Gilded Age Mystery Solved: Will Morris Shoots George Russell

The mystery surrounding who shot George Russell in "The Gilded Age" has been resolved, with the assailant revealed to be Will Morris. Will is the son of Patrick Morris, who took his own life in Season 1 after facing severe financial difficulties due to a business deal with George. George's associates forcibly remove Will from his home at the beginning of the episode, leading to his mother's distress. This reveal concludes fan speculation about other potential culprits, such as former business partner Richard Clay.

Executive producer Sonja Warfield explained that the narrative was designed with multiple open questions and suspects due to widespread dissatisfaction with George's business practices. The idea to make Will the shooter reportedly came from actor Morgan Spector, who plays George, suggesting a connection to his father's fate. Despite George nearly killing Will, he ultimately chooses to spare the young man's life, a decision that aligns with his past moments of leniency towards his workers.

George's character is also depicted as struggling significantly, exacerbated by his use of laudanum, a historical concoction of opium and alcohol. Actor Morgan Spector describes George as "disintegrating" and being "a mess." This is evident when he returns home, collapsing into his wife Bertha's arms and admitting to a lack of direction. Separately, Marian navigates guilt over an encounter with Larry, and the van Rhijn household gains a new, albeit unqualified, footman named Oliver. Peggy faces discomfort as her future mother-in-law, Elizabeth, makes remarks about Peggy being a widow, while William experiences profound helplessness after his patient dies due to hospital discrimination against Black doctors.