HBO’s plush, corset-ripping drama is coming back. Honestly, the wait for The Gilded Age Season 3 has felt longer than a carriage ride from 61st Street to Newport, but the wheels are finally turning. Julian Fellowes is back at the helm, which means we’re getting more of that specific brand of "polite" warfare where a snubbed dinner invitation carries the weight of a declared war.
If you’re like me, you probably spent the Season 2 finale shouting at your TV when Bertha Russell basically traded her daughter’s happiness for a box at the Metropolitan Opera House. It was ruthless. It was cold. It was exactly why we watch this show.
When is the Gilded Age Season 3 Release Date?
Let’s talk timing. HBO officially greenlit the third installment in late 2023, and production kicked off in the summer of 2024. If you look at the previous production cycles, there’s usually a massive gap because of the sheer scale of the sets and the costume design. You can’t just throw together a silk gown with eighteen layers of petticoats overnight.
Realistically? We are looking at a premiere in early 2025.
While some fans were hoping for a late 2024 drop, the filming schedule in locations like Troy, New York, and the Newport mansions suggests they need those extra months for post-production. It’s a beast of a show to edit. Every frame has to look like a Sargent painting, or the illusion breaks.
The Cast: Who Is Returning to 61st Street?
You can’t have the show without the central rivalry. Carrie Coon is back as Bertha Russell, and thank goodness for that. She’s the engine of the series. Alongside her, Morgan Spector returns as George Russell—the only man in 1880s New York who seems to actually like his wife.
Across the street, the old guard remains intact. Christine Baranski (Agnes van Rhijn) and Cynthia Nixon (Ada Forte, née Brook) are confirmed. But there’s a massive power shift coming. Last season ended with Ada inheriting a fortune, effectively making her the woman with the purse strings. Watching Agnes have to ask her "silly" sister for grocery money is going to be the comedic highlight of the year.
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We’re also getting new blood. HBO announced that Phylicia Rashad is joining the cast as Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland. This is a huge deal. Her character comes from a prominent Black family in Newport, which expands the show's look at the "Black Elite" or the "Professional Class" of the era, a side of history often ignored by mainstream dramas.
Other new faces include:
- Brian Stokes Mitchell as Frederick Kirkland.
- Jordan Donica as Dr. William Kirkland.
- Victoria Clark as Joan Carlton.
Why the Duke of Buckingham Plot Matters More Than You Think
The biggest cliffhanger involved Gladys Russell and the Duke of Buckingham. Bertha basically promised Gladys to the Duke to secure her social standing. People call this "The Dollar Princess" phenomenon. It was a very real, very cynical thing.
Think about Alva Vanderbilt. She famously forced her daughter, Consuelo, to marry the Duke of Marlborough in 1895. Consuelo reportedly cried the entire way to the altar. In The Gilded Age Season 3, we are going to see this play out with Gladys. She wants a love match; her mother wants a title.
George Russell is the wild card here. He loves his daughter. He’s already shown he’s willing to burn down the New York stock exchange to protect his family. Will he stand up to Bertha? Or is the "Russell Empire" more important than a daughter's heartbreak? It’s the central tension that will likely define the first half of the season.
Historical Accuracy vs. Creative License
The show gets a lot of flak for being "Downton Abbey in New York," but the history is surprisingly solid. Julian Fellowes works closely with historians like Erica Dunbar to ensure the stories of Black New Yorkers in the 19th century aren't just background noise.
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The character of Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) is a bridge to a world most viewers never learned about in school. In Season 3, her journey as a journalist will likely intersect with the real-world tensions of the 1880s, including the rise of the Black press and the fight against Jim Crow laws starting to seep into the North.
Then there’s the money. The 1880s were a period of insane wealth disparity. While we’re looking at Bertha’s new tiara, the show also hints at the labor strikes and the literal blood shed to build the railroads. George Russell isn't just a "girl dad"; he’s a robber baron. Season 3 needs to lean harder into that grit to stay grounded.
What We Need to See in the New Episodes
There are a few things the writers simply cannot ignore if they want to keep the momentum going.
First, the van Rhijn household dynamic has to change. Agnes is a creature of habit. Seeing her navigate a world where she isn't the one in charge is a goldmine for drama.
Second, the "Larian" of it all. Marian Brook and Larry Russell finally kissed. It was about time. They’ve had the slowest burn in television history. But a union between a van Rhijn niece and a Russell son? That’s Romeo and Juliet level stuff for 1880s New York. Agnes will hate it. Bertha will probably hate it too, honestly—she likely wants a Prince for Larry.
Third, the scale. Season 2 gave us the Metropolitan Opera House opening. How do you top that? Rumors suggest we might see more of the "Summer Season" in Newport. If you’ve never seen the "cottages" (which are actually 70-room palaces), you’re in for a treat.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans
While we wait for the premiere, there are a few things you can do to get the full experience.
Read up on the real "Dollar Princesses." If you want to know where Gladys’s story is going, look at the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt. It gives a massive hint at the potential tragedy or triumph ahead.
Visit the filming locations. If you’re on the East Coast, a trip to Troy, NY, is like walking onto the set. The city has preserved its 19th-century architecture so well that the production barely has to change anything.
Watch the "Official Gilded Age Podcast." It’s hosted by Alicia Malone and Tom Meyers. They interview the costume designers and historians who work on the show. It’s the best way to catch the tiny details you missed, like the fact that the color of a dress often signals a character's secret intentions.
The Gilded Age Season 3 isn't just about pretty dresses. It’s about a country reinventing itself, for better or worse. It’s about power, the cost of ambition, and the fact that even a hundred years ago, New York was a place where you could be anyone—as long as you had the bank account to back it up.
Keep an eye on HBO's social channels around late 2024. That’s when the first real teaser trailers usually drop. Until then, we’ll just have to settle for rewatching the Opera War and marveling at Bertha's ability to ruin a person's life with a single smirk.
To stay prepared for the new season, focus on these three things:
- Study the real-life feud between the Astors and the Vanderbilts; it's the blueprint for the show.
- Follow the Newport Mansions (Preservation Society of Newport County) on social media, as they often post behind-the-scenes glimpses when the show films on-site.
- Pay attention to the background characters in the Scott household—their storylines are increasingly becoming the emotional heart of the series.
The era was loud, gaudy, and ruthless. Season 3 looks to be exactly the same.