Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for The Gilded Age season 3 finale, “My Mind Is Made Up.”
George Russell (Morgan Spector) being shot is undoubtedly one of the biggest events ofThe Gilded Ageseason 3, but the exploration of who was behind the act will have to wait until next season.The Gilded Age’s season 3 finalewas absolutely packed from start to finish, and the shooting was not George Russell’s only concern.
Despite nearly dying, the season’s end sawGeorge decide to leave Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), cementing their troubles that have been building throughout the season.The Gilded Ageseason 4will necessarily have to answer some big questions about their marriage, but George will also need to get some answers about his unknown attacker.
Given thatThe Gilded Ageseason 3 began with a new mystery enemy for Bertha, it could be possible that season 4 will do the same for George Russell. Indeed,the wealthy Russell family has no shortage of people who could become enemiesor hope to take advantage of their money.
George’s shooting is undoubtedly far more extreme than gossip about Bertha and her household being leaked to the newspapers, but it would give the series a huge mystery to explore that audiences will definitely want an answer to. For that reason,the shooter could be someone new or someone who has only been mentioned but not seen before.
A particularly fitting mastermind would be the head of one or more of the mining companies in Morenci, who were determined not to make a deal with George Russell. With Larry Russell’s (Harry Richardson) help, George did come out victorious, butperhaps they realized how much money they actually lost out on thanks to the new vein.
Alternatively,the mystery shooter could be another robber baron that George had feuded with in the past, but who has not shown up as a central character.George Russell is based on figures like Jay Gouldand Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had many enemies in their lives, givingThe Gilded Agea chance to dramatize another real figure.
4The Merricks
The Merrick brothers were introduced inThe Gilded Ageseason 3 as prospective business partners for George Russellin his attempts to complete a transcontinental railroad line. Alfred Merrick (Paul Alexander Nolan), specifically, is introduced as a friend of Bertha Russell’s whom George attempts to seduce with this business proposal.
The Merricks own the controlling share of the Illinois Central Line, which both George and Risley Sage (Peter McRobbie) hope to purchase from the family. After Mr. Russell, Mr. Sage, and the Merricks meet withJ.P. Morgan (Bill Camp), George is able to successfully make the deal, though no one else is completely happy about it.
Alfred Merrick had previously made it clear to George Russell that he was not interested in selling, and when it seemed like George’s business was crashing,the Merricks were quick to pull out of the deal. Though they do stand to profit from George’s business success, it’s possible that the Merricks could be better off with him dead.
With George Russell out of the way, the Merricks could make a much bigger profit than what they might currently get in their deal with him. Though J.P. Morgan made it clear that Risley Sage would be even less fair in any business dealings,the Merricks may be able to turn to another railroad magnate for a better deal.
Though the two brothers may not be the most likely suspects in George’s assassination attempt, they can’t currently be ruled out either. Even with their deal,George is still the competition, and business was ruthless during the Gilded Age, with many industrialists going to extremes to get what they wanted.
3Charles Fane
Charles Fane (Ward Horton) would be completely unexpected as the person giving an assassination order for George Russell, but if the series chose to go with a complete curveball, he would be a good option.The Gilded Age’s most unexpected plot points have turned out to be some of the show’s best, as season 3 proved.
Random events, likeJohn Adams' deathand even the shooting itself, have raised the stakes for the series. However, Charles Fane has just enough of a connection to George Russell that him being behind the attack would not be completely impossible.
In earlier seasons, Charles Fane was definitely a minor character than inThe Gilded Ageseason 3, but the scenes that he was in were often with George Russell. Mr. Fane is an alderman for New York City, meaning that he has important business connections, andin season 1, he even served as the Russells' entry point into society.
InThe Gilded Ageseason 1,Mr. Russell nearly ruined the Fanes, and to survive financially, Charles asks Aurora Fane (Kelli O’Hara) to help Bertha enter society. Now, Bertha heads the New York social scene and even makes it possible for Aurora to remain in society after her divorce.
Now that he is a divorcee and disliked by those within Aurora’s circle thanks to his actions,Charles Fane may come to see his circumstances as a result of Mr. Russell’s actions, and he may have decided to take revenge. Since he is already somewhat of a villain for his treatment of Aurora, audiences likely don’t expect anything great from him anyway.
2Risley Sage
Like J.P. Morgan, Risley Sage is another real figure who was added toThe Gilded Ageseason 3’s story.Mr. Sage is a huge new business rival to Mr. Russelland one of the primary people who could stand to profit from his death, especially after the meeting at J.P. Morgan’s house concluded with Mr. Russell getting what he wanted.
This is immediately clear thanks to Mr. Sage’s plan to uncover some of Mr. Russell’s secrets, which resulted in troubling reports in the paper and a temporary setback for George. As usual, though,George proved himself the more shrewd businessmanand eventually found a solution that was even more profitable.
Despite having some very questionable business methods at times, George Russell is still presented as one of the more honest and admirable industrialists thatThe Gilded Agehas introduced; Risley Sage is the exact opposite. If he is willing to publish Mr. Russell’s secrets, he may have been willing to go even further.
Knowing that George was able to get around the news that he had planted, Mr. Sage may have been willing to hire someone to kill him, ensuring that the Illinois Central Line deal would then fall to him.Risley Sage would make a huge profit from Mr. Russell’s demise, making him a probable suspect in the assassination attempt.
Interestingly,in real life, Risley Sage survived an assassination attempt, perhaps providing the inspiration for George Russell’s season 3 near-death experience. A man walked into his office and blew the room up using dynamite, injuring Sage (viaLibrary of Congress). This historical detail could point to his involvement in a similar fictional attempt.
1Richard Clay
While several possible suspects could be behind Mr. Russell’s shooting, Richard Clay (Patrick Page) is the number one suspect. Up until the latter half of season 3,Mr. Clay served as George Russell’s secretary, making him privy to all the details about George’s work, both good and bad.
After Clay failed to seal the Morenci mining deal,George fired him without a second thought. This is a harsh reaction, but George Russell expecting the best is not surprising. Clay failed to do his job and paid the price, but Mr. Russell learned that Mr. Clay was not to be trifled with.
Clay began working with Risley Sage, but was also fired from that position when George revealed how he had missed crucial information about the mines. However, inThe Gilded Ageseason 3, episode 7,Clay likened himself to a cockroach that can withstand disaster, hinting that audiences have not seen the last of him.
While Mr. Sage would benefit financially from George’s death, it is far more personal for Clay, making him a much more dangerous enemy for Mr. Russell. Even George Russell himself stated that he sees Clay as the primary suspect, soThe Gilded Ageseason 4 will need to reveal whether that suspicion is correct.
