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The Gilded Age favourite teases "rude awakening" for Bertha Russell with her troubled marriage in season 4

Carrie Coon speaks to Radio Times about Bertha and George's marriage in The Gilded Age season 4.

Published: Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 9:00 am

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Will the marriage of George and Bertha Russell survive The Gilded Age season 4?

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The HBO drama ended its previous season with George Russell (Morgan Spector) walking out on wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), rejecting her for her machinations in the lives of their children, especially.

George himself had seen his life hanging in the balance after being shot, and his sobering clarity afterwards left his future with Bertha in a precarious place.

Speaking to Radio Times ahead of the premiere of The Gilded Age season 4, actress Carrie Coon teased where the Russells are at the start of the fourth run and where we can expect their marriage to go.

“Well, she starts off really focused on Gladys, hoping, I think, that time will heal all wounds, and that doesn't prove to be the case,” warns the actress.

“As it turns out, Bertha will need to leverage a tremendous intervention, both literal and figurative, to get things back on track.”

Morgan Spector as George Russell stands on a landing of a grand gilded age home, while Carrie Coon stands at the bottom of the stairs as Bertha Russell in The Gilded Age season 4.

Will the Russells reunite or fall further apart in season 4 of The Gilded Age? HBO

However, George’s own personal troubles going forward look set to rock Bertha too.

“She doesn't realise how unmoored George has become,” reveals Carrie, “and so it's a pretty rude awakening for her.”

However, do not lose hope, Bertha and George fans, as we can look forward to Bertha coming out fighting for her family, as always.

Coon added: “In true Bertha mode, she's a woman of action. She has a plan, and she goes for it, and she sacrifices herself again.”

Despite situations where the actress feels that George “humiliates” Bertha, “she still chooses him”.

We can expect Bertha to work “very hard” to “preserve him and their marriage”.

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The new run of episodes sees much of the cast of characters from the show return, along with some new additions, including 24 legend Dennis Haysbert.

Meanwhile, Coon will soon be seen in her new film The Liberation, where she plays a woman drawn into a cult led by a character played by Lily James.

The actress is winning plaudits for her performance and is currently being predicted to receive an Oscar nomination, but how does Coon feel about awards attention?

"It's always gratifying to be in that conversation because it means your art is being consumed," notes Coon.

The Gilded Age season 4 premieres on Sunday 1 November on HBO and stream on HBO Max at 9pm ET/PT in the US and will premiere on Monday 2 November on Sky TV and NOW in the UK. You can sign up to NOW from £4.99 a month.

Add The Gilded Age to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Lewis Knight, smiling against a lime green background.

Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor

Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.

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