Bertha Russell's Biggest Win In The Gilded Age Season 3

Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3.

Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) The Gilded Age season 3 story saw the character scheming to marry her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) off to Hector, Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), but that wasn’t her biggest success of the season. Luckily, Gladys, Duchess of Buckingham’s happy marriage proved Bertha’s plan for her daughter right.

Season 3 was not all positive for Bertha, though, as her marriage fell apart in The Gilded Age season 3’s finale. Despite the social battles she has won, the season proved that Bertha is not infallible. However, her biggest win in season 3 will become far more important than her mistakes.

Bertha’s Greatest Victory In The Gilded Age Season 3 Explained

The Gilded Age Bertha Russell looking stern and drinking tea

In the first half of The Gilded Age season 3, Bertha Russell’s plan for her daughter’s arranged marriage was quite heartless, despite coming from a place of understanding women’s roles in Gilded Age society and wanting the best for Gladys. Luckily, the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham are happy by the season’s end.

Gladys, Duchess of Buckingham’s pregnancy announcement is also a huge win for Bertha Russell, but her greatest victory in season 3 is actually hosting the Newport Ball and deciding to end the ban on divorced women. One of the biggest topics in season 3, there was a huge amount of stigma around divorce for multiple characters.

Both Aurora Fane and Charlotte Drayton were ostracized from society due to their impending divorces, particularly by Charlotte’s mother, Mrs. Astor. As the leader of New York’s high society, Mrs. Astor hoped to keep society’s rules intact, even while harming her own daughter.

In contrast, Bertha was kind to Aurora and Charlotte throughout the season. This especially makes sense for Aurora since she helped Bertha ascend in society back in season 1. While Bertha isn’t always the kindest character, she did something truly selfless for Aurora and Charlotte that could have backfired, making her divorce ruling her biggest win.

Bertha Changed Society For The Better Going Into The Gilded Age Season 4

Bertha and Mrs Astor in THe Gilded Age-1

Beyond Bertha Russell’s approach to divorced women in The Gilded Age season 3, showing far more kindness than the character usually displays, the decision is also going to have a profound effect on The Gilded Age season 4. Inviting Aurora and Charlotte to the ball isn’t just an act of friendship — it is the beginning of societal change.

Mrs. Astor has long been the leader of New York high society, and Bertha went against her advice in ending the divorce ban. Even more importantly, Mrs. Astor ultimately accepted that judgment call and attended the Newport Ball anyway to support her daughter, marking an official acquiescence to Bertha’s decision.

This makes Bertha more powerful than Mrs. Astor and changes the way that divorce is perceived in Gilded Age society. While the divorce stigma may not be entirely gone in The Gilded Age season 4, Bertha’s biggest win marks the beginning of a progressive societal shift for New York’s elites that will continue to have positive effects next season.