‘The Gilded Age’ returns for Season3, here’s how to watch
‘The Gilded Age’ returns for Season3, here’s how to watch
George and Bertha’s marriage is cracking, and the old guard isn’t done fighting.
Start polishing your opera glasses – “The Gilded Age,” is back. If you’ve been hooked on the high-society power plays and jaw-dropping ballgowns of “The Gilded Age,” you’re in for another round of drama, ambition, and perfectly timed shade. Created by “Downton Abbey” mastermind Julian Fellowes, the HBO original returns this summer with its third season, and it’s bringing even more twists. From messy marriages and social climbing to secrets that could shake New York’s elite, here’s everything you need to know before the next chapter kicks off on Sunday, June 22.
Everything you need to know about ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3:
How to watch ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3
- When: Sunday, June 22 at 9 p.m. ET
- TV: HBO
- Stream: Max
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
When will episodes of ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 come on Max?
We finally have a premiere date for “The Gilded Age” Season 3 — and it’s locked in for the first weekend of summer. The new season kicks off on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and will stream at the same time on Max. There are eight episodes total this season, airing weekly on Sundays. And if past HBO releases are any indication, episodes will likely drop on Max at 9 p.m. ET sharp — so no need to wait until midnight to start watching.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
What is ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 about?
Season 3 of “The Gilded Age” picks up in the aftermath of Bertha Russell’s opera victory, but the social climb is far from over. With the old guard on its heels, Bertha sets her sights on an even bigger prize — one that could cement her family’s place at the very top of New York society.
But behind the scenes, her marriage to George is unraveling. Still fuming over her promise to marry off Gladys without consulting him, George is gambling everything on a risky railroad deal that could either change the industry or completely wreck their fortune. Meanwhile, over at the Brook household, Ada is adjusting to her new role as the head of the family, while Agnes — stripped of her power and fortune — is not going quietly.
Love and marriage are front and center this season, but not always in the romantic sense. Bertha and George’s relationship is strained, Marian and Larry’s budding connection faces scrutiny, and even Ada is pulled into the chaos as old expectations crash into new realities. Peggy has a new love interest in Dr. William Kirkland, but his upper-crust family isn’t thrilled about her career.
We’re also getting deeper into Bertha’s backstory (and meeting her estranged sister), while the world of the show stretches beyond New York for the first time with scenes set in England. Between the rise of the women’s suffrage movement, changing family dynamics, and cracks in long-held social rules, Season 3 is all about the cost of ambition — and what happens when love, power, and tradition collide.
Who’s been cast in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3?
Season 3 of “The Gilded Age” brings back nearly all the familiar faces, including Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, and Harry Richardson.
But there are plenty of new names joining the party too — especially if you’re a fan of Broadway. This season introduces characters played by Dylan Baker, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cumpsty, Bobby Steggert, and more, along with a few real-life historical figures like JP Morgan (played by Bill Camp) and artist John Singer Sargent (played by Steggert).
We’re also getting new layers of drama thanks to some key additions: Merritt Wever plays Bertha’s estranged sister, while Jordan Donica, Phylicia Rashad, and Brian Stokes Mitchell appear as the Kirkland family — bringing a new love interest (and new tension) into Peggy’s life.
Other newcomers include Andrea Martin as a medium, Hattie Morahan as the Duke of Buckingham’s judgmental sister, and LisaGay Hamilton as suffragist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. With scenes set in England, a deeper dive into Bertha’s backstory, and more romantic and social shakeups across the board, Season 3’s cast is as packed.
What happened at the end of ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 2?
Spoiler Alert. There are spoilers below for Season 2 of ‘The Gilded Age.’
Season 2 of “The Gilded Age” ends with Bertha Russell landing a massive win in New York’s high-society turf war — thanks to a box at the opera. After a season-long battle between the new money Met and the old guard Academy of Music, Bertha outmaneuvers Mrs. Astor by convincing the Duke of Buckingham to appear at the Met’s opening night. Not only does he show up, but he sits beside Bertha and locks eyes with her daughter Gladys, signaling an engagement that’s more political power play than love match.
Meanwhile, across town at the Academy, Mrs. Astor is left looking out over a sea of empty seats. Bertha’s victory isn’t without consequences, though — her husband George is furious she promised their daughter to the duke without consulting him or Gladys. The cracks in their once-solid marriage are starting to show.
Back at the van Rhijn house, the power dynamic flips completely after Agnes loses the family fortune and Ada unexpectedly inherits a sizable sum from her late husband. It’s a huge shift, and it’s clear Ada’s newfound independence won’t sit easily with her sister. Marian breaks off her engagement to Dashiell after realizing he doesn’t respect her desire to keep teaching art, and instead grows closer to Larry Russell.
Peggy ends her relationship with her married boss and leaves her job at the Globe — not as a loss, but as a step toward something better. And after a violent trip to the South covering Booker T. Washington, she comes home changed and more grounded in what she truly wants. Season 2 may have ended with big wins for Bertha and Ada, but there’s plenty of fallout to come.
How can you watch previous seasons of ‘The Gilded Age’?
You can stream both Seasons 1 and 2 of “The Gilded Age” right now on Max. Whether you’re catching up on Bertha Russell’s climb through New York society or revisiting the drama in the van Rhijn household, every episode is available to binge before Season 3 kicks off. A Max subscription starts at $10 per month with ads.
The Gilded Age
It’s 1882 and the Gilded Age is in full swing when Marian Brook moves in with her rigidly conventional aunts in New York City. With the help of Peggy Scott, an African-American woman masquerading as her maid, Marian gets caught up in the dazzling lives of her rich neighbors as she struggles to decide between adhering to the rules or forging her own path.