‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Episode 6 Ending Explained: Uh, Did HBO Just Brutally Kill Off [Spoiler]?

The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 is titled, “If You Want to Make an Omelette,” and it ends with one beloved character being literally broken by a horse and carriage. Yes, Julian Fellowes has done it again! The man who stunned Downton Abbey audiences with the sudden and tragic deaths of Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) has officially brought his macabre dramatic flair to HBO. The Gilded Age just killed off a character right in front of their true love’s eyes and it was absolutely brutal!

**Spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 “If You Want to Make an Omelette,” now streaming on HBO MAX**

The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 “If You Want to Make an Omelette” ends with a touching moment between Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and his long-time secret love, John Adams (Claybourne Elder). John is proud of Oscar for not only bouncing back from losing his fortune, but also taking pity on Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom). Oscar poignantly calls John his “savior” and thanks him from the bottom of his heart. The implication is clearly that Oscar wishes he could say out loud that he loves John, but cannot.

This sweet goodbye soon turns into a moment of tragedy. John casually walks to the curb to hail a cab and is immediately plowed into the air by a charging horse and carriage. Oscar is horrified to see John’s dead body crash upon the ground. Oh, yes, John Adams is dead! (He just got The Gilded Age‘s version of being Meet Joe Black-ed! He’s totally dead!)

What does this insane Gilded Age ending mean for the rest of the season? Why did Oscar help Maud Beaton? Who was Mr. Crowther, played in Season 2 by Mark Boyett? And how much will we miss poor John Adams? Here’s what you need to know about the ending of The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 “If You Want to Make an Omelette”…

The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 Ending Explained: Is John Adams Dead?

Yes, John Adams is dead. He was hit pretty darn hard by that horse team and carriage. So hard, in fact, he cannot possibly survive.

What’s especially tragic about John Adams’s death is that it has to happen in front of Oscar. We’ve known since the start of The Gilded Age that the two lifelong friends are also secretly in love with each other. They have to keep their romance top secret because being gay was illegal during this time. Their reputations, lives, and families all hang in the balance. So the best Oscar can do in terms of a public display of love is to thank John from the bottom of his heart. You know, with a nice, friendly arm tap. (Poor Oscar...)

Who Was Mr. Crowther? Why Does John Adams Think Both Oscar and Maud Were His Victims?

Can’t remember who Mr. Crowther was supposed to be? Well, in The Gilded Age Season 2, Oscar begins courting a charming heiress named Maud Beaton. She has a lot of money and the rumor is she’s the illegitimate daughter of real life business titan Jay Gould. (Note: there is no historic evidence Jay Gould had an illegitimate daughter, which is information that could have helped Oscar out in The Gilded Age Season 2.)

Maud tells Oscar that she’s made a great deal of money investing with her pal, Mr. Crowther, and offers to connect them. Oscar thinks he’s lucked into a deal. He eventually sinks the entire van Rhijn family fortune into Mr. Crowther’s investment scheme only to later learn that the man, his office, and Maud Beaton never existed. He was conned!

The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 6 sees Oscar confront Maud at the Haymarket. She admits that she, too, was swindled by Mr. Crowther and is forced to work as a prostitute in New York. Oscar feels pity and does something surprising. He gifts Maud a train ticket back to her hometown of Sandusky, Ohio and $100. (In case you were wondering, you can still take the train from New York to Sandusky on the Lake Shore Limited and that $100 bill would be worth $3,280.26 in today’s money.)