‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4 Is Losing Two Familiar Faces, and One Exit Raises Some Big Questions

New York society is about to get a little less crowded, but that doesn't mean the drama is slowing down. HBO's The Gilded Age is preparing for its fourth season, and two familiar faces won't be joining the latest round of lavish dinners, social climbing, and wealthy people making spectacularly questionable decisions.

According to Deadline, Patrick Page and Sullivan Jones are not returning for Season 4, meaning Richard Clay and T. Thomas Fortune will be absent when the series returns on November 1. While neither character is guaranteed to be gone forever, their departures are interesting considering where we last left them. And in Clay's case, we have some questions that need answering.

Richard Clay Is Leaving With Some Unfinished Business

Of the two departures, Patrick Page's absence might be the most surprising. His character, Richard Clay, spent years working alongside George Russell (Morgan Spector), but that professional relationship went spectacularly wrong during Season 3.

After Clay failed to secure an important business deal, George fired him. Rather than quietly disappearing into the background, Clay aligned himself with one of George's biggest business rivals. Because nothing says a healthy professional separation quite like immediately joining the competition.

Then there was the rather inconvenient matter of George getting shot. Season 3 left audiences wondering who was responsible for the attempt on George's life, and Clay certainly had the motive to land himself on the suspect list. With George surviving the shooting, the mystery remains unresolved, making Clay's absence particularly curious.

Does this mean Clay wasn't involved? Will the series resolve the mystery without bringing him back? Or is The Gilded Age simply keeping that door open for a future confrontation? At this point, we don't know. However, considering how much time the series spent developing the tension between George and his former employee, having Clay disappear from the immediate picture feels like an interesting storytelling decision.

T. Thomas Fortune's Departure Makes a Little More Sense

Sullivan Jones is also stepping away from the series after portraying newspaper publisher T. Thomas Fortune, whose professional and personal connection to Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) became an important part of her journey.

Fortune wasn't just another gentleman wandering around New York society. He played a role in Peggy's development as a journalist while their relationship carried complications of its own, particularly because he was married.

Things became even more uncomfortable as Peggy's relationship with Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) developed. Fortune and William eventually came to blows, adding another layer of tension to an already complicated situation.

With Peggy now engaged to William, it's understandable that the series would shift its attention toward her future rather than revisit an old romantic complication.

Still, we'd hate for Fortune's departure to mean Peggy's professional ambitions get pushed into the background. Her career has been one of the show's most compelling storylines, and watching her navigate journalism during an era determined to limit Black women's opportunities deserves just as much attention as her romantic life.

A wedding is lovely, but Peggy has plenty more to accomplish.

Are These Departures Permanent?

Not necessarily. Both Page and Jones joined The Gilded Age during its first season in recurring roles before being promoted to series regulars for Season 2. Their status shifted back to recurring for Season 3, and now neither is expected to appear in the upcoming fourth season.

Deadline reports that future guest appearances remain possible, so fans shouldn't interpret these departures as definitive endings for either character. Meanwhile, the rest of New York's high society has enough problems to keep everyone occupied. George and Bertha Russell's marriage remains in serious trouble, Agnes van Rhijn is plotting her return to social prominence, and Peggy's future with William may not be quite as straightforward as an engagement announcement would suggest. And let's not forget that Bertha Russell is still Bertha Russell. That woman could turn a seating arrangement into a declaration of war.

When Does ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4 Premiere?

The Gilded Age returns Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, with an eight-episode fourth season.

With new characters entering the picture and familiar faces stepping aside, the series has plenty of room for fresh conflicts. But we're particularly interested in seeing how the writers handle the mystery surrounding George's shooting without Clay appearing this season. Because you can't spend an entire season making someone look suspicious and expect us to simply forget about him when the next one begins.

Well, you can try.

Are you disappointed that Richard Clay and T. Thomas Fortune won't return for Season 4? And do you still think Clay had something to do with George's shooting?