Carrie Coon: "There's still a double standard for women in power"

" Respect for female ambition, frankly, is something we're still working on," said the actress, who plays Bertha Russell on the show. "There's still such a double standard for women in power, such a fine line to walk."

From 'Downton Abbey' creator Julian Fellowes, the third season of 'The Gilded Age' - set in 1882 - will bring great turmoil to the marriage of Bertha and George Russell (played by Morgan Spector), exposing the way women try to gain some control in an oppressive society.

"George doesn't understand what's at stake for a woman," Carrie Coon said. "A woman's playing field is very different. He doesn't understand our survival instinct, which is, in this case, through marriage."

Writer and executive producer Sonja Warfield described the theme of this season as an exploration of who has power, who controls society and marriage. “There are universal themes for human beings, whether it’s love, death, marriage,” she said. “Even though these people are living in the 1880s, these are themes that are relevant today.”

The dilemma of marriage is experienced by characters from several generations and determines the social status in New York at the time. This is why Bertha Russell considers the marriage of her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) an existential question that her husband does not understand.

"The thing Gladys wanted most was freedom, and to achieve that freedom you can't just choose what you want to do; you have to be able to do it," Taissa Farmiga said. "Status gives you the power to choose what you want to do," she continued. "She thought freedom meant getting away from her parents and Bertha's guidance, but in the end it's getting closer to her mother."

Marian Brook (played by Louisa Gummer) also embodies this dilemma because she wants more from life than a domestic existence, explained Julian Fellowes.

"She wants to do more than dress for the opera and be on time for dinner," the creator said. "But that society was very difficult for women who were not content to manage the home and children and ask their husbands if they had a good day."

Fellowes also drew parallels between the egos of the men portrayed in the series and those in the news today, such as business magnate Elon Musk. “There are a lot of things that are different, the responses are different, the social norms are different. But there is a lot that is the same,” he said. “There are a lot of parallels between the Gilded Age and now.”

The third season's narrative also represents a substantial shift for sisters Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), with a reversal of positions. Agnes loses everything and Ada comes to have power at home, a progression that surprised and pleased actress Cynthia Nixon.

"It's not interesting to see a character doing the same thing over and over again, it's nice to put her in a completely different situation and see her struggle, chase and try to fake it until she makes it," said the actress. That's what the audience will see in Ada Brook in this new phase.

The third season of 'The Gilded Age' has eight episodes that will premiere weekly on HBO Max. The finale is scheduled for August 11.

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