The Gilded Age Season 4: Twists, Romance, and a Possible Downton Abbey Crossover That Could Change Everything

HBO’s The Gilded Age has never looked brighter. After wrapping its most successful season yet, the period drama is already greenlit for a fourth installment, and fans are brimming with anticipation. The announcement for Season 4 came even before the Season 3 finale aired—a bold move and a major vote of confidence from HBO. The network praised the show’s growing audience, its opulent production, and the addictive storylines that transport viewers to 1880s New York. Though its release schedule hasn’t been exactly clockwork, the show has still moved faster than most prestige dramas: Season 1 in early 2022, Season 2 in late 2023, and Season 3 debuting mid-2025. If that rhythm continues, we can expect Season 4 to arrive by the end of 2026, and judging by early whispers, it may be the most explosive chapter yet.

Perhaps the most tantalizing rumor swirling around Season 4 is a potential crossover with Downton Abbey. Both shows share creator Julian Fellowes and explore the world of elite families navigating the complexities of class, status, and ambition—just on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Set a few decades apart, a crossover would require careful handling, but Glady’s history of living in the UK offers a perfect inroad. Fans are already imagining Bertha Russell brushing shoulders with the Crawleys or Violet Grantham unleashing her signature barbs in New York’s drawing rooms. The crossover could open the door to revisiting beloved Downton characters who were still alive during The Gilded Age timeline—even those whose fates were sealed tragically in the original series. It’s the kind of television event that could elevate both franchises and give audiences a historical drama multiverse they didn’t know they needed. Though not confirmed, the mere idea has ignited online speculation and fan-made theories, adding a layer of excitement that HBO would be foolish to ignore.

Back in New York, the relationships we’ve followed from the start are about to face their biggest tests yet. Marian and Larry’s long-brewing romance finally solidified by the end of Season 3, and all signs point to them becoming the show’s central power couple in Season 4. Rumors suggest their wedding will be a season-long arc culminating in the finale, setting the stage for a storm of wedding planning drama—guest list battles, social expectations, and the ever-looming interference of family legacy. Yet while young love blossoms, the cracks in Bertha and George Russell’s marriage threaten to shatter everything they’ve built. In a heart-wrenching scene that stunned viewers, George confronted Bertha about her relentless hunger for social dominance, accusing her of using their daughter’s marriage to climb higher in society. His question—whether love still exists between them—was a gut punch, especially as it came after surviving a shocking assassination attempt. That incident, still unresolved, has left George emotionally frayed and financially vulnerable after overextending his railroad empire. His survival owed everything to the timely intervention of Dr. William Kirkland, who emerged this season not just as a savior, but as a character in his own right.

Dr. Kirkland’s storyline intertwined beautifully with Peggy’s, culminating in a public proposal that offered one of the few moments of unfiltered joy in an otherwise turbulent season. Their love story has become a cornerstone of the show’s emotional narrative, but Season 4 promises challenges ahead. William’s mother is set to stir trouble, objecting to the match and attempting to tear them apart with social and racial prejudice—issues the show has never shied away from tackling. Actor Jordan Donica hinted in a recent interview that while the proposal was a peak moment, the fallout will test the strength of their relationship in profound ways. This looming interference mirrors the wider theme of Season 4: love caught in the crosshairs of power, ambition, and tradition. For Peggy, who has already endured more than most, the upcoming season may be her most defining yet. And while she’ll fight for her future, so too will Bertha, who, despite her triumphs in society, may have to relinquish the very ambitions that brought her this far in order to salvage what’s left of her marriage.

The wild card in all this is none other than Oscar Van Rhijn. In a twist that baffled even the most loyal fans, Oscar aligned himself with the enigmatic Mrs. Winterton—a former maid turned high-society climber whose methods are as ruthless as they are effective. This unlikely alliance has set off alarm bells, especially given Mrs. Winterton’s rumored intentions to seduce George Russell himself. Should she succeed, it would position her as a direct rival to Bertha, igniting a war of wills between two formidable women. The idea of Oscar trusting someone like her seems dangerously naïve, especially with so much at stake. Meanwhile, Bertha’s journey promises to be one of painful introspection and brutal awakening. Actress Carrie Coon has described her character’s arc in Season 4 as a “breaking point,” where every hard-won victory comes at a deeply personal cost. With her empire teetering and her family slipping through her fingers, Bertha must decide if the crown she’s chased is worth the price of her soul. As George grows colder and a mysterious new woman potentially enters his life, Bertha faces her greatest challenge yet—not in society’s ballrooms, but within the walls of her own home.

With wedding bells, betrayals, possible murders, and maybe even British aristocrats crossing the ocean, The Gilded Age Season 4 is shaping up to be the most thrilling chapter yet. Every character stands at a crossroads: Marian and Larry at the beginning of something new, George and Bertha on the verge of collapse, Peggy and William fighting for love in a world determined to tear them apart, and Oscar playing with fire in the company of a dangerous ally. As secrets unravel and old wounds reopen, the opulence of New York’s elite will once again serve as the glittering backdrop to some of the most emotionally charged drama on television. If HBO plays its cards right—and gives us that Downton Abbey crossover—the Gilded Age may not just be surviving the streaming era, but redefining what historical drama can be in the modern age.