The Gilded Age Season 4: High Society on the Brink of Collapse

Season 3 of The Gilded Age left viewers reeling with its most compelling installment yet—packed with grandeur, heartbreak, betrayal, and ambition. Now, as whispers of Season 4 circulate, fans are already bracing themselves for a powder keg of drama that threatens to explode across both the marble halls of New York high society and the quieter, candle-lit drawing rooms of English aristocracy. At the very heart of this coming storm is the unraveling marriage between George and Bertha Russell. The shocking finale saw George awakening—literally and emotionally—after surviving an attempt on his life, only to face the stark reality of his wife’s ruthless social climbing. Inspired by real-life figures like Alva Belmont and William K. Vanderbilt, Bertha and George’s potential divorce in Season 4 could turn the entire social order upside down. Bertha’s ambition has always burned brighter than anyone else’s, but using their daughter as a pawn in her games was a step too far. If George indeed walks away, and possibly finds solace in Arizona while overseeing a major railway project, viewers could witness a dramatic parallel to historical scandals, including infidelity, isolation, and the fall from grace of one of society’s most prominent power couples.

But the drama doesn’t end there. Rising from the shadows of Bertha’s spotlight is an unlikely alliance between Oscar van Rhijn and Mrs. Winterton. This twist was teased in the season finale and could dominate the narrative moving forward. Their impending marriage—convenient and strategic more than romantic—signals a seismic shift in the power structure of New York society. Oscar, long dismissed to the fringes of storytelling, might finally take center stage, using his old-money connections and Mrs. Winterton’s immense wealth to stake a new claim to dominance. Their bond, forged not from love but survival and ambition, could make them one of the most formidable and dangerous pairs in the Gilded Age world. Bertha, once the undisputed queen of societal maneuvering, may find herself outplayed at her own game. This power shift might force her to confront the very people she dismissed, setting up tense social battles, shifting allegiances, and perhaps even exposing her darkest secrets. The battlefield will be the ballroom, and the weapons—secrets, scandal, and status—will leave no one unscathed.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a quieter yet no less compelling drama unfolds with Gladys Russell and her new husband, the Duke of Buckingham. Gladys, now pregnant, seems poised for a fairy tale life, but reality is rarely so kind in this world. Her storyline is likely to mirror the real-life marriage of Consuelo Vanderbilt, which was marked by misery, infidelity, and control. If Season 4 splits its setting between New York and England, viewers may witness the unraveling of this so-called perfect match. The couple’s union, once orchestrated by Bertha to elevate the family’s standing, could instead become a symbol of its decline. A growing rift between Gladys and the Duke could emerge, especially as she grapples with her own loyalties—to her mother, to her unborn child, and to a life she may no longer want. Her desire to return to New York could lead to emotional confrontations and perhaps even defiance of Bertha’s legacy. In the rigid structures of English nobility, her rebellion could come at a great cost—but one she may be willing to pay.

Back in New York, romance takes a more hopeful turn with Peggy Scott and Dr. Kirkland. After seasons of racial tension, cultural pushback, and personal hesitation, the doctor finally stood up to his controlling mother and proposed. Their engagement offers a rare glimmer of joy and emotional fulfillment, but it’s The Gilded Age—tragedy is always just a heartbeat away. The show rarely lets its characters coast on happiness for too long, and Peggy’s story may take a heartbreaking turn. Foreshadowing suggests that a death—perhaps her father’s—could rock her foundation just as she begins planning her future. As she navigates the harsh criticisms and manipulation of her future mother-in-law, Peggy will need to assert her identity not only as a journalist and a Black woman but as a wife-to-be unwilling to bend to the suffocating pressures of “proper” society. Her wedding, if it happens, will be more than a celebration; it will be a declaration of resilience, progress, and a new chapter in the Gilded Age narrative that has long been dominated by wealth and whiteness.

Finally, there is the long-awaited conclusion to the will-they-won’t-they between Larry Russell and Marian Brook. What once promised to be a sweeping romance has become a storyline dragging under its own weight. Viewers who were once invested in their every glance may now simply wish for closure. Whether or not they truly love each other seems secondary to the political and social advantages their union offers. Bertha, in desperate need of distraction from her crumbling marriage, could use their wedding as a high-profile event to reestablish her status, drawing eyes away from George’s absence and placing herself once more at the center of attention. If this becomes the spectacle of the season, it could be a feast of fashion, rivalry, and performative joy—but beneath the surface, cracks may already be forming. In a world where everything is a performance and everyone wears a mask, The Gilded Age Season 4 looks set to explore what happens when those masks finally slip. With betrayal looming, old alliances crumbling, and new power players rising, the next chapter promises to be a breathtaking descent into the glittering chaos of ambition and heartbreak.