“The Gilded Age” courted a record audience for Season 3’s pivotal wedding episode.
The HBO drama series from Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield earned a series high-viewership of 3.8 million in the U.S. with Season 3, Episode 4, which featured the reluctant nuptials of fan-favorite character Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) to Hector Vere, 5th Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb).
This marks the show’s most-watched episode to date after three days, according to internal data. HBO added that Season 3 is currently tracking 20% ahead of last season’s viewership.
As “The Gilded Age” audience grows, the network touted the series having reached its highest-ever weekly viewership on HBO Max, based on weekly viewing accounts. HBO also noted a near-60% increase in social chatter about the show week over week. The episode, titled “Marriage Is a Gamble,” generated approximately 230% more social conversation than Episode 4 of last season.
Episode 4 followed as Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) plan to marry her daughter off to the duke came to fruition, while causing potentially irreparable damage to the Russell household. It also introduced Merritt Wever as Monica, Bertha’s sister.
Beyond the wedding bell blues, the eventful installment also saw Jack (Ben Ahlers) and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) sell their clock patent for $600,000 (equivalent to almost $20 million), though Jack kept the news of his newfound wealth from his fellow workers in the Van Rhijn household.
Gladys eventually married the duke, and the pair set off for their new home in England. The action will pick up with Episode 5 Sunday.
“The Gilded Age” airs Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.