The Gilded Age season 3 finale ending explained: Is George leaving Bertha?

Carrie Coon's ruthless, scheming Bertha Russell gets a final reckoning in the The Gilded Age season 3 finale. Her soirée is a major success, and she's looking to be the most powerful leader in New York's high society at the moment, especially with her being the mother of a duchess.

However, in the final moments of The Gilded Age season 3 finale, it finally dawns on Bertha how, in her quest to become a success in society, she has taken her family and marriage for granted, no matter how she phrases that she's doing it all for them. George Russell is leaving Bertha, at least their home on 61st Street, and will continue living separately, with him staying at the Union Club.

Meanwhile, as Bertha's marriage falls apart, some relationships are getting their happy endings despite interference from family members.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3 finale. Reader's discretion is advised.

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The Gilded Age season 3 finale: Has George's decision to leave Bertha changed?

Despite the complete, happy family life the Russells try to portray during Bertha's soirée, George hasn't changed her decision to leave Bertha. Since their big blowout in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 5, George has been staying at the Union Club, leaving Bertha at their estate on 61st Street. He's going back there with Larry, leaving Bertha in Newport, reaping the rewards of her latest endeavors.

George and Bertha Russell (Image via Max)

While Bertha's soirée is a success, especially in ending the ban on divorced women and Mrs. Astor attending the event, her marriage is falling apart. Bertha and George have not resolved any of their issues since Gladys married the Duke, and their respective businesses have kept them away from each other.

Bertha might have thought that George getting shot and her helping nurse him would reconnect them, but she's wrong. As George tells her, his parting words to his wife at the end of The Gilded Age season 3 finale, Bertha's previous decisions have caused irreparable damage. While he admits that they are alike, both ruthless in their own way, one thing separates them.

George is ruthless in business, but unlike him, Bertha is ruthless in almost everything, including her family. Forcing Gladys to marry the Duke has created a deeper rift in their marriage. And while Bertha points out that George also has a hand in it because he walked Gladys down the aisle, it's when George's real reason for staying away from Bertha comes out.

He can't forgive himself for going back on his promise to Gladys that she would be allowed to marry for love, and it doesn't matter if Gladys is now happy with the Duke. As he admits to Bertha, he doesn't like what has become of him because he doesn't like what she has made him do. Although they did not utter the word "divorce," it's clear that Bertha and George's marriage hangs in the balance.

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Who gets engaged in The Gilded Age season 3 finale?

Dr. Kirkland and Peggy are engaged (Image via Max)

While The Gilded Age season 3 finale has shown Bertha's reckoning as she realizes that her marriage is truly falling apart, one couple ends the season with some much better news. Peggy Scott and Dr. William Kirkland are getting married, even after his mother's bombshell exposé about Peggy's past in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 7.

At Bertha's soirée, Dr. Kirkland asks Peggy's father for her hand in marriage, and shortly after, he proposes to her on the dance floor, in front of everyone. It's a true love match for the two, especially with Dr. Kirkland finally putting a line between his love life and his mother's disdain for Peggy and her family.

But, theirs is not the only engagement teased in the The Gilded Age season 3 finale. Oscar, after mourning his former lover's death in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 6, strikes a business arrangement with the wealthy widow Mrs. Winterton. With her wealth and his connections, they can be a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, it's not as romantic as Peggy's and Dr. Scott's story, but the marriage will serve each of their agendas. The engagement is not cemented first, but they have come to an agreement to talk about the whole thing when they get back to New York, but The Gilded Age season 3 finale leaves them seriously considering getting into a marriage of convenience.

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The Gilded Age season 3 finale: Have Larry and Marian decided to make up?

Larry and Marian (Image via Max)

Larry and Marian's relationship ends on a much hopeful note in the The Gilded Age season 3 finale. Their romance has been struggling since the Maud Beaton and the Haymarket drama, and it's clear that they still have a few things they need to work on before talking about marriage. Marian needs to be able to trust Larry, and he needs to be more honest with her.

The Gilded Age season 3 finale leaves them making up and acknowledging that they do have problems and that they can't fix it in just a single night. There is no talk about breaking up for good, but the two of them appear to realize that they may be rushing things with the whole wedding thing and would consider taking their relationship much slower and resolving any issues before they get married.

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What is Gladys' news in the The Gilded Age season 3 finale?

Gladys and the Duke of Buckingham return to America at The Gilded Age season 3 finale after hearing about George getting shot. Their relationship has been the only bright part of the Russells' story over the past couple of episodes. Unlike her parents and her brother, Gladys' marriage is faring well, especially after the Duke decides to get her sister into a new home and out of Sidmouth.

Gladys' happiness is evident during Bertha's soirée, but how good her marriage has turned out is not the only good news. She's also pregnant—she's been pregnant for four months, but the doctor has told her to withhold telling the news until after the fourth month. Bertha is the second to know about the pregnancy after the Duke.

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Catch all episodes of The Gilded Age season 3 streaming on Max.