Warning: minor spoilers for The Gilded Age are in play below. If you haven’t caught up via HBO or HBO Max subscription, you’ve been politely advised.
Just when you thought the party was over, the 2025 TV schedule has reunited us with the lavish historical wonders of The Gilded Age Season 3. And with creator/co-writer Julian Fellowes’ drama returning, there are already some pretty big questions in play for the future of New York’s late-1800’s society scene.
By the time the premiere episode, “Who Is in Charge Here?” reached its suspenseful ending, I expected to wait longer than a few minutes to see this installment's conclusion seemingly get resolved. But thanks to the post-ep's "This Season On..." preview highlighting the rest of the new season, I have a massive bone to pick with HBO.
The Gilded Age Season 3 Starts With Two Pretty Huge Cliffhangers
Throughout “Who Is in Charge Here?” Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) goes from feeling slightly under the weather to practically being bedridden. With her life seeming to hang in the balance, the firm but fair Agnes van Rhijin (Christine Baranski) summons physician Dr. Lewis (James Riordan) to tend to her care. But since he “does not take colored patients,” The Gilded Age’s man of medicine refuses to do his duty and departs.
The last event we see in the Season 3 premiere is young Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) running away from home, apparently setting the stage for some pretty huge payoffs. And while the latter is obviously going to be a resonant part of The Gilded Age’s Season 3 path, Peggy’s fate will apparently be resolved quicker than I'd have thought after such an ordeal. Now that we’ve had the steak, it’s time to pick that bone I have with HBO.
Both Episodic Cliffhangers Are Ruined By That “This Season On…” Trailer
Two big questions hung in the air as The Gilded Age’s much anticipated season premiere wrapped: is Peggy going to be alright, and when will Gladys come back from her unknown destination? Well, the exact answers to those questions are now irrelevant, as we’ve basically been shown that the details aren't as important as the broad strokes.
Shown through brief glimpses in the “This Season On…” trailer, Peggy Scott will not only return to health, she’s set to go through a huge amount of tumult. And chances are high that it'll be related to developments in her romantic life.
Meanwhile, Gladys Russell will surely be home before we know it, and contemplating whether or not she’ll give in to mother Bertha (Carrie Coon) and her wishes to see her married to the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb). Any attempt at mystery: thwarted.
Sure, we probably could have predicted such events on the road ahead. But did The Gilded Age really need to tell us up front, taking away almost all of the tension built up in those final moments? Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be tuning in with joy to see what happens next; especially if it gives me new clues towards that potential Downton Abbey crossover fans want to see. But I'll be way more skeptical about seeing what's on the way.
Perhaps it’s best to start checking Catherine the Great, and other TV shows like Downton Abbey off of the project list that the platform provides in its “You May Also Like” section. It seems to be the clearest way to avoid such spoiler-leaning revelations, which admittedly will be more limited in scope throughout the rest of Season 3.
For now, I’ll go back to considering the possibility of writing a formal complaint by hand, with a sealed envelope, to send to the HBO offices. Or, I might just go back and watch The Gilded Age’s Season 3 premiere to start digging deeper into the questions and concerns we fans should be focused on. And not just because I can't find an envelope...
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