‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Finale Teases a New Power Couple: Oscar van Rhijn and Mrs. Winterton

One of the juiciest moments in The Gilded Age Season 3 finale had nothing to do with the Russells, Larian, or a character’s pregnancy. In just one short scene, Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) gave Mrs. Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran), aka Bertha’s old maid Turner, an offer she simply couldn’t refuse. It seems that when the HBO show returns for Season 4, Oscar van Rhijn and Mrs. Winterton might be married, making them a veritable Gilded Age power couple.

**Spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 8 “My Mind is Made Up,” now streaming on HBO MAX**

Oscar van Rhijn and Mrs. Winterton’s friendship dates back to The Gilded Age Season 1. Oscar was set on wooing Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) so he could marry her and get her massive dowry. To help him in his pursuit, he enlisted her mother’s ladies maid, Turner, to spy on the girl.

When Turner re-emerges in The Gilded Age Season 2, she is married to a wealthy old society gentleman who dotes on her. Turner is now Mrs. Winterton and only the Russells and Oscar seem to recognize her. In fact, the friendship between Oscar and Enid deepens as she also is privy to his secret. She knows he is gay.

In The Gilded Age Season 3 finale, Oscar not only convinces Bertha to grant him the favor of inviting the now widowed Mrs. Winterton to her epic Newport ball, but he also pitches his newly single pal on a scheme. She has her dead husband’s fortunes, but no real friends. He has the van Rhijn family clout and invitations to every event. If they get married, they can be a real “fighting” pair. A power couple in New York City that gets to maintain their own clandestine personal lives at their respective out of town cottages.

When DECIDER spoke with The Gilded Age co-showrunners Sonja Warfield and Julian Fellowes, they refused to tease what might come next for the two fan favorite characters in Season 4.

“We can’t tease anything,” Warfield said.

“No chance of that,” Fellowes said, before admitting, “They’re a good couple, I think.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Warfield agreed. “They’re lots of fun.”

“Because they both live a lie,” Fellowes said. “And sometimes, I imagine, when you’re living a lie, it’s kind of a relief to talk to someone else who’s living a lie.”

It’s also juicy as an audience member to watch two characters on The Gilded Age who don’t have to talk in circles around natural human behavior. As Turner, Enid made a bold ploy to seduce George Russell (Morgan Spector), and Oscar, obviously, has been privately in love with the now dead John Adams (Claybourne Elder). Instead of sweeping their passions under the rug, this couple might actually bring some spice to The Gilded Age. Albeit, not with one another.

Consider us enchanted by the possibility of this match!