HBO’s ‘Downton Abbey’ Replacement Is Losing 2 Key Stars Ahead of Season 4
Two recurring cast members, Patrick Page and Sullivan Jones, will not return for the fourth season of HBO’s historical drama The Gilded Age. Page’s departure is more consequential because his character, Richard Clay, was implicated in the season-three shooting of railway tycoon George Russell, leaving the show to resolve a major cliffhanger without an obvious suspect.
Jones played newspaper editor T. Thomas Fortune, whose professional and romantic ties to Peggy Scott had largely faded by season three. He appeared in only one episode that season, while Peggy’s career and new relationship developed without him, suggesting his storyline had reached a natural end.
In short
- Patrick Page and Sullivan Jones are leaving The Gilded Age.
- Page’s exit leaves the attack on George Russell unresolved.
- Fortune’s storyline had already receded from the drama.
Explained simply
The Gilded Age is a historical drama set in New York during the late 19th century, when rapid industrial growth brought new fortunes and social change. It follows wealthy families, including the Russells, alongside people working to build careers in a society shaped by money, status and strict social rules.
George Russell is a railway tycoon, and his wife Bertha is seeking influence among New York’s established elite. Peggy Scott is a writer whose work and relationships connect her to the city’s Black community and its press; T. Thomas Fortune is a newspaper editor who has been part of her story.
The series also centres on conflicts within and between these households, so changes to recurring characters can affect how their stories continue. Richard Clay has been linked to a major event in the Russells’ story, while Fortune’s connection with Peggy had become less prominent.