The Gilded Age Season 3 returns with drama and shift in power dynamics — full Episode 1 recap and Episode 2 release date
The Gilded Age Season 3: The Gilded Age is back, and the power plays are only just beginning. After a season-long hiatus, HBO's opulent period drama has returned with its third season, once again diving into the glittering world of 1880s New York high society. With old money clashing against new wealth and personal ambitions threatening to upend tradition, The Gilded Age wastes no time getting back into its trademark social tug-of-war.
If Episode 1 left you craving more, we've got you covered with a detailed recap of everything that went down, from Bertha Russell's Opera House triumph to the growing tension between Ada and Agnes, and a look at when Season 3 Episode 2 will release. Here's everything you need to know.
What's The Gilded Age Season 3 about?
Created by Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes, The Gilded Age explores the collision of wealth, power, and rigid social mores. The fresh season explores the intrigue among four central families: the nouveau-riche Russells (Baranski, Spector, Brown), the aristocratic van Rhijns (Nixon, Walter), the free-thinking Scotts (Benton, Nathan Lane), and the newly arrived Marian Brook (Jacobson).
The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 1 recap
In the Season 3 opener Who Is in Charge Here?, The Gilded Age turns its gaze to the once-solid bond between sisters Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) and Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski). After losing her fortune in Season 2, Agnes expected life to go on as usual until Ada, newly wealthy from her late husband's estate, casually invites the Temperance League into their Fifth Avenue parlour. Agnes's calm authority shatters as she watches Ada, for the first time, boss around servants and guests with a thrill in her voice. Every pointed question Agnes tosses Ada's way, 'Who's in charge here?' echoes the shock of a household turned upside down.
For Agnes, identity and power were inseparable, as she'd always been the older sister, the decision-maker. Stripped of her savings and status, she's left to grapple with an unfamiliar role of spectator in her own home. Baranski describes this as Agnes's toughest challenge yet, learning that deference and privilege aren't guaranteed, no matter your birthright.
Ada, who once shied away from every big choice, now feels the rush of calling the shots. Nixon notes Ada's decision-making 'muscles' are new and untested, but she dives in headfirst, delighting in directing household business and discovering a side of herself she never knew existed. It's a heady mix of excitement and uncertainty, as Ada balances newfound power with the fear of misstep.
The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 2 release date and time
New episodes drop weekly—Episode 2 of The Gilded Age Season 3 premieres Sunday, June 29, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max. Don't miss the next chapter in this lavish portrait of ambition and change.
For more news and updates from the world of Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
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