We return among the opulent houses of Manhattan in the fourth season of The Gilded Age, the period drama that blends real history and fiction, set in the American Gilded Age at the dawn of the 20th century, airing from November 2, 2026 on SKY and streaming on NOW.
The new season opens with a scandalous romance and a rapid cameo by two surprise celebrities.
SPOILER – Attention, then: this article contains many spoilers for the first episode.
Created by Julian Fellowes, the same mind behind another hugely successful TV series, Downton Abbey, a HBO and Universal Television co-production, division of Universal Studio Group, and Emmy-nominated, The Gilded Age tells the intricate intrigues of New York high society in the early 1900s: loves, ambitions and fortunes on the line.
The Plot of The Gilded Age Season 4
In New York during the Gilded Age, there is never a dull moment. The lively members of the upper class return for the premiere of the fourth season, which opens with intense drama and many interwoven storylines.
The outright focus remains on Bertha Russell (the actress Carrie Coon), a figure who threads through all the series’ events and who has changed society, paying a price for this change. Now, her family must deal with the consequences, while Agnes van Rhijn (the great Christine Baranski) seizes the opportunity to reclaim the position she had lost in relation to her widowed sister Ada Brook, played by Cynthia Nixon, the Miranda from Sex and the City. Meanwhile, Marian (Louisa Jacobson) embarks on a new path and Peggy (Denée Benton) seeks to win the acceptance of her future chosen family.
The first thread begins in England, where a physician hastily attends the Duke’s residence (Ben Lamb) and his wife, Gladys Russell Vere, Duchess of Buckingham and daughter of Bertha and George Russell, who are in the throes of childbirth. Her mother Bertha tries to console her, but the labor proves exceedingly difficult, to the point that the Duchess’s survival is in peril.
The physician places the family at a dramatic crossroads: save the child or the Duchess. With a defiant gesture, the Duke orders the doctor to prioritize the Duchess, while urging him to do everything possible to save both. After delivering a healthy baby, the Duchess faces complications that will prevent her from having more children in the future.
And, in the meantime, Bertha plans her return to New York: her relationship with husband George (Morgan Spector) sits in a precarious phase, so much so that Larry asks his father for explanations about the state of his parents’ marriage.
Meanwhile in New York, high society gathers to witness the wedding of Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson), Agnes’s son, and Enid Turner Winterton (Kelley Curran), a former extremely ambitious maid to Agnes who has become a widow. “It will be quite entertaining,” observes Oscar.
During the wedding reception, held at Agnes’s home and at her aunt Ada’s, the newlyweds van Rijn are already plotting their next moves within high society; meanwhile, Marian and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson)—whose relationship has always been marked by back-and-forth moments—reunite. The ending is a happy one. Additionally, Agnes prepares to welcome President Grover Cleveland to her home.
The third thread concerns Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers), who begins to understand the difference between wealth and social status: while planning his next invention, he asks his former colleagues to teach him some etiquette of the upper class.
In New York, two men cross the street that divides the van Rijn residence from the Russell one. They are none other than the famous American television host David Letterman and actor Matt Damon, both in period costumes and walking in step. Two unmissable cameos.
In this new era, one must be careful what one wishes for. The fourth season, indeed, introduces a new generation ready to rewrite the rules of the game.
The Locations of Season 4
There aren’t major novelties regarding the locations for The Gilded Age Season 4.
New York City
In New York, several scenes were filmed at various locations, including the James Bailey Mansion (W 150th & St Nicholas), an iconic white Neo-Romanesque building with splendid stained glass, and the Prince George Ballroom (15 E 27th St), a well-known New York venue where galas, weddings, corporate events or other special occasions are held, though not many shoots were done in the city.
Albany, NY
The historic downtown, the staircase-entry houses (the so-called “Stoop Stroll”) and the era-bespoke streets transformed to recreate late 19th- and early 20th-century Manhattan are actually those of Albany, New York, about two and a half hours from Manhattan.
In particular, the scenes were shot in Center Square, a historic city district between Washington Park and the Empire State Plaza. This Historic District is famed for one of the best-preserved collections of 19th-century residential architecture in the state. Many houses date from 1850 to 1900, ranging from wooden cottages to grand brownstone mansions, in Italianate, Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque styles. Since the show premiered, themed tours of The Gilded Age locations have been organized in this neighborhood.
Schenectady, NY
The production of the TV series again chose Schenectady, New York, as the main filming site as in season three, thanks to the historically preserved architecture of the oldest district, Stockade Historic District, particularly around North Church Street, Union Street and near The Stockade Inn and the First Reformed Church. Here, the modern streets were adapted with faux cobblestones, horse-drawn carriages and late 19th-century costumes to recreate the settings of New York City as it was at the time. The Schenectady County Historical Society organizes events and guided walks dedicated to the city’s locations that appeared in the series.
Troy, NY
The town of Troy, also in New York State, served as a principal filming location and as a visual substitute for Manhattan in the 1880s in The Gilded Age. Troy likewise boasts a wide array of 19th-century brownstone buildings, historic storefronts and urban vistas dating from 1830 to 1850, faithfully matching the look of New York in 1882.
Unlike modern New York, downtown Troy allows crews to close off several blocks at once, to place horses, carriages and period-accurate street setups. Among the recognizable sites are First Street and downtown Troy, Paine Castle which serves as a set and as the exterior backdrop for Aurora Fain’s house. Other landmarks include areas near the Troy Public Library, Second Street and Oakwood Cemetery, all featured across multiple seasons.
