‘The Gilded Age’ Trailer: Agnes Dines With Bertha Russell as She Stages Social Comeback
Pigs are officially flying. Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) dines with Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) in the Russell mansion in new trailer for The Gilded Age Season 4.
The trailer is very Agnes-heavy as she stages a social comeback off of the coattails of a dinner she’s hosting in honor of President Grover Cleveland (Jim Gaffigan). The financially destitute Agnes needs sister Ada’s (Cynthia Nixon) help with the funding, but Ada refuses to provide a blank check.
Elsewhere in the trailer, Bertha implores estranged husband George Russell (Morgan Spector) to come back home, but he accuses her of emotional manipulation as her attempt came at a time of weakness for the railroad tycoon, who’s facing new business obstacles with the arrival of John D. Rockefeller (Neal Huff). Get your first look at Huff as the famous American figure, as well as Dennis Haysbert‘s new character, in The Gilded Age Season 4 trailer above.
Additional trailer highlights include Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) and Enid Winterton’s (Kelley Curran) power-hungry social climbing, stressful wedding planning for Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) and Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) as a wealthy gentleman looking for a wife, a rekindled spark between ex-fiancés Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson), an enraged Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga), and a brewing rivalry between future in-laws Mrs. Scott (Audra McDonald) and Mrs. Kirkland (Phylicia Rashad).
TV Insider featured The Gilded Age Season 4 in our 2026 Fall Preview, in addition to announcing the character Tony winner Adrienne Warren will play. Season 4 premieres on Sunday, November 1, on HBO (streaming on HBO Max), so before that, here’s everything we know about the upcoming season.
When does The Gilded Age Season 4 premiere?
View this post on Instagram
The Gilded Age Season 4 comes out on Sunday, November 1, at 9/8c on HBO.
HBO teased the fall premiere in a BTS video on Instagram shared on Thursday, June 18 (below). It shows the cast in costume on set.
“They’re trying to figure out how they can find their way back to each other,” Spector says of the Russell couple.
“Everything Bertha has built is thrust into a very precarious position,” says Carrie Coon.
Nixon says there are shocking plot developments, and Christine Baranski says she’s more excited for this season than she has been for any season prior. Other descriptors the cast uses for Season 4 are “sexy,” “ruthless,” “juicy,” “fabulous,” and “high-octane, bustle-breaking.” Tell us more!
View this post on Instagram
Who is in The Gilded Age Season 4 cast?
Lucas Iverson, who plays Dr. Ogilvie on The Pitt, will return in the fourth season of the Julian Fellowes period drama. He guest-starred as Simon in Season 3 and will return in an expanded guest star role in Season 4, TV Insider has learned.
TV Insider spoke with Iverson on March 10 for an episode of The Pitt Season 2, and he shared an update on The Gilded Age Season 4 during that interview.
“They are shooting the first four episodes right now. I only have a little tiny thing in there, but it’s fun to be back and have a great time there,” Iverson shared. “I will be on set sometime next week, and then a few weeks after that, too, for a week as well, and then I think later in the summer also. But The Pitt shoots chronologically; Gilded Age does not. So I’m sort of flipping through the schedule like, wait, where am I and when? And we’re doing what, how? You know what I mean? It’s like a whole other language to me.”
Iverson couldn’t comment on Simon’s expanded presence in Season 4, but he said to “stay tuned.”
Curran has been promoted to a series regular in the fourth season, and Gaffigan, Dallas Roberts, Elizabeth Marvel, and Andrew Burnap join the cast. The series announced the castings on Instagram on March 3.
Here’s the official description for The Gilded Age Season 4: “Bertha Russell changed Society at a cost. Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position. Meanwhile, Marian forges a new path for herself, and Peggy works to be accepted by her future in-laws. In this new era, you must be careful what you wish for.”
William proposed to Peggy in the Season finale’s final moments, but we didn’t see her answer. Now, we know that she said yes! Elsewhere, the Russell family is in turmoil, but what exactly Bertha did to change New York society is unclear. She made waves among Manhattan’s elite when welcoming divorced women back into the fold, so we’d bet that it’s about that.
The Gilded Age has promoted Donica and Ashlie Atkinson to series regulars for Season 4 and cast Haysbert, Taylor Trensch, James Scully, Maggie Kuntz, Huff, and Bonnie Milligan in new roles.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Here are the new Gilded Age cast members and the recurring characters they’ll be playing, courtesy of HBO.
- Taylor Trensch (Tony nominee) as Oliver, a new addition to the van Rhijn household
- James Scully as Lee Klein, an artist who sells his first painting at an unforgettable Society event, and an apprentice to the famed artist William Merritt Chase
- Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Reginald Harris, William Kirkland’s mentor, who visits New York to fundraise for the Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, DC, and makes a surprising connection
- Maggie Kuntz as Fiona Summers: cousin to the prominent Astors, Fiona is a free-spirited young woman from a good family who is not afraid to explore the limits of convention
- Neal Huff as John D. Rockefeller, the famed businessman and oil tycoon. A thin, self-made man of humble origins, now one of the richest and most powerful in the world. A devout Baptist and philanthropist, he does not always see eye to eye with his fellow robber barons
- Bonnie Milligan (Tony winner) as Mrs. Knapp Curtis, the trailblazing editor of the popular periodical The Ladies’ Home Journal
Here are the other new characters:
-
- Gaffigan plays Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President of the United States, who comes to New York to curry favor with the elite class.
- Roberts plays Daniel Manning, a seasoned politician and Secretary of the Treasury under President Grover Cleveland.
- Marvel plays Nurse Virginia Saville, a kind nurse who works at the Neighborhood Settlement House in the Lower East Side.
- Burnap plays Porter, a young gentleman of Society with an Ivy League education and money to invest in exciting new ventures.
Is The Gilded Age renewed for Season 5?
As of the time of publication, The Gilded Age has not been renewed beyond Season 4.
What happens in The Gilded Age Season 4?
HBO
The biggest burning question on every fan’s mind is whether George and Bertha are really done for good. George’s near-death experience made him rethink his life entirely. While it seemed at the Newport Ball that that meant he was going to reconcile his grievances with Bertha about Gladys’ (Farmiga) arranged marriage, the finale’s last seconds shocked viewers by having George leave Bertha.
They’re not divorced yet, but it’s more possible than ever. And the couple on which the characters are loosely based, William and Alva Vanderbilt, famously got divorced after marrying their daughter, Consuelo, off to a British duke. Sound familiar? It would be a crying shame for one of TV’s best and hottest power couples to fall, but the fallout would be delicious drama. Bertha, in the meantime, is trying to make life better for divorced women.
At the November FYC event, Coon addressed the possibility that the show will continue to pull major inspiration from the famous Vanderbilt divorce with George and Bertha Russell.
“We haven’t followed the [Vanderbilt] storyline yet, not to a T, so I’m hopeful,” she told TV Insider. “Also, Bertha is so tenacious. She never gives up. If she wants George back, that’s what she’s going to get.”
Larry and Marian are kind of back together as of the finale, but not yet re-engaged. Gladys and Hector are expecting their first baby, so hopefully that’s a very happy tale and nothing close to the trauma of Lady Sybil’s (Jessica Brown Findlay) first child in Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey. (Could a Gilded Age and Downton Abbey crossover happen? We ponder the possibilities here.)
The good news on that front: Consuelo Vanderbilt lived to 88, so if they’re going to continue molding Gladys after her, that’s a great sign.
The Gilded Age, Season 4 Premiere, Sunday, November 1, 9/8c, HBO
Christine Baranski
Cynthia Nixon
Carrie Coon
Morgan Spector
Denée Benton
Louisa Jacobson
Taissa Farmiga
Blake Ritson
Simon Jones
Harry Richardson
Jack Gilpin
Ben Ahlers
Michael Cerveris
Celia Keenan-Bolger
Debra Monk
Donna Murphy
Kristine Nielsen
Kelli O'Hara
Patrick Page
Taylor Richardson
Douglas Sills
John Douglas Thompson
Erin Wilhelmi
Kelley Curran
Sullivan Jones
Nicole Brydon Bloom
Ashlie Atkinson
David Furr
Ward Horton
⨁Full Cast & Crew
Conversation21 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
C
I love this series, but it is much too long between seasons
-
C
The article states that season Four may not be released until 2027. There’s no reason for it to take this long between seasons. You’re going to loose viewers. We need a release date before November 2026.
-
V
Still hoping for season 4 to happen soon. The actors are superb and the script, costumes and scenery is all encompassing. Not to mention it’s important place in history that helped create advances for all
-
-
J
I wanted to share that I am a 74 year old man and I NEVER watched or have been interested in anything "periodical". I'm a Game of Thrones or science fiction/horror and/or documentary lover. I've never even thought about Downtown Abbey or anything close to it. I had gotten bored when I heard that Gilded Age had been nominated for several category awards and I do love history, so I decided to give it a shot. I STILL cannot understand why I have totally been absorbed by it. I binge watched all three seasons in about a week and I am starving for Season 4. While I'm still trying to figure out exactly why I am surprisingly hooked, I think it comes down to the history and the way it is written and presented and I honestly didn't know the rituals, society drama, and it's showing me many details I missed in this period of American history. Add the "soap opera" element and its one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen. (And I still can't fully understand since this is just not my "cup of tea"). I'm going to stop trying to figure it out, but I'm so glad I decided to branch out a little. What a pleasant surprise and I hope this series gets the many awards it deserves in every category from costumes, to directing to acting!
-
H
Quality in writing. I’ll take the long periods in between. I would rather have quality in production and story telling than speed of episodes.
It also has to do with HBO and the decision to keep the series going or not. If they wait till the end of the current season then it takes longer in production. Letting cast and crew and writers know halfway a current season would help speed things up.
-
J
Exactly! I stopped watching the Outlander series because of the length of time between seasons. The Gilded Age started off with a delayed start, but seemed to be getting better with consecutive seasons. Now, with NO firm release date, it seems they are going the way of Outlander.
-
D
Concerning Gillded Age Season 4...my mind keeps returning to Lady Sarah's reaction to being told to find her own house and move out. She looked devestated, and yes I know she truly deserved that, I could very well imagine her taking her own life out of despair. Feeling she had no one left since the last person she had in the world was now focused on his new wife and family leaving her alone. I could also imagine Gladys and The Duke returning back from spending time with Gladys's family, overjoyed by news of the baby, and happily content with their prospective future only to find that Sarah had killed herself and Hector, The Duke, becoming wracked with guilt and blaming Gladys, and by extension their baby. This would create a rift between the two that could go either way in regards to their marriage. As for Bertha and George...remember the guy that George told Bertha to charm to help him close a deal? Then how angry and jealous he got when she successfully did exactly what he said? I can imagine that George thinks he wants free of his marriage and the only way to get a divorce approved was on the grounds of adultry. Enter Mrs. Winterton (or Mrs. Van Rhynn by that point??). She finally gets what she wants...to seduce George. This hurts and angers Bertha who then pursues the divorce and allows herself to be courted. Hence the guy earlier that owned the railroad George wanted. Hmmm...I wonder how George would handle that?
-
G
I think the amount of time between seasons is ridiculous. Yes, I know the costumes and sets take time to create, however, both can be reused. I’d much rather see the same dress worn a few times than wait as long as we do for a new season.
-
G
and if they don't want to reuse the entire dress, just modify it. it's not like they have to start over with materials
-
-
D
The show began in 1882. Thus far, there have been 3 seasons; season 1 1882, season 2 1883 and season 3 1884 at the end of season ball in Newport. That would have been early September, or perhaps the last few days of August. Fall and winter would be in 1884. That means that there would be a full year (1885) after the 1884 events. Season 4 will be sometime in 1886. Hence, depending on the month, it wouldn't be a full two years? I just hope that after all we've seen Larry and Marian go through, Fellows does not thrown us a curve ball in that relationship. I'm going to be upset if Peggy and William marry before Larry and Marian.
-
S
I hope they can make it work. The show would loose something if they aren't together. She needs to sweat a little.
-
G
Release before the Gilded Age ends! Did you learn nothing from New Coke? Stop the lengthy time, shorten the issues related to filming and bring back the basics of the gilded age.
-
J
Lost this viewer. Don't advertise and HYPE the New Season of The Gilded Age if you cannot deliver!!
-
O
You held me in rapt attention.
-
K
Love this series, love the actors, love the costumes, love the architecture of the time period. There isn’t anything I don’t love about this series. My question is… I wonder if George is going to get hooked on laudanum ( like so many people at that time period) & Bertha comes to the rescue & their marriage gets patched up.
-
J
I always have to go back and watch previous seasons, because I forget them.
-
G
We must have patience for something in this life. They do all the work and fans make all the demands. Why is that. smh
-
E
Oh that's silly. People will just rewatch previous seasons to refresh memories and fall back in love with the show.
They won't lose viewers, they'll gain new fans.
-
J
You should go help Julian Fellowes get the scrips written!!
-
J
A good seamstress team can make a costume in a day or two. I sew, and I could do it, so I'm quite SURE that the professionals would have NO problem in that department. I thought the Script Writing was the hold up.
-
C
I just wish they would change the theme song. It sounds like an old tv western song.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services