I agree that things were a bit scattered. But then they've been that way all season.

Which character? It's certainly possible I forgot. My memory is that we as the audience were fairly quickly given clues to tell when it was The First, even if the characters weren't.

I too have found the Silas as other people bit to have severely worn out it's welcome. I think for those familiar with both TVD & BtVS, comparisons to The First and its ability to appear as other people are only natural. But there, it was limited to appearing only as people who had died so viewers weren't second…

Cultural specification is very important though, particularly in distinguishing the difference between Dorrit and the women of the past that you reference. 
These women of the house in centuries past that you refer to were raised to marry, reproduce, and keep house practically from birth. It was expected to marry young…