The Gilded Age’s Oscar Van Rhijn was a standout, until the writers let him down

The Gilded Age was once a show filled with goodness for Oscar Van Rhijn. Oscar's charming personality, his goals, and his complexity all made him one of the most intriguing characters in the HBO show.

But as the seasons went on, something within the air shifted. Oscar's storyline, once filled with potential, began to come undone. From being involved in scandals to facing heartbreaks, his character was slowly being buried by the writers under one misfortune after another.

What started as a bold representation of queerness in a 19th century New York society, now feels like an afterthought. So, what really happened to Oscar Van Rhijn? And why does The Gilded Age feel like the writers decided to give up on him?

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Oscar Van Rhijn started off as one of the most compelling characters in The Gilded Age

Oscar Van Rhijn wasn't just another face in the crowd when The Gilded Age began. Right from the start, he had that old school charisma; he was a man who knew how to work a room and play the game of status.

But beneath all the charm, he was juggling a private truth: a secret romance with John Adams, while trying to build a secure future within a society that didn't accept who he was.

That balancing act added layers to Oscar. He wasn't just rich or reckless, but in fact, he was navigating a double life. He courted Gladys Russell with the hope of securing his standing, even though his heart was never in it. It didn't work, of course. She turned him down, and his relationship with John began to strain under the weight of secrecy and disappointment.

Despite the heartbreak, Oscar made a promise to John that things would remain the same. It was a tender moment, one that hinted at growth. And yet, even in Season 2 of The Gilded Age, his luck kept spiraling downward.

He trusted Maude Beaton, invested every cent of his fortune in her, and watched it all disappear when she vanished. It was a harsh lesson, and it left both Oscar and his family scrambling for stability.

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But the writers took his story from complicated to cruel

Oscar Van Rhijn's journey in The Gilded Age could have been one of reinvention. Season 3 offered that chance. John, still believing in Oscar, stepped in with a lifeline: financial backing and encouragement. The two shared a quiet but powerful moment of healing in episode 6, where John looked at him and said;

"I like this new version of Oscar Van Rhijn."

That one line, full of hope, carried the weight of their entire history.

But within seconds, everything changed. A carriage struck John in the street. Just like that, the only person who truly saw Oscar for who he was, not who he pretended to be, was gone.

The scene was shocking, but also deeply frustrating. In a series that rarely goes for the kill, John's sudden death felt cheap. His exit wasn't just a tragic loss, it completely gutted Oscar's story arc.

And here lies the real problem: The Gilded Age had something rare with Oscar Van Rhijn. A queer character in a 19th century historical drama who wasn't just tragic but trying, failing, learning, and growing. But instead of letting him evolve, the show repeatedly crushed his progress.

The writers didn't just let Oscar fall - they made sure he never had the space to stand back up.

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Oscar Van Rhijn brought something special to The Gilded Age: vulnerability, wit, and complexity. But across three seasons, the writers chipped away at his story, until all that remained was loss and regret.

The potential was there. The setup was perfect. But in the end, the writers didn't give Oscar the story he deserved. Instead, they left him alone and stranded, turning a well written character into simply a symbol of opportunity that has been missed.

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