‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Review: Marriage, Money and Clocks Keep the High Society Drama Ticking [B+]
The great hat extravaganza of 2025 is coming — that is, The Gilded Age is returning. It’s been close to two years since we’ve seen the cattiness of New York high society and the tallest hair on tv, and now it’s returning to HBO Max with some of the greatest headwear that’s ever been seen on the small screen. The costume budget alone for the season must be massive enough that whenever Carrie Coon arrives on set, the most outlandish hat anyone has ever seen is immediately placed upon her head to thrust her into character as Bertha Russell. The series feels more confident than ever in its character work that almost fully drives it at this point; this isn’t to say the show lacks in plot, only that it pushes forward faster in its dissection of relationships and the minutiae that propels everyday life.
Though last season could be easily summed up in its opera wars, the third outing of the HBO Max drama is slightly more difficult to neatly define. The Gilded Age has always closely investigated the relationships of the upper society of old New York, but this season is laser-focused on the characters audiences have grown to love. George Russell (Morgan Spector) is moving forward with railroad construction that’s keeping him away from home, where Bertha is siphoning the life from her daughter, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), by forcing herself upon every decision she attempts to make. Her controlling nature over her daughter has begun to take its toll on the relationship between the two, Gladys detaching herself from everything her mother wants for her. Ada (Cynthia Nixon) and Agnes (Christine Baranski) have reversed roles financially, thanks to a fraudulent investment made by Oscar (Blake Ritson) that left Agnes without the comforts of the money she used to have. Baranski consistently gives the funniest line readings the show has to offer, the dryness evaporating the joy from those around her, one of the best of the entire series being a quick response after someone asks the sisters if they can contain their excitement: “hardly,” she sternly responds. However, in a pretty predictable twist, Ada’s late husband left her a fortune that allows them the same lifestyle, but with newfound resentment from Agnes about her sister now controlling the house financially.
Peggy (Denée Benton) begins seeing someone new, a recurring event throughout the season: new relationships. She begins the season with a cold that finds her experiencing medical racism that sees Agnes reconciling with the fact that racism exists during a conversation with Peggy’s parents, Dorothy (Audra McDonald) and Arthur (John Douglas Thomas). The series sees novel beginnings for some characters’ relationships while others begin to crumble. The small matters of everyday life in New York are enough to see even the sturdiest foundations fall apart. Jack (Ben Ahlers) begins his involvement in the business world after his clock invention positions him as someone who might be able to move up in the world from his current role as a footman. He’s in this season more than any season prior, giving him much to do in the eight new episodes. The Gilded Age makes use of his ascension to contrast against the work he’s done the entire show, showcasing his bewilderment at even the smallest business acumen. The show has become acute in its depiction of the lower class juxtaposed with the upper echelon of society, but becomes more incisive in its third season as it follows Jack. Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) see themselves moving forward and cause more stress to Bertha, who is catching trouble at every turn this season. She’s found so much success in society at the cost of her relationships with those closest to her, and this season sees it catching up with her.
The Gilded Age has built the foundation of its characters to freely play with their narratives now that the series is in its third season. Series creator Julian Fellowes (also known for Downton Abbey) knows the people that live inside its world and now have the relationships built to allow their stories to move a bit quicker than the previous two outings. This isn’t to say that The Gilded Age is now a fast-paced thriller, but the show does feel paced a little better. It finds success in its dissection of smaller moments between the characters, Ada being a standout in this regard, as the third outing has a specific understanding of her pain after losing her husband, the loneliness that consumes her. More than once, a throwaway line from her — one being a simple “I’m so lonely” — in the moment packs a gut punch from Nixon’s delicate delivery. Aurora Fane (Kelli O’Hara) is dealing with infidelity from her husband, who’s now leaving her publicly for another woman. O’Hara is heartbreaking to witness across the season. Each time Aurora is around anyone, especially the gossipy Mrs. Mamie Fish (Ashley Atkinson), she struggles to keep herself composed in the face of her new life. She rejects the divorce her husband has thrust upon her, but knows she can’t hold it off forever.
Merritt Weaver joins the show as Monica O’Brien, the estranged sister of Bertha who shows up for a wedding to Bertha’s chagrin. The two represent the opposite ends of society and means, Monica scoffing at the idea of changing her clothes as many times per day as her sister. She doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of the characters, which makes her judgment on the inner workings of these relationships all the juicier. She has a clear view of the goings on around her without the fuss of worrying so deeply about money. Weaver is reliably the best part of any scene she’s in and this is no exception. She diffuses the intensity brought by Carrie Coon in any scene they share, though Bertha is only fueled further by it. Coon is a reliable force of nature, leading the show in confidence and turning smaller line readings into daggers launched at other characters. The Gilded Age has almost no peers across current television when it comes to the performances given on the show, every actor turning in excellent work that provides a complete immersion into the world. Its top-notch cast can rival any other ensemble, especially with cast members like Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski.
The third season of an already great show finds itself moving towards a more incisive venture into the movements of upper New York society while capturing the heartbreak of relationships. All relationships have a beginning, but only some have an end, which is what The Gilded Age understands so well. The motivations behind actions in people we’re closely connected to are complicated and messy — more than Mrs. Fish — while also being heartbreaking and life-altering, especially when love is at stake. It’s the best season yet of The Gilded Age and positions the series for a continued run – with characters that have cemented themselves as some of the most driven in contemporary television. Three seasons in and it’s more fun than a sporting event, even in the smallest moments. Relationships fall apart, but legacy is eternal.
Grade: B+
Season three of The Gilded Age begins streaming June 22 on HBO Max.
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