“The Gilded Age” executive producer and co-writer Sonja Warfield sat down with Collider to chat about what to expect in Season 3.
Here’s what she revealed — plus everything else we know about “The Gilded Age” Season 3.
Is there going to be a Season 3 for ‘The Gilded Age’?
“The Gilded Age” was quickly renewed for Season 3 after the Season 2 finale.
“We’re so proud of what Julian Fellowes and The Gilded Age family have achieved,” Francesca Orsi, head of HBO drama series and films, told The Hollywood Reporter in December.
“From the costumes to the production design and performances, the show has captivated so many week after week. Along with our partners at Universal Television, we are thrilled to continue this grand tale for a third season,” Orsi added.
Erin Underhill, Universal TV president, told The Hollywood Reporter, “The cast and crew put so much of their heart and soul into the last two seasons, and we’re so proud that all this hard work is paying off with another season. You won’t want to miss what’s next.”
What will happen in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3?
Right after “The Gilded Age” Season 2, Warfield sat down with Collider and revealed what fans can expect from “The Gilded Age” Season 3. Here’s what she shared.
(Spoilers ahead!)
Power dynamics will shift between Agnes and Ada
When we last saw the Van Rhijns, Ada was mourning the death of her very new husband, Luke, while Agnes was furious with her son, Oscar, for losing their family fortune to a fraudulent scheme.
It looked like the Van Rhijns would lose their house — until Ada discovered that her late husband was secretly sitting on a sizable fortune. Thanks to Ada, the Van Rhijns were able to keep their house and their opulent lifestyle.
Warfield told Collider that, while Ada’s marriage to Luke ended in tragedy, the character is “feeling empowered and more independent, growing more independent of Agnes — who’s oppressive — with her romance, and then marriage with Luke.”
She continued, “There’s so much depth and history with siblings, and so there’s a way that siblings fight with each other that they don’t fight with any other human being.”
Now that Ada will be paying the bills and is technically the mistress of the house, “the power dynamics are going to totally change,” according to Warfield.
Bertha’s scheming will put a strain on her marriage with George
After Bertha — and the Met — triumphantly won the Opera War, all was not well in the Russell home.
In order to secure the Duke of Buckingham’s presence at the Met’s opening night, Bertha essentially sold her daughter Gladys to the duke, despite her interest in a young man named Billy Carlton.
This move went against George’s desires for his daughter. He told her at the beginning of “The Gilded Age” Season 2 that he’d like to see her marry for love.
Not only does this development mirror the Vanderbilts’ real-life story — the Russells are heavily based on the Vanderbilt family — it also mirrors Consuelo Vanderbilt’s life: After being engaged to a man named Winthrop Rutherford, she was forced to marry the ninth Duke of Marlborough, as the Deseret News previously reported.
According to Warfield, this revelation — and Bertha’s constant scheming — will likely put strain on the Russells’ marriage.
“She basically told George, ‘Get out of the way and just stay in your lane,’” Warfield told Collider. “So that’s gonna put the marriage under pressure.”
Spector, who plays George, recently told Variety, “I am nervous about it. I don’t know how they put that genie back in the bottle.”
Spector continued, “With real strife ahead, it is going to be difficult in the Russell household.”
Larry and Marian’s romance will continue to develop — and cause tension between the 2 families
After seeing Larry Russell and Marian Brooke’s friendship develop over the first two seasons — and after each character experienced heartbreak — fans of “The Gilded Age” were thrilled to see the two characters kiss at the very end of the Season 2 finale.
Warfield revealed that Julian Fellowes, creator of “The Gilded Age,” originally wasn’t planning on Larry and Marian to kiss at the end of “The Gilded Age” Season 2.
“Yes, he likes to slow burn, and he’s also very true to the period,” Warfield told Collider. After some convincing, Fellowes finally let Warfield write the kiss between Larry and Marian.
She revealed, “Well, eventually he was going to have them kiss, and I asked if they could kiss this season because I don’t know that he necessarily saw it for Season 2.”
According to Warfield, a romance between Larry and Marian could create further tension between the Russells and the Van Rhijns. “That just adds layers of complication for Agnes, for Bertha, for society, all of it.”
After experiencing heartbreak, Peggy will focus on her career
Out of all the characters in “The Gilded Age” Season 2, Peggy experienced the most heartbreak.
After learning her son — who she thought was dead — was actually alive at the end of Season 1, Season 2 opens with Peggy and her family traveling Philadelphia to mourn the sudden death of her son, who had died of scarlet fever while living with his adopted family.
Then, Peggy struck up a romance with T. Thomas Fortune during their time reporting on the Tuskegee Institute. But because Fortune had a wife and newborn baby, Peggy ultimately decided to cut ties with the paper and focus on her novel.
As Warfield told Collider, Peggy’s going to be focusing on her work in Season 3, which will create the perfect opportunity for an unexpected romance. “I think that what could be great for her character is that I don’t think she’s really looking for love,” Warfield said.
Warfield continued, “She’s probably gonna try to be on the straight and narrow and think about her career and all of that, and that’s usually when love finds you. So, it can be sweet and romantic.”
