Everyone Is Dying To Know When 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 Will Arrive 👀
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Max's hit series, The Gilded Age, debuted its first season on the streamer in 2022, gaining a loyal following of period-piece-lovers and Louisa Jacobson fans alike. The show is set in, you guessed it, the Gilded Age in New York City, which was a time of rapid economic and social change in the U.S.
The series follows a young woman named Marian Brook who moves in with her old-money aunts in upper Manhattan. Viewers follow along as Marian learns about the do's and don'ts of society's upper crust, and meets a lot of quirky characters along the way. Of course, there's love, mystery, and intrigue, as well as some absolutely fabulous costumes. What's not to love?!
More than a year after the series' debut, the final episode of season 2 dropped on Max on Dec. 17, so naturally, people are already looking ahead to season 3. But will there actually be a third season for The Gilded Age?
Here’s everything to know right now.
Will there be a season 3 of The Gilded Age?
As of right this second, there’s still no word on whether The Gilded Age will return for round three.
When the final episode of season 2 aired on Dec. 17, Max subscribers received an email regarding the show's "Grand Finale," leaving viewers to wonder if the show had ended there, according to The Providence Journal.
Season 2 was announced while season 1 was still airing, the outlet wrote, but that doesn’t mean a season 3 *won’t* happen. It just means that the producers and streamer haven't made any announcements yet. However, ratings for season 2 did drop since the first season's release—but it was still one of Max's most watched shows of the fall, per The Providence Journal. So, really, anything's possible here.
When will season 3 air?
Well, given that season 1 premiered in January 2022 and season 2 dropped in October 2023, it could be a minute before season 3 comes—if it comes. Like, it might not be until summer 2025, according to Digital Spy. However, if the showrunners prefer a fall or winter drop, that means the next season could come in a year from now, the outlet wrote.
What have the showrunners said about a third season?
The creative team—and specifically writer Sonja Warfield—sounded optimistic about another season. "We discovered gems for season two that play into our characters' journeys, and there are so many more things we could play out if we’re lucky enough to get a third season," she told Town & Country in late 2023. "In season one, we had Thomas Edison’s lights, in season two we have the Tuskegee Institute, and we’ll discover what that is in season three."
In fact, it seems like their team is already brainstorming story ideas, according to the outlet. "There are emails flying back and forth when you find a particularly cool story that fits. You just know when that happens," David Crockett, the show's producer, told the outlet, citing the Metropolitan Opera opening occurring on the same night as the Academy. "It was real, and Julian knew the story but not that they opened on the same night, so it came through on an email chain and it was like, wow, we’ve got to do this!"
Additionally, Francesca Orsi, HBO's head of drama, opened up to Deadline about future plans for The Gilded Age in June. But she made it clear that season 3 isn’t a guarantee.
“We’re just assessing various shows, what more we need to be making, what more we can make, what more we have, the return in life of a series,” she said. “Of course, each show has a job to do, given the price tag that we give to it, and there’s a viewership component, and there’s a critical response element to it and of course, the buzz nature of a show. It’s those elements that we are always keeping in mind and discussing relative to whether or not a show will continue.”
She continued, “That factors in for Perry Mason, for Winning Time, for instance, for Gilded Age, so we have to play everything out and see how well they do.”
What do other insiders know about season 3?
Since The Gilded Age films in mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, film insiders in the area were asked what they knew by The Providence Journal. Unfortunately, they don't have any season 3 intel, either. "No update yet on Season Three," Rhode Island Film and Television Office head Steven Feinberg told the outlet via text.
And the Newport Preservation Society, which owns said mansions, doesn't know either. "We haven't heard anything definitively about Season 3," said Bill Tavares, the society's spokesperson. "We hope it comes back. It's a natural opportunity to showcase the city and the state. Everybody right now is in a holding pattern." Intrigue, indeed!
Who could be in the cast for a future season?
A third season would likely feature the main cast that everyone has come to know and love since season 1. It wouldn't make sense without Bertha and her fam, plus, the Duke of Buckingham (played by Ben Lamb) is *also* predicted to come back, according to Digital Spy.
And, of course, it wouldn't be a drama without a good archenemy. That's why Bertha's former maid Enid Winterton (Kelly Curran) might also make a return with her husband, Joshua (Dakin Matthews). Here's who else might return for season 3:
Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook
Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn
Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook
Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell
Morgan Spector as George Russell
Taissa Farmiga as Miss Gladys Russell
Harry Richardson as Larry Russell
Denée Benton as Peggy Scott
Blake Ritson as Oscar van Rhijn
Ben Ahlers as Jack Treacher
Taylor Richardson as Bridget
Kelli O'Hara as Aurora Fane
Kelly Curran as Enid Winterton
Since Marian is no longer engaged to Dashiell Montgomery, David Furr most likely would not be reprising that role. (Neither will Matilda Lawler, who plays his daughter, Frances Montgomery.)
What might happen in season 3?
There's no confirmed plot (or even season). But if there were to be a third season, it would probably involve the drama between Gladys and Bertha, given that Bertha formed a marriage deal for her daughter and the Duke, according to Digital Spy. As a mother, she has lots of control over her kids' lives, including that of her son, Larry—so it may all come to a head in season 3.
The Van Rhijns are also in an adjustment period, since Ada controls the family finances, even though her married name is Forte. Agnes will most likely be annoyed that she has to answer to Ada, and because of it, she'll probably continue to resent Oscar, who lost their fortune. He might end up trying to rebuild their family estate, per Digital Spy.
And, of course, Marian and Larry have finally kissed, but it's hard to know whether they'll go the distance or fizzle out given that their families don't exactly ~get along~.
For now, just enjoy reminiscing on that first and second season drama!
You Might Also Like
