The Gilded Age is officially preparing to return for another chapter, and HBO has now revealed exactly when viewers can step back into the world of New York’s wealthy families, ambitious social climbers and carefully guarded secrets.

Season 4 of the Julian Fellowes-created period drama will premiere Sunday, Nov. 1, giving fans a new installment just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The eight-episode season will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET and PT.

The new season promises to continue the personal battles and social maneuvering that have made The Gilded Age one of HBO’s most lavish dramas. While the series remains firmly rooted in the customs and class divisions of the late 19th century, the Season 4 teaser suggests that the women at the center of the story are entering an especially consequential period.

The official logline warns viewers to “be careful what you wish for,” hinting that the victories achieved by several characters in Season 3 may come with unexpected consequences.

At the center of the coming drama is Bertha Russell, played by Carrie Coon.

Bertha has spent much of the series determined to break into New York’s established social elite. Her ambition has already transformed the balance of power within the city’s upper-class circles, but Season 4 appears ready to explore the price she has paid for that success.

The new season’s description makes it clear that Bertha’s accomplishments have changed society, but not without creating problems inside her own household.

Her family will now have to deal with the consequences of the choices she has made.

The Season 4 teaser immediately reinforces that sense of danger. Bertha declares, “We are truly being tested,” before insisting that she and her allies must fight “with every tool we have.”

That statement suggests that the Russell family could face a new threat to the position Bertha has worked so hard to establish.

Her husband, George Russell, played by Morgan Spector, already ended Season 3 harboring resentment toward his wife. Bertha had arranged a marriage between their daughter Gladys and the Duke of Buckingham, believing the union would elevate their family’s social standing.

Although the marriage eventually developed into a genuine love match, George was still deeply unhappy with the way the decision had been made.

His frustration centered on Bertha’s refusal to allow Gladys to determine her own future.

That unresolved conflict could become increasingly important in Season 4 as the Russells attempt to maintain the appearance of a united family while their private disagreements continue to simmer.

Gladys, meanwhile, enters the new season having escaped what initially looked like a purely strategic marriage. Her relationship with the Duke ultimately became a true love story, but her situation also demonstrates the enormous influence Bertha continues to exercise over the lives of those closest to her.

The consequences of Bertha’s social ambitions may therefore extend well beyond her own reputation.

Agnes van Rhijn, portrayed by Christine Baranski, also appears ready to seize another opportunity.

Agnes has spent much of the series defending the traditions and social hierarchy that Bertha has challenged. Yet Season 4’s logline suggests that she may see a chance to regain some of the influence she has lost.

That creates the possibility of another major clash between two women who represent very different approaches to power.

Bertha is ambitious, aggressive and determined to create a place for herself within a world that initially rejected her. Agnes, by contrast, is deeply attached to established customs and the authority that comes with old money.

Their rivalry has always been one of the show’s most entertaining conflicts, and the fourth season appears poised to keep that battle alive.

Marian Brook will also be entering a new phase of her life.

Louisa Jacobson’s character ended Season 3 with a complicated romantic situation involving Larry Russell, played by Harry Richardson. Larry proposed to Marian, but her confidence in the relationship was shaken after she discovered that he had visited a house of ill repute rather than the more respectable establishment he had claimed to visit.

That revelation left Marian questioning whether she could trust Larry.

Season 4’s promise that Marian will “forge a new path for herself” suggests that her future may not necessarily depend on the marriage proposal she received.

Her storyline could therefore become one of the season’s most important explorations of independence, relationships and the limited choices available to women during the period.

Peggy Scott, meanwhile, enters the new season from a much happier position.

Denée Benton’s character accepted a marriage proposal from Dr. William Kirkland, played by Jordan Donica, at the end of Season 3. Yet the Season 4 logline suggests that happiness will not necessarily mean an easy transition.

Peggy will have to work to be accepted by her future in-laws, creating another social challenge that reflects the broader themes of the series.

Her story has consistently examined race, class, family expectations and professional ambition, and her upcoming marriage promises to bring those issues directly into her personal life.

The contrast between Peggy’s engagement and Marian’s uncertainty could also provide the season with two very different perspectives on marriage.

One woman is preparing to enter a new family while trying to secure acceptance. The other is being forced to reconsider whether the future she once imagined is actually the future she wants.

Meanwhile, Bertha’s own family remains caught between personal happiness and social ambition.

That tension has always been central to The Gilded Age, and Season 4 appears ready to push it even further.

The returning cast is extensive, reflecting the size of the world Fellowes has created. Alongside Coon, Baranski and Jacobson, the new season will feature Cynthia Nixon, Blake Ritson, Ben Ahlers, Ashlie Atkinson, Dylan Baker, Kelley Curran, Jordan Donica, Jessica Frances Dukes, Amy Forsyth, Jack Gilpin and Simon Jones.

Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Debra Monk, Hattie Morahan, Donna Murphy and Kristine Nielsen are also returning.

The ensemble further includes Kelli O’Hara, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, Erin Wilhelmi, Phylicia Rashad, Bill Camp and John Douglas Thompson.

Season 4 will also introduce several new performers to the series.

Taylor Trensch, James Scully, Dennis Haysbert, Maggie Kuntz, Neal Huff, Bonnie Milligan, Jim Gaffigan, Dallas Roberts, Andrew Burnap, Elizabeth Marvel and Adrienne Warren are all joining the cast.

Their characters have not all been revealed, leaving plenty of room for speculation about how they will fit into the established social circles.

The addition of so many new faces could also signal that the world of The Gilded Age is continuing to expand beyond the families viewers already know.

That expansion is fitting for a series whose central conflict has always involved the struggle between old traditions and a rapidly changing society.

The first three seasons have shown characters fighting over wealth, status, marriage, business and social acceptance. Season 4 appears likely to continue those themes while placing greater emphasis on the consequences of previous choices.

For Bertha, the question is whether the society she fought so hard to enter will ultimately accept her on her own terms.

For Agnes, it is whether she can reclaim the influence she believes belongs to her.

For Marian, the challenge is determining whether love and marriage should dictate her future.

And for Peggy, the struggle will be whether her new family can accept her without forcing her to compromise who she is.

Those conflicts ensure that Season 4 will have plenty of personal drama even before the broader social battles begin.

Created, written and executive produced by Julian Fellowes, The Gilded Age is also produced by director Salli Richardson-Whitfield, with Sonja Warfield serving as writer and executive producer. Gareth Neame, David Crockett, Bob Greenblatt, Kate Churchill, Davita Scarlett and Elaine Aronson also executive produce, while Armstrong Dunbar and Holly Rymon serve as co-executive producers.

The series is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

With Season 4 arriving Nov. 1, fans will not have to wait much longer to discover whether Bertha can hold onto the social power she has fought so hard to achieve, whether Marian can recover from her doubts about Larry and whether Peggy can find acceptance in her new family.

The Gilded Age may be entering another season, but the rules of its world are changing quickly.

And judging from the first hints of what is coming, the characters may soon discover that getting what they want is only the beginning of the trouble.