The Gilded Age Kills John Adams to Advance Oscar’s Storyline

In the final season of Stranger Things, fans are concerned about the fate of Steve Harrington, a character originally intended to die in Season 1 but spared due to Joe Keery's compelling performance and character development. Killing Steve now would undermine his significant growth and emotional investment from viewers, making such a death feel predictable and potentially manipulative. Meanwhile, in The Gilded Age Season 3, the sudden death of John Adams, the secret lover of Oscar van Rhijn, has shocked audiences and been confirmed by showrunners as a necessary plot device to advance Oscar's character arc. The creators emphasized that John's death was a straightforward accident without political motives, reflecting the harsh realities of life and societal repression faced by queer individuals in the 1800s. Actor Claybourne Elder highlighted the meaningfulness of portraying a queer character in a historically intolerant setting, while the showrunners intend for this tragic event to catalyze significant change in Oscar's storyline. Despite divided fan reactions, this narrative choice was carefully designed to explore grief and transformation within the context of the series' themes.