Carrie Coon as Bertha in a red dress next to Morgan Spector as George in The Gilded Age Season 3. Image via HBO Add Collider on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover By Kendall Myers Published Oct 30, 2026, 11:48 PM EDT Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics. Sign in to your Collider account Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap In the growing list of period dramas, The Gilded Age has earned a top spot. Created by Downton Abbey 's Julian Fellowes , the HBO drama has received critical acclaim, and rightfully so. Now three seasons in, the captivating story highlights the drama of New York's upper class in the 1890s. Known for its drama, The Gilded Age delivers shocking twists every season — and with Season 4 fast approaching, it's time to recap Season 3's most important events .
The Van Rhijn household is rarely quiet, but Season 3 sees a shift . After losing his fortune, Oscar ( Blake Ritson ) moves back into his mother's house, which is only being sustained because of Ada's ( Cynthia Nixon ) unexpected inheritance. As the new head of the household, Ada no longer defers to Agnes (Christine Baranski) , hosting Temperance meetings and controlling the purse strings. Meanwhile, Agnes must come to terms with her fading relevance. Yet, in the end, she receives an invitation to become the Heritage Society's vice president, giving her a new focus for Season 4.
While his mother and aunt clash, Oscar must rebuild his life, but no one is willing to trust a bankrupt banker. However, his lover, John Adams ( Claybourne Elder ), helps Oscar repair his reputation. When Oscar finds Maud Beaton ( Nicole Brydon Bloom ) , the woman who stole from him, he helps her rather than seeking revenge, showing his growth. But Oscar's progress stalls when John is suddenly killed , leaving Oscar to mourn his loss without revealing their true relationship to anyone but Marian ( Louisa Jacobson ). At the end of Season 3, Oscar becomes reacquainted with Mrs. Enid Winterton ( Kelley Curran ), whom he knew as the Russells' maid. Now widowed, she has a fortune and no social connections, while Oscar has the opposite. This is the mutually beneficial marriage Oscar's always wanted, setting up another interesting storyline for The Gilded Age to pick up when it returns.
Jordan Donica and Denee Benton as Dr. Kirkland and Peggy Scott wearing a black suit bended one knee and wearing a pink dress in 'The Gilded Age' Image via Universal Television Agnes and Ada aren't the only ones whose circumstances change. Last season, the van Rhjins' footman, Jack ( Ben Ahlers ), invented a more accurate clock, and Season 3 explores his journey to sell it. Teaming up with Larry Russell ( Harry Richardson ), Jack sells the patent for a fortune , setting him up for life. The Gilded Age has much to explore as Jack quickly starts working on other inventions, though a visit from his former coworker, Bridget ( Taylor Richardson ), to his new house suggests the potential of a blossoming romance.
While Peggy ( Denée Benton ) has quit her job at the newspaper, she has…