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The Gilded Age season 3 has given TV fans plenty to talk about the last couple of months — and last night's finale will carry us all the way until the season 4 premiere. ICYMI, episode 7 featured Marian and Larry's engagement falling apart and Oscar trying to figure out what a life without John Adams looks like before the episode ended with George getting shot. And that's exactly where the season finale, “My Mind Is Made Up,” opens.
Here's your official recap for The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8, "My Mind Is Made Up," streaming on HBO Max now.
George Russell's fate is determined.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
George is rushed home in the middle of the night, where Bertha and the staff stabilize him as William Kirkland and Marian rush over. They're able to remove the bullet — without pain medication — but George goes into shock and his fate is left up in the air. Thankfully, he survives the night before the family's doctor and Larry finally make it there.
Larry and Marian (who's still covered in blood) have a heart to heart about their relationship, and it's clear they still care so much about each other. But with the shock of the night and the fact they're still not exactly on the same page, Marian sees herself home wiping tears from her face while Larry, nearly in tears himself, watches from the stairs.
But George and Bertha's fate as a couple is left up in the air.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Gladys and the Duke are rushing across the Atlantic (well, going as fast as 1800s ships can take them) to see her father, which means she's able to attend Bertha's ball, where she finally ends the separation between divorced and married women. The Russell family presents a united front, but they're secretly standing on shaky ground: as George reassesses his life, he's not sure he wants to stand by Bertha's side. In his own words, "he's ruthless in business and not with the people he loves," and since he can't forgive Bertha for marrying Gladys off, he leaves Bertha in their Newport mansion to return to New York.
“Because we know how good this couple can be together, it would be really fascinating to see them spend a season figuring out how to get back to each other,” Morgan Spector tells TVLine, and Carrie Coon agrees Bertha "is not going to give up" on her relationship.
Larry and Marian decide to get back together (even though time will tell how long it will take to rebuild their trust in one another), while Gladys is bursting at the seams with news that she's pregnant. “Isn’t that what life is like? Something can be going perfectly with your life and then something else comes in and undercuts it a little bit,” co-writer Sonja Warfield told The Wrap.
Kirkland sweeps Peggy off her feet in the most unexpected way.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Peggy and Kirkland are also more in love than ever when he decides to visit her, and she's hoping for a proposal — until she learns Elizabeth told him everything about Peggy's baby. He leaves in shock, and Peggy is left sobbing on the stairs, convinced they have no future.
But after their mothers have the best showdown of the episode, and Kirkland's father gives him a beautiful talk, William proposes to Peggy at the Newport ball — in the middle of a huge dance, in front of everyone. And she says yes, duh! “We shot that over three 20-hour days, and when [director Salli Richardson-Whitfield] showed me the playback on set, when Peggy turns around in slow motion, I just burst into tears,” Denée Benton adds. “One of the biggest dreams that [co-executive producer Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar] and I had was getting there to be a Black ball in the show. We’ve been talking about it since 2019, so for all of it to culminate in Peggy getting this moment of being chosen in all of her beauty and vulnerability, and the way it was shot it — it’s just a feast.”
And things are looking up for the rest of high society.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Meanwhile, Agnes finally accepts her sister as the head of the house (after being appointed as New York Heritage Society vice president) and Oscar proposes a marriage to Mrs. Winterton that would benefit both of them. Bridget visits Jack, where they have a lovely dinner together that had me smiling from ear to ear! This is such a beautiful finale that propels us forward while still providing characters with hope for the future. It gets 5 stars from me!
Where can I watch season 3 of The Gilded Age?
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Season 3 of The Gilded Age is now streaming on HBO Max.
How many episodes are in The Gilded Age season 3?
The Gilded Age season 3 has 8 episodes total, all of which you can stream now! Here's breakdown:
- Season 3, Episode 1 "Who is in Charge Here?" premiered June 22, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 2 "What the Papers Say" premiered June 29, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 3 "Love is Never Easy" premiered July 6, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 4 "Marriage is a Gamble" premiered July 13, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 5 "A Different World" premiered July 20, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 6 "If You Want to Cook an Omelette" premiered July 27, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 7 "Ex-Communicated" premiered August 3, 2025
- Season 3, Episode 8 "My Mind is Made Up" premiered August 10, 2025
Read The Gilded Age Season 4 Is On Its Way! Here's When To Expect New Episodes. for more!
