The Gilded Age’s Strongest Marriage Already Has A Season 4 Replacement

HBO’s The Gilded Age season 3 had an even heavier focus on marriage and relationships than the past two seasons, and one of the show’s biggest couples already has a replacement in season 4. Everyone from Peggy Scott to Marian Brook and Larry Russell had romantic troubles in The Gilded Age season 3, but the show’s main couple arguably fared worst.

Bertha and George Russell’s marriage completely broke down in The Gilded Age season 3, despite their history as a strong, supportive couple. This culminated in George choosing to leave Bertha in The Gilded Age season 3’s finale, which etched out a hard path to reconciliation while setting up a strong replacement couple for the Russells.

Gladys & The Duke Of Buckingham Already Replace George & Bertha Russell As The Gilded Age Season 4’s Strongest Marriage

Image by Yeider Chacon

The Gilded Age season 3 closed out by establishing Gladys, Duchess of Buckingham, and Hector, Duke of Buckingham, to replace George and Bertha Russell as series’ strongest marriage in season 4. The Buckinghams have became a happy couple despite Gladys’ arranged marriage to Hector.

Since The Gilded Age season 1, George and Bertha have exemplified a strong partnership forged in trust. They truly loved and supported each other through every big moment. Sadly, their disagreement over Gladys’ future has fractured the Russells’ union, though ironically, Gladys’ marriage is now great.

In the Duke, Gladys, Duchess of Buckingham, has found a trustworthy partner who increasingly seems to see her as a worthy equal, especially after she proved herself in matters relating to Sidmouth Castle. What’s more, their bond is only going to get stronger in The Gilded Age season 4 thanks to Gladys’ reveal in the season 3 finale.

The Duchess is four months pregnant at the end of season 3. The Gilded Age season 4 will likely pick up with the Duke and Duchess managing the challenges of being new parents. This will test their partnership in a completely new way, but given how happy they are in season 3’s finale, the Buckinghams should continue to be a loving, supportive family.

The Gilded Age Season 4 Has Another Replacement For George & Bertha

Barbara Nitke / ©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

While the Duke and Duchess will replace George and Bertha Russell as the most loving couple in The Gilded Age season 4, a completely different kind of replacement has also emerged. George and Bertha are two of The Gilded Age‘s most ruthless characters, as they themselves pointed out, but they could be matched by a new marriage-to-be.

The Gilded Age season 3’s finale set up a lavender marriage between Oscar Van Rhijn and Enid Winterton, with Mr. Van Rhijn proposing that they would be able to maintain their separate lives outside the city. Given how ambitious Oscar and Enid both are, they can replace George and Bertha in that respect.

Oscar and Enid don’t love each other in the same way that George and Bertha used to, but they will be supportive of each other in getting what they want. Their past scheming in The Gilded Age season 1 means that they know each other well and will definitely be willing to ruthlessly climb the social ladder together season 4.