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Gilded Age fans are disturbed by the emotional fallout of Season 3, with Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector weighing an opinion about the explosion between their characters. In an interview with Decider, the two actors unpacked in tragic terms the reasons for George Russell’s abandoning Bertha Russell, and the Internet had THOUGHTS.
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Rewind: Season 3 ended with railroad tycoon George Russell (Spector) walking out on his wife Bertha (Coon) after their daughter Gladys’ wedding to the Duke. The move shocked viewers who had spent three seasons shipping “Train Daddy” and “Opera Mommy” as TV’s Greatest Power Couple. “It really isn’t George being angry. It’s a guilt thing,” said Spector. “He made her a promise. He did not live up to his word.” “He promised Gladys that she would not be forced into an arranged marriage. He can’t forgive himself and he can’t yet forgive Bertha.”
Coon offered an alternative view from George: “I’m ruthless in business, not with the people I love… And I am ruthless for the people I love. Can you not see that?” The emotional complexity of the scene, in which George basically tells Bertha he doesn’t know how to be with her right now, has sparked endless fan speculation: is this just a temporary rift or the beginning of the end?
Instagram erupted with comments and reactions. One said, “MOM AND DAD ARE FIGHTING NOOOO,” capturing the chaos of the moment; another joked, “Choo choo daddy needs some space, that’s all.” Those nicknames probably do deserve an award. Railroad Daddy and Queen of Society Bertha, this fandom is on point.
And some are just not Team George: “Naw he blowing this way out of proportion acting all sassy,” declared one viewer, with a follow-up response: “He now my least favorite character.” Ouch. Meanwhile, hopeful romantics cling to the possibility of reconciliation: “They need to reconcile for us to continue watching” and “MOM & DAD better not divorce 😢 they’re the most iconic couple on this show!!”
One of the historically inclined dropped a slipipng clue: If the Russells followed the trajectory of the Vanderbilts in real life, then actual divorce might be in store for them. Well, let’s be honest: based on what we’ve seen in this fight scene so far, with Bertha holding her own in that stunning emerald gown, we better look towards a dramatic reconciliation—probably with at least one carriage confrontation and a possible encore of yet another ballroom brawl.
He was quite cryptic about George’s exit not really meaning what it seemed. “It’s more like, I don’t know how to be in this relationship right now and I’ve got to go be somewhere else,” said Spector. So basically, he’s camped out sulking in his gentleman’s club until he remembers that, really, no one serves oysters quite like Bertha.
Gladys’ happiness with the Duke is a split decision among the fans who either saw it being a healing force for the rift between Bertha and George or considered it a red herring by sidelining George’s most glaring hypocritical acts-again, this is the guy who somehow managed to arrange a fake train crash just to win a business deal. Priorities, mate!
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The cast insights describe the irresistible nature of The Gilded Age: these are not simply rich people in fancy hats-They’re messy, flawed, and in some way painfully human, which could get downright annoying. And, whether you are #TeamBertha or you think George really deserves his era of brooding, one thing’s for sure: HBO better go ahead and renew this before the fandom acts on its own. Those pitchforks-from the period-would crouch her neck in indication.