Old Money vs. New Power: The Gilded Age Season 3 Sharpens Its Social Claws
The Gilded Age returns with heightened drama, historical grit, and a striking Emmy nod, spotlighting America’s original clash of class and capital.
HBO’s The Gilded Age, the lavish period drama from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, returns for its highly anticipated third season on June 22, 2025. Set in the opulent but volatile world of late 19th-century New York, the series continues to dissect the mounting tensions between entrenched aristocrats and rising industrial tycoons. The Emmy-nominated show is gaining renewed momentum with this season’s sharp social commentary.
In episode 2, the spotlight turns to George Russell (Morgan Spector), a railroad magnate whose calculated generosity at a charity bazaar becomes a power play. By giving $100 to every vendor, an astronomical sum at the time, Russell uses his fortune as a strategic weapon, forcing society’s elite to acknowledge the influence of “new money.” His actions reflect real-life tactics employed by figures like Vanderbilt and Gould during the Gilded Age.
Carrie Coon’s Bertha Russell continues to claw her way up the social ladder, while Christine Baranski’s Agnes van Rhijn anchors the resistance of old money traditions. Their ongoing rivalry embodies the core of the series: a dramatized yet historically grounded depiction of how power, privilege, and prestige were contested in the parlors and ballrooms of Manhattan.
The show doesn’t merely dress up history; it animates it. Characters like Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), a Black writer navigating the limitations of race and gender, ground the narrative in the broader sociopolitical realities of the era. As the series dives deeper into labor unrest, women’s roles, and financial manipulation, it mirrors many of today’s inequalities through a 19th-century lens.
Season 3 marks a milestone for the show, having earned its first Primetime Emmy nomination for Best Drama Series. The nod not only validates Julian Fellowes’ vision but signals a rising appreciation for period dramas that balance glamor with grit. This recognition could help expand the genre’s cultural reach, especially in the streaming era.
With 18 episodes already aired across two seasons, The Gilded Age has evolved from a costume drama into a complex study of social evolution. From lavish Newport estates to bustling New York salons, each setting serves as a stage for ambition, resentment, and reinvention. The premiere episode of season 3 arrives on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
International viewers can catch the series on Sky Atlantic and Now TV, as anticipation builds for what could be The Gilded Age’s most ambitious season yet.
