The Gilded Age actors Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector break down Bertha’s surprise and George’s bitterness

The Gilded Age has taken a dramatic turn this season, with Bertha (played by Carrie Coon) and George Russell (played by Morgan Spector) forced to face some uncomfortable reality. While George is bitter about Gladys’ (played by Taissa Farmiga) marriage to the Duke of Buckingham, Hector (played by Ben Lamb), arranged by Bertha, he gladly supports his son Larry's (played by Harry Richardson) engagement to Marian Brook (played by Louisa Jacobson), which is surprising to Larry’s mother, Bertha.

While speaking about the turn of events in The Gilded Age Season 3, Spector shared that as a father he hardly had any say in his daughter’s wedding; however, he can support his son however possible. As per Deadline, Spector said,

“I think at that point, George is just hopped up on bitterness and rage, and so he’s ready to stick the needle in wherever he possibly can….It’s not really fair. I think it’s a little bit ersatz. He’s sort of throwing together this little revenge plot, but I do think he’s also determined not to repeat the same mistake and try to fight for his son’s autonomy and freedom.”

Meanwhile, Bertha learns about Larry’s marriage proposal much later and is taken aback by the information in this season of The Gilded Age. Having had no role to play in the engagement, she feels less than pleased at the prospects. Coon spoke to Deadline about how Bertha has been pulled out of her comfort zone due to the sudden announcement. She said,

“I wasn’t sure how the writers would deal with Bertha’s relationship with Marian, because I think she does respect Marian. I think she admires her. I think she sees herself in Marian more than she sees herself in Gladys. And so I always wondered if she, when push came to shove, she would embrace Marian as a potential partner for Larry, but she’s not quite ready to give into that fight for status. I mean, she really expects a better marriage for him, because that’s what society dictates. It has nothing to do with her feelings for Marian.”

What happened with George and Bertha Russell in The Gilded Age Season 3?

In Season 3, episode 5 of The Gilded Age, we find Gladys living her new life as the Duchess of Buckingham. But all is not well as she discovers that her new husband lets his sister, Lady Sarah (played by Hattie Morahan), control their lives.

Earlier in The Gilded Age, George had promised Gladys that he would let her marry for love, but he was sidelined by his wife, Bertha, as she arranged the marriage for her with the Duke of Buckingham. Leaving George resentful. Also, on his business front, he has been more reckless than ever, hinting at some difficult times ahead.

But George does get to take back little control when his son Larry informs him that he wants to get engaged to Marian Brook. While the news does surprise him, he willingly supports this proposal. The conversation, however, takes place in the absence of Bertha. For George it was the moment to get his revenge on his wife, who kept him in the dark about Gladys.

In Episode 4 of Season 3 of The Gilded Age, the audience gets to see Bertha’s true feelings about Marian, as she was reluctant to have her be part of Gladys’ bridal party. So obviously, Bertha does not consider her to be a match for her son. While she appears to be forced to accept the engagement, the uneasiness is visible.

While speaking about the characters in the play, Richardson shared that the relationship between Larry and Marian could be a turning point in the family dynamics. As per TV Insider, he said,

“They’re all struggling with what to hold on to, and they try to have power over each other, but really they’ll only really have power when they give up the power, and when they fall into this love and in this heart space and then that in turn conquers what complexity they’re coming up against.”

At the end of the episode, when Gladys informs George that she is unhappy in England, he is left heartbroken. He takes it up with Bertha, who tells him that she will be heading to England herself to make everything better. But George does not believe that she can do anything about the situation, and they leave on a bitter note.

Watch The Gilded Age on HBO.

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