‘The Gilded Age’ Finale: 12 Burning Questions We Have for Season 4
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3 finale, “My Mind Is Made Up.”]
Excuse Bertha Russell for being beautiful and right! Carrie Coon‘s social titan of a character in The Gilded Age reached the mountaintop of New York high society in the August 10 Season 3 finale when supplanting Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) as the host of the coveted Newport ball, and at Mrs. Astor’s own request to boot. But a season of social climbing cost Bertha dearly. Should it have?
Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) and husband Hector (Ben Lamb) were the guests of honor, and Bertha got some time to revel in the success of her duchess daughter’s increasingly happy marriage and her husband George’s (Morgan Spector) miraculous recovery from an assassination attempt at this glittering event. But reality came crashing down the next morning when George revealed the change of heart his near-death experience wrought. The Gilded Age heads into uncharted territory in Season 4 as this once inseparable power couple now faces divorce and the social ruin that could come with it, unless Bertha succeeds in further improving lives for divorced women in this era.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the drama from The Gilded Age Season 3 finale. As the wait for Season 4 begins, these are the burning questions on our minds. (And for a deeper dive into the finale with Coon, see here.)
The Gilded Age, All Episodes Available Now, HBO Max
Are George and Bertha really getting divorced?
Despite his positive appearance at the Newport ball with their family, George left Bertha in the final moments of the season. It’s not clear if they’re getting divorced, but a separation has certainly been established.
George couldn’t handle the disappointment he felt in himself for his part in making Gladys marry Hector. And he said in the finale’s final scene that he admires Bertha’s ruthlessness that made that marriage come to be. He just can’t grapple with the concept of that ruthlessness being directed at their daughter. It’s hypocritical and small-minded of him. Bertha can’t have a career or even the right to vote because she’s a woman. Her industry can only be social climbing. And Gladys and Hector are falling in love, which means she correctly clocked that they would be a good match all along. George’s inability to sympathize with the nuance of even a powerful woman’s plight in this time period is a blight on his character that will need to be addressed in Season 4.
Plus, what was with that lingering shot on a bottle of laudanum? Is George going to become addicted to the medication in Season 4 following his gunshot wound?
Did Peggy say yes?
Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) got a fairytale proposal from the love of her life, Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) at the Black elite’s Newport ball, but we didn’t see her answer! While the tears of joy in her eyes and beaming smile imply she was going to say yes to forever with William, we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to know for sure that these two are engaged.
Will Marian and Larry get engaged again?
Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry (Harry Richardson) had the hard conversation they needed to have at Bertha’s Newport ball after Bertha encouraged Marian to fight for their relationship. The couple forgave each other and seem to be back together, but they agreed that they can’t fix their problems overnight. They don’t seem to be engaged as of the finale, but will they get married in Season 4 after they came out of this tough relationship test stronger?
Will the Kirklands return?
With Peggy and William seemingly engaged, it seems necessary to bring Phylicia Rashad and Brian Stokes Mitchell‘s Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland back in bigger roles. Mrs. Kirkland is effectively the Mrs. Astor of the Black high society, after all, and her performance as the meddling, powerful mother was the most exciting new addition to the series this season. More of the Kirklands, please!
Will Mrs. Scott have a bigger role in society?
With her daughter marrying the son of the Black elite’s most well-known family, Mrs. Scott (Audra McDonald) now has the potential to move up even higher in society. She has the backbone to be a leader as well, as shown through her fierce defense of daughter Peggy to Mrs. Kirkland in the finale. It seems that a new feud between the leaders of old money and new is entering the chat. We’d love to see how Dorothy and Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) rise to this occasion.
Will Turner's past be found out?
Oscar Van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) proposed a lavender marriage to the widowed Mrs. Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran), the woman formerly known as Turner, Bertha’s scandalous lady’s maid. It’s a match made in heaven for both of them, one that frees up freedom for secret romances whenever they please and financial security for them both. But Enid nearly revealed working-class past and connection to Bertha slip at Gladys’ wedding in conversation with Ward McAllister (Nathan Lane). Could her past come back to haunt this alliance with Oscar, especially now that Oscar’s cousin, Marian, seems primed to become a Russell? Bertha won’t take kindly to having Turner as family by marriage.
What will Agnes and Ada do about Oscar's sexuality?
A marriage to Mrs. Winterton brings with it a lucrative fortune. Agnes (Christine Baranski) was pleased to be offered a high-power role within the Heritage Society with Ada’s (Cynthia Nixon) help in the finale. But the elephant in the room is Oscar’s sexuality, which he all but flat-out said out loud in Episode 7 in a profound moment of grief over his dead lover, John Adams (Claybourne Elder). Agnes and Ada fully understood the subliminal message Oscar was sending, and they both pretended it didn’t happen. How will this affect their dynamic moving forward, especially now that Oscar has seemingly fixed his mother’s money woes by proposing to Enid?
Will Gladys and Hector fall in love?
Things are looking up for this arranged marriage as of the finale. Gladys and Hector are realizing they’re a good match for each other, and Gladys is pregnant with their first child. While romance is clearly brewing, we’re eager to find out if these two will discover they’re actually soulmates like George and Bertha.
Is Mrs. Astor on the outs?
Mrs. Astor couldn’t host her famous Newport ball because of the scandal of her daughter’s impending divorce. She effectively gave the keys of the New York social kingdom to Bertha when offering her the hosting gig of the ball in her stead. In real life, Mrs. Astor did basically cede power to the Vanderbilts and other new-money families of the time. Did that fate just get sealed in the Season 3 finale? Is Bertha now the queen bee, no longer sharing the throne with Lina?
Will Aurora Fane find love?
God, we hope so. Kelli O’Hara‘s character was going through it this season, and her cheating husband, Charles Fane (Ward Horton), wasn’t nearly publicly shamed enough for what he did to her. Bertha inviting divorced women to the ball is making society a better place for the women wrongfully outcast. Now, we’d like to see Aurora find someone who truly loves her. She deserves it!
Will Jack and Bridget get together?
New millionaire Jack (Ben Ahlers) bought a house with his fortune and invited Bridget (Taylor Richardson) over for a meal as one of his first guests. As they sat down at his table, he said that it felt “safe” with her there. She was happy to hear it. There’s a clear connection between these two former coworkers, and Ahlers previously told us that he hopes Jack will find love in his new life. What will Jack and Bridget’s relationship look like in Season 4? Here’s hoping we’ll see their love story play out.
What is Church's backstory?
The Russell butler (played by Jack Gilpin) went into sleuth mode this season to find the person responsible for leaking personal information about the Russell family to the press. When his work with Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Chef Borden (Douglas Sills) revealed that it was Bertha’s new lady’s maid, Church revealed that he “wasn’t born a butler,” implying he had a much different career before he got into this line of work. We’re interested to find out if he was a detective in a past life, and how that could continue to impact his life in the Russell home. Will Bertha ask him to find out information about George?
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