Listen up, fans of The Gilded Age! While excitement builds for season three of Julian Fellowes' period drama, it seems that not all is well for two beloved characters.
Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon, who play George and Bertha Russel respectively, revealed a major "rift" between George and Bertha in their "sad" season three storyline – something fans feared when it was teased in the trailer.
Read on for everything we know so far…
What happens to George and Bertha in season 3?
Speaking at a Q&A attended by HELLO!, Morgan and Carrie confirmed that a significant power shift occurs in season three. The first episode is titled 'Who is in charge here?', and it seems as though George and Bertha are grappling with that very question when it comes to their daughter Gladys' (Taissa Farmiga) future.
Discussing how they portrayed that growing tension on screen, Morgan said: "I personally found it hard to let go of the marital harmony the two of them have had for two seasons and found myself really searching, even in the scenes when we were in conflict, for connection."
© HBOHe continued: "The rift that develops between them is not a minor one – it's a very structural disagreement that expresses the same shared values and the same shared ambitions that bring them together in the first place.
"They're pulling with all of the might of their separate identities in opposite directions. It's hard – they were tough scenes to play."
What did Carrie Coon say?
Agreeing with Morgan, Carrie added that it's George's male-centric perspective of society that fuels this breakdown further.
"He doesn't understand our instinct for survival," said Carrie, before later adding: "She wants her daughter to be safe. She also wants her to be fulfilled and have a sense of purpose, because Bertha knows what it feels to have that capacity thwarted."
© HBOCaught in a catch-22, it seems difficult to imagine how George and Bertha will reach a mutual understanding easily.
"There really is a huge lack of psychological understanding between them that's really fundamental and quite sad – we should have a season four so we can figure it out," said Carrie.
© HBOMorgan also suggested that part of the tension stems from George's difficulty accepting Bertha's subtle criticism of his social standing.
"If you have to marry an English aristocrat to really feel like you've arrived, then the sort of status that George has built for himself isn't enough," he continued. "And I think that's another source of tension and unspoken friction between them."
The Gilded Age season three airs in the US on Sunday 22 June and in the UK on 23 June. Seasons one and two are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
