The Gilded Age Season 3 premiere on HBO ends with one character making a stunning move to secure their own future on their own terms.

**Spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 1 “Who Is in Charge Here?” — now streaming on MAX**

After a heated argument with her mother about her romantic choices, Gladys Russell (played by Taissa Farmiga) decides to take matters into her own hands. She hurriedly packs a small bag of essentials, setting the stage for her escape from the family’s mansion on 61st street. In the final moments of The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 1, titled “Who Is in Charge Here?”, viewers watch as Gladys successfully sneaks out and disappears into the night. Her goal is clear—to reunite with her beloved, Billy Carlton (portrayed by Matt Walker), without a chaperone or familial oversight.

But just where is Gladys going? Will she come back? Is she in danger? And who the heck is Billy Carlton again?

The Gilded Age, created by Julian Fellowes, the mastermind behind Downton Abbey, showcases the extravagant lifestyle of New York City’s elite in the 19th century. The series blends historical figures like Mrs. Astor (brought to life by Donna Murphy) and Ward McAllister (played by Nathan Lane) with fictional representations inspired by legendary families such as the Vanderbilts. The Russells, for example, draw from these real-life inspirations to create a narrative rich with ambition and societal maneuvering.

In the series, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) mirrors the path of Alva Vanderbilt, a real-life counterpart known for her grand ambitions beyond high society. Alva is remembered for orchestrating lavish events, establishing the Metropolitan Opera House, and arranging her daughter Consuelo’s marriage to an English Duke. Bertha has already mirrored these moves in the Gilded Age by throwing extravagant parties and investing in significant cultural endeavors. Her current objective is to arrange a marriage for Gladys to the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb), furthering her ambitious societal aspirations.

“I have a lot of respect for what Bertha’s doing because I understand why she’s doing it. You may disagree with the way she’s going about it, but it is rooted in a deep love for her daughter,” Carrie Coon said during a recent press conference.

“She wants her daughter to be safe. She also wants her to be fulfilled and have a sense of purpose, because I think Bertha knows what it feels to have that capacity thwarted, she wants her daughter, she’s hungry for her daughter to have a kind of power she didn’t have. And which is why she’s elevating her above even New York society in this way.”

So will Bertha succeed? Not if Gladys has anything to say about it!

Here’s everything you need to know about where Gladys may be running off to and what her chances of settling down with Billy Carlton are…

The Gilded Age Season 3 Premiere Ending Explained: Where Is Gladys Running Away? Who is Billy Carlton?

Gladys Russell runs away from home at the end of The Gilded Age Season 3, prompting the immediate question: where the heck was the butler during all this? Shouldn’t he have stopped her? Oh, no, that’s not the immediate question? You want to know where she’s going? Is she eloping with Billy Carlton?

Obviously, we won’t know until next week’s episode of The Gilded Age where exactly Gladys is going, but we can safely assume that Bertha will do something about it. Gladys is seen reunited with her family in the 61st street house in the Season 3 teaser HBO aired after the premiere. So wherever Gladys is going, she won’t be there for long.

We also know for a fact that Ben Lamb is returning this season as the Duke of Buckingham, suggesting that The Gilded Age still plans to give Gladys a similar storyline to Consuelo Vanderbilt, who was force to marry the Duke of Marlborough.

What Gladys has going for her that Consuelo Vanderbilt didn’t, however, is her father’s love and support. Last season, George Russell (Morgan Spector) promised Gladys she could marry for love, setting up a confrontation between the usually harmonious Bertha and George.

“I don’t think it’s going to blow up in his face. I think it’s going to blow up in Bertha’s face,” Gilded Age star Morgan Spector told DECIDER back in 2023. “She’s the one who’s gone behind his back and done exactly the opposite of what he wanted. Yeah, it’s going to be a problem. No question.”

The problem, of course, is that Gladys is in love with Billy Carlton. So who is this kid?

We first met Billy Carlton in The Gilded Age Season 2 finale. He was at the party celebrating the imminent launch of the Metropolitan Opera House. In a short conversation, Gladys introduces him to Aurora Fain (Kelli O’Hara), who teasingly asks if he’s one of Miss Russell’s suitors. Billy says he’d like to be. He also mentions that he’s scared of Bertha.

Billy Carlton is played by Matt Walker, a Canadian actor and Juilliard alum. He’s appeared on Evil and Long Bright River and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel award for his work in 2019’s The Play That Goes Wrong.

It seems from the events in The Gilded Age Season 3 premiere, that Billy has secretly been pursuing Gladys and the two are in love. During the same aforementioned Gilded Age press conference, Julian Fellowes referred to the character as “Billy Nice Guy.”

“The fact is that the future Bertha wants for [Gladys] is infinitely more interesting,” he said.

Billy Carlton, you might be a nice guy, but we’re not getting the feeling that you’re going to get your girl.