The Gilded Age season 4 is nowhere near being released yet, but I already feel incredibly sorry for Bertha (Carrie Coon). Granted, she hasn’t been my favorite person during the last three seasons of the hit HBO Max show, nor is she usually the most agreeable.
However, she’s got the weight of the world on her shoulders after the shocking last moments in the season 3 finale.
Let’s rewind for a second. In episode 7, Bertha’s husband George (Morgan Spector) was left on death’s door after being shot by a 19th century hitman disguised as a courier. We learn in episode 8 that he (just about) pulls through, but later uses his brush with death to tell Bertha he doesn’t love her.
Well, at least he’s no longer sure if he does. While he mulls it over, George leaves for New York without so much as an amicable thought between them. Meanwhile, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) has got hitched to the Duke of Buckingham, announcing her pregnancy in the season’s final moments.
In short, this all means Bertha’s living her dream life vicariously through her daughter, sans husband. The Gilded Age season 4 will surely be her redemption arc, but I think there are two other potential foes in her way that we’ve not even considered.
Agnes and Enid could both be coming for Bertha in The Gilded Age season 4
Instead of Bertha peacefully trying to assimilate into the British Royal family, she’s potentially got two other fights on her hands: with longstanding rival Enid (Kelley Curran) and a new potential sparring partner in Agnes (Christine Baranski).
Let’s start with Agnes first. By the time the season 3 finale rolled around, niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) hadn’t officially got their engagement back on track, though both have said they want to do so. This is a nightmare for Agnes because up until now, she’s merely tolerated the new money that the Russell family represent.
If the marriage goes ahead, there’s sure to be arguments galore as the two families try to blend into one. Bertha had Agnes’ approval after winning the season 2 opera war against Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy), but that tolerance can be taken away in an instance.
This is where Enid comes in. Agnes’ son, Oscar (Blake Ritson) has potential nuptials on the cards with Enid, the woman who was fired from being Bertha’s maid by sexually propositioning George. Oops.
Once again, she’s new money, and after Oscar was scammed out of all of the family’s money (that came up again in the season 3 Haymarket double-cross), that’s bad news. Larry and Marian marrying would make Enid essentially a part of the Russell family, so there are more issues to stoke the potential fire of feud.
We’ve currently got no idea if George is coming back for The Gilded Age season 4, but again, this could cause further problems. Bertha would have to welcome Enid back into the family if the nuptials go ahead, and that’s set to open old wounds if George is still kicking around (and worse, if he decides he no longer wants to be with Bertha).
Is any of this what Bertha needs in The Gilded Age season 4? Absolutely not. Are the potential new rivalries going to make new episodes even juicier for us? You can count on it.
All three seasons of The Gilded Age are streaming on HBO Max in the US, NOW TV in the UK and Paramount+ in Australia.