After three seasons, The Gilded Age, which you can watch with an HBO Max subscription, is really rolling, both in terms of popularity and in terms of storytelling. The show was renewed in July for a fourth season, and it promptly set a record for viewers, with The Gilded Age bringing in its highest ratings ever for the season finale.
The Season 3 finale, which aired at the beginning of August, also left us with a lot of unanswered questions that have fans like me already waiting with bated breath for Season 4. It’s certainly going to be a little while before we get to that, so here’s what we know so far, and a few guesses as to what we can expect when the show does finally return
What Is The Season 4 Release Date
Of course, this is the biggest question, but unfortunately, it’s too early to know. The Gilded Age Season 4 release date hasn’t been announced yet.
Season 3 of The Gilded Age aired its finale on August 10th as part of the 2025 TV schedule, so obviously, it will be a bit of a wait for all of us. Going on previous gaps between seasons, I can make a decent guess that sometime around March 2027 is when Season 4 will air. That’s about 19 months after the end of Season 3, which aired 19 months after Season 2. And Season 2 came about 20 months after Season 1.
I will qualify that a little. The show had remarkable success in Season 3 in terms of ratings, with each of the final three episodes setting new viewership records each week. HBO may consider striking while the iron is hot and pushing for a shorter timeline. That depends on a lot of factors, of course, like the ensemble cast’s availability, and how quickly the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes (whose other show, Downton Abbey, is wrapping up with a final movie this fall), will conceive and pen the season.
Who Will Be In The Cast?
As of yet, we don’t have any definitive cast news, but it’s hard to imagine the show dropping any of its characters unless an actor drops for some reason. Here’s who I would expect will certainly be back in The Gilded Age cast.
Carrie Coon (Bertha Russell)
As the de facto lead character in a show with a truly ensemble cast, Carrie Coon will almost certainly be back to play Bertha Russell, the ambitious wife of a robber baron determined to rule New York Society in the 1880s and ‘90s. Coon is nominated for an Emmy in 2025 for her work in Season 2, and I’d be surprised if she isn’t nominated again next year for this most recent season. She’s remarkable on the show.
Morgan Spector (George Russell)
Morgan Spector plays George Russell, Bertha’s husband, a ruthless robber baron and powerful member of the business community. George isn’t afraid to risk everything to dominate commerce and destroy his business rivals. Season 3 ended with George and Bertha separated, with George no longer living in the lavish mansion on 61st Street, but at his club instead.
Louisa Jacobson (Marion Brook)
Marion Brook, played by Louisa Jacobson, ended Season 3 with her engagement to the Russells’ son, Larry, and that relationship is sure to play a large role in the upcoming season of The Gilded Age.
Taissa Farmiga (Gladys, Duchess of Buckingham)
Season 3 was a huge turning point for the Russells’ daughter, Gladys, who became what was known as a “Dollar Princess,” an American heiress who is married off to a member of the British Aristocracy. Gladys married the Duke of Buckingham towards the end of the season and is now living on his estate in the U.K.
Harry Richardson (Larry Russell)
Larry’s engagement to Marion at the end of Season 3 ensures that Harry Richardson will almost certainly play a large part in the next season of the show. He also seems poised to follow in his footsteps, running Russell Consolidated Trust.
Denée Benton (Peggy Scott)
Denée Benton has had quite a few ups and downs in her life, and at the end of Season 3, things were definitely looking up, as she is engaged to Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica). As she’s been one of the main characters since the beginning, we’ll certainly be keeping up with the next phase of her life.
Cynthia Nixon (Ada Forte)
Ada Forte, or Aunt Ada, played by HBO veteran Cynthia Nixon, had a fascinating story arc in Season 3, after becoming the head of the household that had been dominated for so long by her widowed sister.
Christine Baranski (Agnes Van Rhijn)
Christine Baranski’s Agnes Van Rhijn is a bit like the Maggie Smith character, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey. She’s got a sharp tongue and plenty of quips about how terrible change is in the strict world of the Victorian/Gilded Age.
The Various Downstairs Characters
The staffs in the Russell and Forte houses has always been an important part of the story, and as such, actors like Simon Jones (Bannister), Jack Gilpin (Church), Ben Ahlers (whose character, Jack, now finds himself with his own house after getting rich), Douglas Sills (Monsieur Baudin/Mr. Bordan), and many more will all hopefully be back.
New York Society
Of course, the heart of the show is the ruthless drive to sit atop all of New York Society, and as such, various members of that American monied aristocracy are certainly going to return, like Donna Murphy as Mrs. Astor, Ashlie Atkinson as Mrs. Fish, Kelli O’Hara as Mrs. Fane, and Blake Ritson as Oscar Van Rhjin. One character that might not return (though I’d hate to see him go) is Ward McAllister, played by Nathan Lane. McAllister ended the season in disgrace and was shunned by all society. This happened to the real McAllister in 1890, and he never recovered.
What I Hope To See In Season 4 Of The Gilded Age
Season 3 left us with a number of cliffhangers and questions. Gladys is pregnant, Bertha and George are estranged, despite George’s recovery from the shooting, Larry and Marion are engaged, and the balance of power in New York society is on the verge of shifting from Mrs. Astor to Bertha. Jack has come into a tremendous amount of money, alongside Larry, after selling his alarm clock patent. Peggy and Dr. Kirkland are engaged, which will certainly anger the doctor’s snobby mother (Phylicia Rashad).
So many questions and, sadly, likely a long time will pass before we see where each story goes, but I’ll be sure to update this story whenever we have new news to report! In the meantime, I can’t wait to see the final Downton Abbey installment as part of the 2025 movie schedule.
