“Both failed but Bertha is the more b*tchy one” - Fans rage over George and Bertha’s stance on Gladys’ marriage in The Gilded Age season 3

The Gilded Age season 3, now halfway through the season on Max, featured a high society wedding in episode 4. Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) married the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), but it was a heartbreaking one as marrying the Duke was never something Gladys wanted.

The wedding ended in a tearful affair, with Gladys walking down the aisle with tears falling down her face. Now, fans of the series are debating who, between her parents, is to blame for Gladys' fate, especially since The Gilded Age season 3 episode 4 revealed that she's miserable in her new life in England.

Fans are divided over whether Bertha, who orchestrated the wedding to the Duke, is to blame more than George, who went back on his promise that he would let Gladys marry for love. A fan on Reddit said that both failed their daughter, but Bertha is ultimately to blame.

"Both failed but Bertha is the more b*tchy one as she actively set this up and could care less how Gladys feel as she was worried if the wedding was cancelled: how would they be viewed by Society," a Reddit user commented.

A Reddit user comment about Bertha and George's hand in Gladys' marriage (Image via @LifeSucks1988/Reddit)

More fans agreed that Bertha Russell is to blame more because she was the one to force Gladys to marry the Duke.

"There wouldn't have been a marriage to let Gladys down over had Bertha not forced it on her in the first place," a user on Reddit said. "George definitely failed Gladys, no doubt, but Bertha used her as a negotiating tactic and actively worked to sell her off to a guy she doesn't like," a Reddit user commented.

However, some fans pointed out that while Bertha was the mastermind, George was the one who broke his promise to Gladys in The Gilded Age season 3. He made Gladys believe that he would support her decision, but in the end, he sided with Bertha.

"Agree. Bertha is always upfront with Gladys about what she wanted. Gladys knew where she stood with her. George, however, told her that he would support her choice and allow her to marry for love only to turn around and side with Bertha in the end," a Reddit user commented. "Yes, he definitely did. He promised Gladys that he would stop her from marrying the Duke. However, he does a complete 180 and essentially tells Gladys to marry the Duke. He didn't just fail Gladys; George betrayed Gladys," another Reddit user said. "Bertha did what she sincerely thought was best (she was wrong, but...). George went against what he knew best AND broke his promise," a Reddit user added.

Read more: Who unexpectedly came back in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 5?

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What's more to come for Gladys, Bertha, and George Russell in The Gilded Age season 3?

At the time of writing, The Gilded Age season 3 has just released episode 5, starting the second half of the series, as it's only eight episodes long. In the latest episode, Gladys has just arrived in England after her grand wedding to the Duke of Buckingham, and she gets the first taste of what it's like to be the Duchess of a Duke who has a controlling sister.

Ahead of The Gilded Age season 3 episode 5's release, HBO Max released a mid-season trailer, teasing fans of the major plot lines the series is going to explore in the coming episodes. It includes some updates on what's going to happen to Bertha and Gladys in England. Bertha will be visiting her daughter in the English countryside as they will plot how Gladys can stand up against Lady Sarah.

As she promised in episode 5, Bertha will try to make things right where Gladys is concerned. She's already married to the Duke, and there's nothing they can change about that. Bertha, however, can help Gladys adjust to her new life in England and make sure that Lady Sarah won't continue stomping on her daughter's confidence or undermining her role as the new Duchess.

As for George Russell, while Bertha is busy in England, he will be concentrating on his business endeavors. He's already facing problems, including losing some of his wealthy backers, and it doesn't appear that the hurdles will be ending soon.

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Catch new episodes of The Gilded Age season 3 every Sunday evening, only streaming on Max.

Edited by Kinette Sumadia