The third season of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” concluded on August 10, 2025, with a finale that delivered both heartwarming resolutions and a stunning cliffhanger that threatens the show’s central power couple. While many of Manhattan’s elite found happiness and new beginnings, Bertha Russell’s greatest societal triumph was immediately undercut by a devastating personal crisis, setting a dramatic stage for the already-confirmed fourth season.
The episode, titled “My Mind Is Made Up,” picked up in the immediate aftermath of the attempt on George Russell’s (Morgan Spector) life. Thanks to the swift intervention of Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), the formidable robber baron survived the gunshot wound. However, his brush with death prompted a profound re-evaluation of his life. In the finale’s closing moments, George delivered a shocking blow to his wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon). Despite her recent victories—including orchestrating a successful ball that saw society queen Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) accept the inclusion of divorced women—George confessed he was no longer sure of his love for her or their marriage. He cited her ruthlessness, particularly in forcing their daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) into a marriage for status, as a primary reason for his disillusionment. “I’m ruthless in business, not with the people I love,” he told her before leaving for New York, leaving their future uncertain.
The painful irony for Bertha is that her controversial plan for her daughter appears to have worked. Just as George’s carriage departed, Gladys arrived to joyfully announce that she has grown to love her husband, the Duke, and is now pregnant with their first child. Bertha achieved her goal of securing a royal bloodline, but as noted by critics, she may have lost the one thing that truly mattered to her in the process.
While the Russell marriage hangs in the balance, love blossomed elsewhere. After a season of turmoil, journalist Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) received the happy ending she deserved. Following interference from his status-obsessed mother (Phylicia Rashad), Dr. Kirkland made a grand romantic gesture, proposing to Peggy on one knee in the middle of a grand Newport ball. As reported by TVLine, the moment was a highlight for the cast and crew, bringing a much-deserved fairytale moment to her storyline.
Romance was also rekindled for Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson). The pair reconciled after a misunderstanding led Marian to call off their engagement, and they ended the season sharing a dance and a hopeful future. In another strategic pairing, the grieving Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) proposed a marriage of convenience to the newly widowed and wealthy Mrs. Winterton (Kelley Curran), a move sure to cause a stir in society.
Other storylines also found satisfying conclusions. Across the street from the Russells, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), buoyed by an invitation to become vice president of the New York Heritage Society, finally ceded control of the household to her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) in a touching moment of sisterly respect. Meanwhile, former footman Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers), now a wealthy inventor after selling his alarm clock patent for a reported $600,000, appears to be finding his footing, though his newfound wealth has left him lonely.
With HBO having renewed the series for a fourth season ahead of the finale, fans are left with plenty to anticipate. Series creator Julian Fellowes told TheWrap that George’s crisis is a reflection of a historical trend where robber barons began to reconsider their legacies. The central question for Season 4 will be whether the Russells can repair their fractured union, or if Bertha, who championed the cause of divorced women, will become one herself.
