Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Gilded Age season 3 finale, “My Mind Is Made Up.”
The Gilded Ageseason 3 has now come to its exciting conclusion, and luckily, the final episode sees George Russell recovering remarkably quickly — though it isn’t exactly as it seems.The Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 7’s endingleft George fighting for his life, setting up a long road to recovery in the finale.
AfterThe Gilded Ageseason 3raised the stakes all around, George Russell’s undetermined fate was the perfect way to set up a great finale. Likewise,George Russell’s business struggles this seasonhave placed the character at greater risk than ever before. However, his season 3 recovery seems truly miraculous without further context.
The Gilded Age Finale’s Subtle Time Jumps Explain How George Russell Recovered So Quickly
The Series Employs A Lot Of Small Time Jumps
The Gilded Ageseason 3 finale begins with George Russell being cared for by Dr. William Kirkland, and he’s in dire condition. But just a few scenes later, he has recovered far more than anyone would have expected. While this makes it seem like George healed incredibly quickly,it is actually the result ofThe Gilded Age’s subtle time jumps.
The series actually makes use of these small time jumps quite often, but because the show typically doesn’t tackle violent events where the characters' health can be measured by their appearances, it is easy to miss. There are a few clues throughout the finale, though, that help clarify how much time passed between George getting shot and the Newport ball.
Audiences know that Gladys and Hector Vere learned of the shooting before leaving England, andthe passage to America would take seven to 10 days. What’s more, at the end of the episode, Gladys mentions being four months pregnant, so it is possible that even a month or two of recovery passed between the shooting and the ball.
Likewise,The Gilded Ageimplies that Bertha’s ball is the end-of-season event, meaning thatThe Gilded Ageseason 3 spanned all the spring and summer of 1884, and George’s shooting was likely just the last month or two of that period. George is also not fully recovered in time for his appearance at the ball, despite looking well.
Who Shot George Russell Is A Mystery For The Gilded Age Season 4 To Solve
There Is One Prime Candidate
Depending on whetherThe Gilded Ageseason 4implements another time jump, audiences may see George Russell recovering further in the next season. Along with covering the long recovery period for a gunshot wound,season 4 will likely see him uncover who wanted him dead to begin withas well.
As a prominent businessman, George Russell has no shortage of enemies, meaning there are several possible culprits. However, Richard Clay, George’s former secretary, is currently the prime suspect. This is something the next season will need to explore, and it sets up a great way forThe Gilded Ageto introduce a big new enemy for George Russell.
