New York’s elite are preparing to return to ballrooms and battlefields of reputation, but ‘The Gilded Age‘ won’t simply continue where viewers last saw them.
A newly revealed detail confirms the story jumps ahead in time, meaning several dramatic consequences have already unfolded before the next season even begins.
‘The Gilded Age’ Actress Confirms Season 4 Timeline
Julian Fellowes’ HBO period drama, which explores the clash between old money and rising fortunes in late-19th-century Manhattan, secured a Season 4 renewal even before Season 3 finished airing in August 2025. Now, audiences finally know when the story resumes. Donna Murphy, who portrays real-life social powerbroker Caroline Astor, shared a behind-the-scenes video from a costume fitting.
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After thanking the wardrobe department, she wrote in the caption, “Corset & boots laced up, & happy to be stepping into 1886.” That line confirmed the show’s biggest timeline shift to date.
Season 3 unfolded across 1884, meaning Season 4 jumps roughly two years ahead instead of continuing immediately after the finale. Because of that leap forward, the writers won’t show the direct aftermath of the shocking final episode. Instead, viewers will arrive in a future where key consequences have already occurred, and they must catch up.
How The Leap Forward Rewrites The Russells’ Story
The Season 3 ending changed the series dramatically when George Russell chose to leave Bertha after discovering how far she pushed their daughter Gladys into marrying Hector, Duke of Buckingham, for status. The Russells had always functioned as a ruthless partnership, building social dominance using George’s railroad wealth and Bertha’s relentless ambition. But that unity was shattered when George realized that Bertha had sacrificed their daughter’s wishes to win society’s approval.
Because Season 4 begins in 1886, the show skips the immediate fallout of that separation. Instead, viewers will meet the Russells after time has passed, raising new questions about whether George stayed away, whether Bertha rebuilt her influence on her own, and how their family adapted. The jump also affects Gladys directly.
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By the Season 3 finale, she appeared content in her marriage and was expecting a child. Now, that baby will already be born when the new season starts, instantly changing her role in society and the family dynamic.
The timeline goes beyond the Russell household. Larry Russell and Marion Brook reconciled after their engagement ended, but the one- to two-year gap means their relationship could be more advanced or complicated when viewers see them again. Peggy Scott’s life also moves ahead unseen. She had just received a proposal from Dr. William Kirkland at the end of Season 3, so Season 4 may open with them already married, separated, or facing new developments that happened during the missing years.
This approach will likely create early-season suspense as audiences figure out what happened between 1884 and 1886 and how each character ended up in their new circumstances. However, fans will need patience before solving that mystery.
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