‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4 Prefers Human Revenge
Apparently, the Lord is too lenient for New York City's Old Money in 1886.
The Gilded Age returns to a November release date for Season 4, after Season 3 shifted the series to a June release. The series has never had a “proper” berth where it usually arrives, like Game of Thrones once did in April or Industry does in the height of summer, and we are delighted to see that it’s decided to stick with a pre-holiday arrival.
For many series that debuted in the 2020s, new seasons arriving whenever they feel like it has been somewhat par for the course. (One of the major errors streaming services made – along with believing Netflix’s binge drop method would work and algorithms are adequate substitutes for marketing – was abandoning any sort of regularity.) However, in the case of The Gilded Age, after languishing in development hell for a decade, it finally started filming... just as the pandemic arrived. By the time it debuted in January 2022, getting the show on the screen was more important than figuring out where on the calendar it would work best, and then getting Season 2 out the door before the end of 2023 – proving it could be a yearly show – was the goal.
But now with three seasons under its belt (the third of which was a critical darling), HBO’s programmers have had enough space and time to be more thoughtful about where a show with a sprawling cast and decadent costumes. Apparently the answer is the most wonderful time of the year.
Here’s the Season 4 synopsis:
Bertha Russell changed Society at a cost. Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position. Meanwhile, Marian forges a new path for herself, and Peggy works to be accepted by her future in-laws. In this new era, you must be careful what you wish for.
(HBO)
The Gilded Age continues to sport one of the largest ensemble casts on television, with over two dozen major speaking roles.
The core roster includes the main families. There are the Russells: Carrie Coon (Bertha), Morgan Spector (George), Harry Richardson (Larry), Taissa Farmiga (Gladys), and Ben Lamb (the Duke of Buckingham), and the Van Rhijn/Fortes: Christine Baranski (Agnes), Cynthia Nixon (Ada), Blake Ritson (Oscar), and Louisa Jacobson (Marion). Over in Brooklyn, there are the Scotts: Denée Benton (Peggy), Audra McDonald (Dorothy), and John Douglas Thompson (Arthur), and the Kirklands: Jordan Donica (William), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Frederick), and Phylicia Rashad (Elizabeth).
The larger ensemble also includes Kelley Curran (Mrs. Enid Winterton), Ashlie Atkinson (Mamie Fish), Ward Horton (Charles Fane), Kelli O’Hara (Aurora Fane), Donna Murphy (Mrs. Astor), Amy Forsyth (Miss Carrie Astor), Nathan Lane (Ward McAllister), Claybourne Elder (John Adams IV), and Kate Baldwin (Nancy Adams Bell).
(HBO)
Downstairs, the series also brings back Ben Ahlers (Jack the Footman), Jack Gilpin (Mr. Church), Simon Jones (Mr. Bannister), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mrs. Bruce), Debra Monk (Mrs. Armstrong), Kristine Nielsen (Mrs. Bauer), Patrick Page (Richard Clay), Rachel Pickup (Miss Andre), Taylor Richardson (Bridget the Maid), Douglas Sills (M. Baudin), and Erin Wilhelmi (Adelheid the Maid).
New guest stars for the forthcoming season so far include Elizabeth Marvel (House of Cards), James Scully (Modern Love), Neal Huff (Mare of Easttown), Andrew Burnap (Under the Banner of Heaven), Dallas Roberts (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), Taylor Trensch (Evil), Dennis Haysbert (Lucifer), Maggie Kuntz (John Proctor is the Villain), Bonnie Milligan (And Just Like That), and comedian Jim Gaffigan as Grover Cleveland, the 22nd (and later 24th) President of the United States.
(HBO)
Fellowes created and wrote The Gilded Age, with Salli Richardson-Whitfield as co-writer; both return to pen Season 4, with Erica Dunbar continuing as the historical consultant. Director Michael Engler helms episodes, as does Richardson-Whitfield. All are executive producers, along with Sonja Warfield, Gareth Neame, and Bob Greenblatt.
The Gilded Age Season 4 will debut on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and will air and stream weekly episodes through the holidays.
Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming on HBO Max.
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