The Gilded Age star Carrie Coon reveals the idea behind Bertha’s decision to break the tradition in Season 3 finale

The Gilded Age Season 3 finally wrapped up with the season finale, with Bertha wrapping up the Newport Ball and breaking a well-established tradition with it as well. The third season has been a tumultuous season for Bertha and George's marriage, and everything came to a head in the season finale.

George's near-death experience in the finale episodes of Season 3 brought a realization for both George and Bertha, but, sadly, these revelations did not align with each other. While Bertha, on seeing her husband almost die, realizes how much she loves him, George has a crisis of faith, and the wedge between them, driven by Gladys' marriage, is deepened even more.

The season ended with a successful ball, but one that broke a long-standing tradition of The Gilded Age society. Keep reading to find out which tradition was broken and why it was broken by Carrie Coon's Bertha Russell.

The broken tradition in The Gilded Age Season 3 finale

The divorced women, according to the traditions of The Gilded Age, were the "scourge of the earth." A woman's worth was only measured by her ability to be the perfect mother and the perfect wife in front of society, even if that image was not real. These women, who were the perfect wives and mothers, held a prestigious position in society.

The divorced women, according to the society's measures, had failed at this task, and there was nothing else in society that could regain their position. So, according to traditions, divorced women were banned and would not be invited to the social events such as the balls.

However, Bertha Russell decided to invite the divorced women to her Newport ball in The Gilded Age Season 3 finale, and their appearance at the ball was the breaking of a long-standing tradition in society.

It might appear to an outsider that Bertha's act was one of altruism. However, Carrie Coon's comments about this reveal that the reality could not be more different.

Carrie Coon on Bertha breaking traditions in The Gilded Age Season 3 finale

According to Carrie Coon's comments to Deadline, Bertha's actions might not have been as altruistic as they appear to be. Everything that Bertha does has some gain for her, and considering her and George's fallout at the end of Season 3, this might've been her way of starting a new crusade, which will protect her in the future in case the worst happens.

George's near-death experience made him question his life and, consequently, his marriage. There has been a crack in his and Bertha's marriage since she strong-armed him into agreeing to marry Gladys off to the Duke, despite his promise to his daughter that she would marry for love. He declares that he might be ruthless in business, but he's never ruthless with the people he loves, and watching Bertha marry off her daughter to get one over on Mrs. Astor has him convinced that he doesn't know her or what she wants anymore.

He decides to ride off into the sunset alone, leaving Bertha's idea of a perfect family shattered to pieces. Even though their fate is not sealed as of now, it is possible that Bertha decided to break the tradition of banning divorcees from the ball in an effort to secure her position in society, in case George decides the two of them are better off separated.

"She certainly is smart enough and perspicacious enough to see that there’s a possibility, and she should prepare the way in case that’s true, so that she will not be ousted from society. Even if it’s not entirely conscious, nothing she does is entirely altruistic."

Carrie Coon's comments paint a devastatingly real picture of Bertha, and considering Bertha's actions so far, there is no doubt that her actions were not entirely altruistic.

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Keep following Soap Central for more such insights into The Gilded Age Season 3 finale as we wait for the next season.

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