HBO Max’sThe Gilded Agewill return to screens later this month, and audiences can expect some big changes in the upcoming season.The Gilded Agetakes place in the time period of the same nameand focuses on the upper-class residents of the Upper East Side in Manhattan as they each vie for power. The series began with Marian Brook venturing from Pennsylvania to New York for the first time to live with her aunts and saw her learning the ropes of society, while Bertha Russell simultaneously tried to enter high society as well.
The period drama largely focuses on the power struggle between those with old money and those with new, particularly through thevan Rhijn-Brook and Russell familiesand their relationships with society figures like Mrs. Astor or Ward McAllister. Along withThe Gilded Age’s focus on characters' power, the series also deals with class and race inequalities in New York society, and how various characters try to forge their own paths. ByThe Gilded Ageseason 2’s ending, this had become even more apparent, with many big changes appearing on the horizon.
5The Gilded Age Season 3 Takes Place In Winter
The Series Will Move Into 1884
The Gilded Agehas been moving steadily forward in time, reflecting the fast-moving social changes of the era. Season 1 took place in 1882, as the initial stages of those changes took place. Marian came to New York, and Bertha Russell showed that exclusion would not prevent her from showcasing her wealth. Season 2, then, took place in 1883, encompassing the period from Easter to October,coinciding with the real-life opening of the original Metropolitan Opera House. Season 2 included even bigger changes, but season 3 looks set to top them both.
Now, the series will enter 1884 and depict a new season.The Gilded Age’s season 3 trailer has already shownimages of the New York streets covered in snow as Marian and Larry speak outside. The season change certainly makes sense given the period that each season covers, but it is also exciting for other reasons.The Gilded Agehas been praised for its stellar costuming, but winter will give the series a chance to showcase more beautiful garments. Likewise, the change outside helps match the social shift and the architectural trends in the city itself, creating symmetry.
4Ada Is The New Van Rhijn Family Matriarch
The final moments ofThe Gilded Ageseason 2 changed everything for the van Rhijn-Brook family, and season 3 is going to see that play out in a big way. After Oscar lost most of the family’s money, Agnes worried that the family would have to sell everything and move, butthey were spared at the last minute by the money that Forte left for Ada. The family happily let their staff know that they would not be fired, but shockingly, Bannister addressed Ada rather than Agnes for the first time, creating a rift.
Agnes now needs Ada for her own survival and the continuation of her wealthy way of life, but that does not mean that she will give up power willingly.
Now that Agnes has no money of her own and Ada is in charge of the family’s finances,it is a complete reversal of the dynamic that audiences saw in the first two seasons. The pair also have very different personalities, with Ada being much more open to change, so that will likely cause issues with Agnes as well concerning Marian’s future and the family’s involvement with the Russells. Agnes now needs Ada for her own survival and the continuation of her wealthy way of life, but that does not mean that she will give up power willingly.
While Ada and Agnes' new dynamic is one great example of the power shift that audiences can expect fromThe Gilded Ageseason 3, it is by far the only one.Itis indicative of the larger turn toward the importance of new money. Agnes prides herself on belonging to an old-money family and maintaining power through that status, but Bertha Russell winning the opera war in season 2’s ending proved that new money will be a force to be reckoned with in season 3.
3Peggy Wants Women To Vote In The Gilded Age Season 3
Peggy Is Forward-Thinking As Always, But Not Everyone Agrees
Compared to the majority ofThe Gilded Age’s main characters, who are all too happy to trifle over matters only relevant to their closed social group, Peggy has consistently been leading the charge in creating real change.The Gilded Age’s white characters show fairly little interest in politics, but the show’s Black characters are far more involved. From Peggy covering the dormitory opening in Tuskegee or preventing the Education Board from closing schools,she has been the show’s main activist, and she has a new cause in season 3.
The trailer forThe Gilded Ageseason 3 shows Peggy venturing into several new and exciting plot developments. While speaking with several other characters, Peggy expresses that she does still desire a husband and family, but she believes thatshe should have those things while also being able to vote. Those around her clearly have another opinion, but I am excited to see Peggy’s work on that front. In addition to joining the suffrage movement, the trailer also teases a new romantic interest for the main character.
2Gladys & Larry Russell Have New Love Interests
Bertha Is, As Always, Plotting
The Gilded Ageseason 2’s finale saw several big moments in the love lives of the Russell children. Larry Russell invited Marian to attend the opera with his family, which she accepted. After a successful night out, Larry and Marian shared a passionate kiss in front of her aunt’s house, setting up a romance for the two of them in season 3. Marian has had several other love interests throughout season 1 and 2, butLarry is an exciting change as the pair have had chemistry since the first time they met.
The Gilded Ageseason 3 will premiere on June 22, with new episodes set to air each week until June 21, 2025.
In contrast to Marian and Larry’s growing relationship in season 3,The Gilded Ageputs Gladys in a far less favorable position. The younger Russell sibling has wanted to enter society since season 1, but her mother has forbidden it. However, following her deal with the Duke of Buckingham, Gladys looks set to have an arranged courtship. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how Gladys and the Duke fare, butgiving her a relationship that her mother approves of is already a big change for the character.
1The Gilded Age Season 3 Is About Divorce
The Trailer Has Already Teased Some Marriage Strife
HBO executive Francesca Orsi teased in February thatThe Gilded Ageseason 3 would center on divorce. In the interview withDeadline, Orsi stated: “I think there’s a conversation to be had about arranged marriages, and if it doesn’t necessarily work, what divorce looks like in that time.” While Orsi did not specify exactly whom she was referring to, there are a few clear options that it could be.
While George and Bertha Russell have always been a very stable team, Gladys and the Duke’s courtship may create trouble.
Bertha went to extreme lengths to win the opera war in season 2, eventually promising her daughter Gladys to the Duke of Buckingham if he attended the Met Opera with her. While her father, George, had previously assured Gladys that she would be able to marry for love, Bertha quickly went behind her husband’s back to set Gladys up with the Duke. This action could spell trouble on multiple fronts, asthe trailer shows both Gladys and Bertha facing potential strife. While George and Bertha Russell have always been a very stable team, Gladys and the Duke’s courtship may create trouble.
Beyond the trailer hinting that Bertha may come to regret offering Gladys’s hand in marriage to the Duke, Orsi’s comments seem to affirm that the divorce could be referring to Gladys herself. After finally being allowed to come out into society, Gladys may immediately be forced into a marriage with the Duke, whom she barely knows. Her unhappiness with the marriage may allowThe Gilded Ageto explore divorce and desire in a rigid social period in a very interesting way.
The Gilded Age
Cast
The Gilded Age, set in 1882 during a time of economic prosperity, follows Marian Brook, an orphaned Southern general’s daughter, as she moves to New York City. She navigates society’s complexities with her aunts and Peggy Scott, an African-American masquerading as her maid, amidst the city’s opulent elite.
