discovery by Larry Russell.

“It was great to have Larry discover her and build that where the audience doesn't know until Larry knows,” said Kampmeier.

The choice to introduce Maud in this setting shows just how far her social standing has changed and the narrative weight her reappearance may carry moving forward.

Larry and the withheld truth

Larry Russell attends the club with friends for a bachelor party and chooses not to tell Marian about it. His silence is addressed directly by the director, who explained his reasoning in neutral terms.

“He doesn't tell Marian because it would upset her, but I think he doesn't see harm in it because he's going just to have a drink with his friends, and it's a fun night out.”

Kampmeier clarified further, adding,

“Why tell Marian if it's going to upset her? He's not going to do anything bad or naughty. I think it's just about where the party was. His friends were having their bachelor party, and he saw no need to hurt Marian's feelings.”

The director does not frame this choice as a betrayal but rather as a character decision shaped by social dynamics and personal judgment.

How the Haymarket Affair could reshape The Gilded Age

The level of detail invested in the Haymarket suggests it may remain relevant in the show. While Kampmeier does not confirm future appearances, the club’s construction was far from incidental. Its visual language, the energy of the scenes, and the presence of characters like Maud, Larry, and Oscar all point to potential narrative developments linked to this setting. As the show progresses, the Haymarket may serve as a backdrop for complications that don’t fit within the polite structure of the drawing room. Its introduction expands the thematic range of The Gilded Age without departing from its historical foundation.

What lies ahead

Season 3 of The Gilded Age is still unfolding, and no final episode count has been officially announced. However, episode 5 signals a shift in focus. The Haymarket, built on historical reference and creative intention, makes space for the kind of tension that comes when people from different worlds meet and social expectations.

This isn’t a break from The Gilded Age's tone, but a quiet broadening of its scope. By entering this unfamiliar world through Jack’s perspective and revealing characters in new roles, the episode brings in differences but still holds the story together.

Closing thoughts

With the introduction of the Haymarket, The Gilded Age moves into territory that is visually rich and thematically layered. The club is more than a place. It’s a narrative device that allows the series to explore social ambiguity, personal reinvention, and concealed truths. As season 3 continues, that night might echo further than anyone expected. The way it was introduced felt intentional but also a bit unpredictable, which works.