Bertha faces a new test of power

An editorial look at Carrie Coon’s take on the season three finale of The Gilded Age and the implications for Bertha’s future.

Bertha Faces the Price of Power

The interview with Carrie Coon grounds the season three finale of The Gilded Age in a moment of sharp reversal. George Russell survives a near death after being shot, with Peggy’s physician saving him, but the victory feels hollow for Bertha. The couple’s public strength is tested as a personal crisis exposes a fracture in their partnership. Bertha’s bold push to shape her daughter Gladys’s marriage for social standing has long defined her power, and the finale asks what happens when that power can no longer hold the family together.

Coon explains that Bertha’s confidence has often rested on a clear view of the world and a belief that happiness rides on social success. The aftermath of the shooting forces Bertha to reckon with a boundary she once believed she could cross without consequence. The England trip and Gladys’s trajectory are presented as pivotal moments that could reshape Bertha’s influence, both inside and outside the family. The cast and crew describe a work environment that feels like a family, underscoring how the show blends big historical questions with intimate relationships.

The conversation also delves into Bertha’s ideology about marriage, especially for Gladys. Coon highlights how Bertha’s decisions stem from a mix of love and practical calculation, recognizing that the era leaves women with few paths to power beyond wedlock. The thread of historical parallel runs through the season, echoing real life stories of women who used marriage to gain status and influence. The finale leaves Bertha at a crossroads, with a sense that her most trusted plans may no longer be enough to protect the life she has built.

The finale’s sting comes from a marriage-centered world that still barely recognizes women’s autonomy. Bertha’s strength looks brilliant, but it also blinds her to the costs of her methods. The near loss of George shifts the story from fashioning a social empire to negotiating a new kind of partnership. Season four could test whether Bertha can repair a damaged alliance, or whether her relentless drive will push the family into deeper fracture. The show remains compelling because it treats power as a shared experiment, not a solo sprint, and viewers are left wondering how much a powerful buyer of influence can adjust when love and loyalty pull in different directions.

Highlights

The next chapter will reveal if a ruthless pursuit of influence can coexist with real family ties.