‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Star Morgan Spector On How George’s Near-Death Experience Could Shape Season 4

SPOILER ALERT: This piece spoils the Season 3 finale of The Gilded Age.

Thanks to Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), Morgan Spector’s railroad magnate George Russell survived an absolute shocker of a gunshot wound after a delivery man showed up at his work to attempt to kill him.

The penultimate episode cliffhanger brought marriage and relationships into perspective for not only Carrie Coon’s Bertha Russell, but for Louisa Jacobson’s Marian Brook, who rushed to aid the Russell family and be with Larry (Harry Richardson) after their falling out over Larry’s going to a house of ill repute. With the Julian Fellowes-created series getting renewed for a fourth season midway through its rollout, viewers will have to wait and see what is in store for George and Bertha’s relationship, which has also been on the rocks in Season 3.

“I think the story of George’s bounce back from the assassination attempt would be the story, at least for me, of Season 4,” Spector told Deadline. “I would love to see what happens, but yeah, I think there were moments when these guys decided that they were gonna maybe start treating their workers a little better, or maybe start investing more in philanthropy or something like that. I’d be curious to see.”

Although George encourages Bertha to carry on hosting Mrs. Astor’s (Donna Murphy) Newport Ball and even makes an appearance at the event looking healthy as ever, he makes to return home the very next day, much to Bertha’s disappointment. He explains to her that he only did as she wished to help her in her social ambition and to protect his own business. He also hints that he has some reflecting to do upon his daughter’s marriage to The Duke of Buckingham and his complacency in the arrangement of it.

“I think what’s happening for George is a crisis of conflict between his actual life, the choices he makes, and his moral code. I think that’s what’s really at issue,” Spector said. “I think he can’t forgive himself for failing to protect Gladys from this marriage, and I think he has to figure out how to forgive himself and go back to being the man he was, or how to change and become somebody else. And I would love to find out whether we get to see him do that.”

When asked if George’s anger and pushing himself to limits with his railroad goals is due to Bertha putting pressure on him for the lifestyle she wants to live, Spector asserted that the couple’s ambition is equal.

“I don’t think she needs to. I think that’s an unspoken foundation of their connection — that they are going to push as far and as hard as they possibly can in their respective directions,” he said.

Spector’s costar Coon remarked that it would “not be very sexy” for Bertha if George lost his drive. Viewers can anticipate answers to questions surrounding the fate of Bertha and George’s marriage as well as their separate roles in society come Season 4.

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