‘The Gilded Age’s Greatest Slow-Burn Romance Deserves Even More Attention in Season 4

Jack Trotter’s (Ben Ahlers) trajectory from a humble footman to a patent-approved artisan with a staggering amount of money might be a classic case of “the American dream” wish fulfillment, but fans of The Gilded Age have spent the series’ third season heartily rooting for the idealistic, earnest young man to prevail against the odds. After the Season 3 finale, that optimistic enthusiasm extends to Jack’s relationship with Bridget (Taylor Richardson), his former coworker at the van Rhijn house and another fan-favorite character.

Unlike The Gilded Age‘s other couples, Jack and Bridget are the opposite of high drama; their tentative attraction is soft, sweet, and a breath of fresh air. Their gentler saga doesn’t lack for emotional pathos, either; given their grief-filled pasts, both characters deserve the supportive companionship of someone they implicitly trust. With Season 4 on the way, the series’ renewal marks the perfect time to advance their slow-burn love story into new territory. Perhaps most importantly, bringing Jack and Bridget to the forefront gives The Gilded Age‘s fourth season the perfect excuse to return to co-creator Julian Fellowes‘ roots — a balanced narrative that equally prioritizes the glamorous elite and their servants’ internal lives.

‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Finale Proves Jack and Bridget Are an Endgame Couple

Image via HBO Max

Even though their path toward romance took a necessary detour, Jack and Bridget have reciprocated each other’s feelings since the beginning of The Gilded Age. In Season 1, the pair share an evening out on the town, but Bridget’s trauma from her father’s sexual abuse prevents her from pursuing intimate relationships. Bridget’s journey has been one of cautiously learning to trust the rest of the staff and draw comfort from their kindness; in America, she’s finally discovered a loving family. In that light, it’s impossible not to cheer when a smiling, confident Bridget arrives at Jack’s doorstep in Season 3’s finale, Mrs. Bauer’s (Kristine Nielsen) soup in hand, all dressed up for the occasion — even though she previously declared she wouldn’t spend her portion of Jack’s money on a pretty dress. The instant she confirms that Jack’s staff includes young women, she arrives to stake her interest. Bridget is healing from her PTSD at her own pace, upon her own initiation. As long as Season 4 approaches the topic with delicacy, abuse recovery is an important and abandoned thread for the series to resume.

Jack, meanwhile, must feel lonely in his new empty dwelling, surrounded only by ornate furnishings. As Bridget learned in earlier seasons, Jack’s mother died in the Peshtigo fire of 1871 when he was a young child. His father passed away not long after, leaving him an orphan with no connections outside the van Rhijn household’s immediate vicinity. He wants to remain with the downstairs staff because, like Bridget, his fellow servants have become the only family he’s known in his adult life. Jack and Bridget are both empathetic people by default, and their lived experiences help them understand one another in ways others can’t quite manage.

Once Bridget arrives, Jack’s behavior proves his affectionate interest hasn’t waned, despite his brief flirtation with Adelheid (Erin Wilhelmi). He ensures Bridget’s comfort and sense of safety during every beat of their evening — confirming that his honesty isn’t too forward, assuring Bridget she belongs at his dinner table, and performing a gesture as simple yet profound as pulling out her chair. When he initiates conversation, he asks about her day, eager to know everything Bridget cares to share. Jack demonstrates far more maturity, attentiveness, and respectful consideration towards Bridget than even the best of his male peers. They remain equals, Jack’s new fortune be damned. In a few swift minutes, this duo taps into — and savors — a gentle, accepting, and welcoming level of emotional intimacy. Together, they could turn his house’s overwhelming silence into something closer to a home.

‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4 Can Use Jack and Bridget To Explore a Different Perspective

Beyond the multiple ways Jack and Bridget’s slow-burn romance would develop their characters, shifting them into a confirmed love story capitalizes upon Jack’s popularity with viewers and the inherent dramatic possibilities of him gradually integrating into a lavish lifestyle. The Gilded Age has always factored in the downstairs staff, but they haven’t received as much narrative focus compared to Fellowes’ other work (the most obvious example being Downton Abbey). That’s likely due to the time constraints of the series’ eight-episode seasons, not to mention a large component of its success lies in how wildly entertaining it is to watch venomous verbal duels and robber barons with ruthless business acumen.

All that said, the rich’s morally dubious antics aren’t as resonant or relatable as two kind-hearted, selfless, average individuals healing from their respective pasts, carving out a safe space for one another to fall, and sharing a gentle “How was your day?” conversation over dinner. As fantastical as Jack’s arc may seem, it’s still a realistic representation of the advancements for which working-class individuals were striving during this time of stark socioeconomic disparity. There are rich ramifications behind two former servants embracing the opportunities unique to historical America and rising above their social stations. The pair had already entertained the idea of attending glamorous balls, but rocketing into the civil stratosphere wasn’t Jack’s dream nor his drive. He tinkered with his clock because he enjoyed it. Without a job to fill his hours, he could use his flexible time to continue inventing items or pursue more business ventures with Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) — maybe even catch railroad tycoon George’s (Morgan Spector) eye. As for Bridget, if she and Jack marry, she will likely experience the same displacement. With such newfound freedom at her disposal, what profession or cause would she find fulfilling?

Likewise, it’s worth exploring whether this potential new couple receives discriminatory pushback from the old-money crowd; in this respect, Jack and Bridget would cleverly echo George and Bertha’s (Carrie Coon) power-couple rise. Will classism exclude them from certain events, or have new-money families like the Russells smoothed the path? When it comes to the New York social scene, Jack has no idea what he’s doing and no one — except perhaps Larry — to teach him. Jack’s unexpected success provides him with financial stability, but it’s safe to assume the adjustment period will continue feeling like a second skin that doesn’t quite fit.

After ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3, Jack and Bridget Deserve a Happy Ending

As much as The Gilded Age defines itself by its scorched-earth battles over social decorum and opera houses, Season 3 shifts the younger generation out of the shadows and into the limelight. Jack takes the downstairs lead as the accidental self-made entrepreneur, while Gladys Russell’s (Taissa Farmiga) transformation from a naive socialite into a self-sufficient and happily married duchess represents the upper-class side. The working-class characters have yet to gain equal narrative footing, but Season 3 does achieve a more equitable balance that should carry into the fourth installment. The Gilded Age doubles as a fictionalized history lesson, and Jack and Bridget deserve to be the faces of the American dreamers. Let’s get them married so they can step hand-in-hand into a future peppered with hope, self-discovery, increased confidence, and a well-deserved happy ending.