Now we know what Bertha Russell felt like after winning the Opera Wars. Only days after the season 2 finale, HBO has renewed The Gilded Age for season 3.
Creator Julian Fellowes has struck gold with the drama set in the Gilded Age of America. Something about the over-the-top yet low-stakes drama has captivated audiences. Season 2 focused on the showdown between old money and new money in New York society. It all came down to Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) with her new Metropolitan Opera House, and Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) representing the aging Academy of Music. As always, the Russells came out on top—and Bertha’s hair looked perfectly coiffed around her tiara. HBO celebrated the success of The Gilded Age‘s second season by announcing a third season will follow.
The end of season 2 left several plot threads dangling, so the next season has a lot to build on. Here’s everything we know about season 3 of The Gilded Age so far.
When will The Gilded Age season 3 premiere?
HBO did not disclose when they plan on having the third season ready for audiences. The gap between season 1 and season 2 of The Gilded Age was over a year and a half. With The Gilded Age gaining such popularity among viewers, hopefully it will not take nearly that long to get the third season out. Optimistically, we probably won’t see new episodes until mid or late 2024.
Who will return for The Gilded Age season 3?
At this time we don’t know which characters will return for season 3. We can guess most of the major players will return, including Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Ben Ahlers, Denée Benton, and Blake Ritson.
What is the plot of The Gilded Age season 3?
A bit of a time jump happened between the first two seasons. The timeline went from 1882 to 1883 and ended in October 1883. There may be a small jump in time, maybe to the beginning of 1884, but season 3 may pick up right after season 2’s finale because so much happened in the final moments. Nothing has been outlined yet for season 3, but there are several plotlines they have to tackle.
Most importantly, we have Bertha’s big shake-up in New York society. Since she won the Opera War against Mrs. Astor, does that mean Bertha will replace Mrs. Astor as the leader of the wealthy women in New York? That woman is a powerhouse who deserves praise and admiration. Bertha’s adoring husband, George (Morgan Spector), also has his hands full with labor issues and budding unions in his steel mill. Will he fleece the workers like most historical robber barons did or will he do what is right? No matter what the Russells do, I will probably still love them.
Although things may look like business as usual at the Van Rhijn house, powers will have shifted in season 3. After Oscar Van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) fell for Maud Beaton’s con and lost the family fortune, it looked like Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) was in for a reckoning. In a surprise revelation, newly married and newly widowed Ada (Cynthia Nixon) received a fortune from her late husband. Now Agnes, Ada, and Marian can stay put. However, for the first time in her life, Ada will be in charge of the house and her controlling sister. We also want to know if Peggy will still be employed in the household, especially now that she quit her job at the paper and is planning on writing a book.
It seems the life of John “Jack” Trotter (Ben Ahlers) may have been forever altered by his new clock patent. He’s developed a way for alarm clocks to work without fail and has the rights to himself. After showing Larry Russell (Harry Richardson), Larry spoke to some investors and they may be going into business together. Jack may live the American dream, going from a footman to a wealthy inventor.
I’m most excited to see where Marian’s story goes. She’s decided she wants to commit to helping people and making the lives of others better. Although she isn’t sure what that will look like, she knows it might not be a traditional path. Yet in some of the final moments of season 2, the long-awaited kiss between her and Larry finally happened. How will the new romance bloom over season 3? I could see the couple leading unconventional lives while still being married.
(featured image: Max)
