“Wanted to bring about that change”: The Gilded Age creators reveal why they decided to kill off John Adams in Season 3

The Gilded Age Season 3 has broken multiple hearts with a brutal twist.

In an unprecedented move, the show killed off John Adams, one of the fan favorites. The death came out of nowhere, shocking both fans and John’s lover in the show, Oscar van Rhijn.

In the final moments of Season 3 Episode 6, John is run over by a speeding horse carriage on a New York City street in front of Oscar. While fans have been disappointed with the development, showrunners Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield have revealed why the plot point was important for the overall story.

In an interview with TVLine, the showrunners disclosed that John’s death was necessary to move Oscar’s arc forward in The Gilded Age. Fellowes said the shock value of the moment is going to bring a change in Oscar’s character:

“[We were] quite careful to kill him with a straight accident, not with anything with political overtones. He’s just killed in an accident, like anyone could be at any time. Those shocking things are true in life I’ve certainly experienced those traumas. They change you, and we wanted to bring about that change in Oscar.”

The Gilded Age creators reveal the reason behind John Adams’ death

The showrunners further teased that the motive behind John’s accident and death in The Gilded Age will become clearer in the next episode. Once the characters have processed the grief and shock of the incident, the audience will finally realize why the writers came up with the idea. Fellowes said:

“[None of those upcoming plots] would have been achievable if John Adams had lived.”

John’s accident marks one of the darkest moments of the show so far. The historical drama has mostly delved into politics, culture, and interpersonal dynamics rather than death and gore, which made the scene all the more shocking.

Played by Claybourne Elder, John Adams was introduced in the very first season of The Gilded Age as the secret lover of Oscar van Rhijn, the son of an old-money socialite family. The two are star-crossed lovers as they live in the 1870s, when society did not accept homosexuality.

Oscar pretends to live a straight life and even tries to marry Gladys Russell to gain more wealth, which John does not agree with, though he understands Oscar’s reasons. Later, John and Oscar break up, but John remains a part of his life.

In Season 2, famous writer Oscar Wilde takes an interest in John. But John tells him that he is already in a happy relationship with another man and feels good about who he is.

Finally, in The Gilded Age Season 3, when Oscar is struggling with money, John helps him by investing in his business. He tells Oscar that he believes in him and is proud of the progress he has made. After an affectionate goodbye, John walks into the street and is suddenly hit and killed by a carriage. Oscar is left shocked and heartbroken by the loss of his friend and lover.

Trending

The Gilded Age Season 3 airs new episodes on HBO on Sundays.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback