Watch: 'The Simpsons' Kills Off Marge in Shocking Season Finale TwistWarning: This article contains major spoilers for The Gilded Age's Aug. 3 season three, episode seven "Ex-Communicated." The Gilded Age fans are clenching their teeth after one character's possible death. During the HBO period drama's Aug. 3 episode, main character George Russell (played by Morgan Spector) was seemingly killed off in a shocking twist. Season three's penultimate episode ended with a cliffhanger after a shooter entered the wealthy industrialist's study and pointed a gun at him. While a single shot was fired, it's not clear if Russell was shot and killed by the intruder or not as the screen went to black, leaving viewers on the edges of their seats to find out if the millionaire lives or dies. While fans will have to tune in to the show's Aug. 10 season finale to find out Russell's fate following the unexpected plot twist, Spector teased that viewers might not want to hold their breath for his character's return.photos2025 TV Premiere Dates"You should be very worried," the actor told Variety in an interview published Aug. 3. "In the 19th century, gunshot wounds from up close were extremely dangerous. Many people didn't survive them. I don't have a contract for next season yet, so who knows?" But, unlike fans, Spector was happy after receiving the script in which his character was attacked.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO"When I read the ending for that episode, I was just thrilled," the 44-year-old admitted, "because it's such a left turn for our show. It's totally historically accurate. This kind of thing happened during that era, but it doesn't feel like The Gilded Age." Spector also noted timely comparisons between Russell's assassination attempt and the December 2024 fatal shooting of insurance CEO Brian Thompson.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO"When I read the script, it wasn't that long after Luigi Mangione shot the United Healthcare CEO," he added. "I was like, [creator] Julian Fellowes is clairvoyant. It redoubled my sense that there's a way that this show, however subtly, however quietly, is really in dialog with our current moment, simply by virtue of there being structural similarities between the two eras. Spector continued, "Both of these time periods have massive wealth and massive inequality. Both of them are characterized by industrial titans who are kind of swinging the state around by its tail. The consequences of that can be violence." Find out Russell's fate when The Gilded Age season finale airs Sunday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m. on HBO. Int he meantime, keep reading to see other TV stars' shocking exits from their hit shows.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty ImagesSofia Mattsson, General HospitalThe soap opera actress exited the long-running series in summer 2025 after seven years playing Sasha Gilmore.
BravoJax Taylor, The ValleyJax Taylor will not be returning to The Valley for season three amid growing concern from fans about his behavior during the show's second season. "Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting," the Bravo star-who is embroiled in a nasty divorce from estranged wife Brittany Cartwright-announced in July 2025. "Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself-especially for our son, Cruz."Virginia Sherwood/NBCMehcad Brooks, Law & OrderThe True Blood alum shocked fans in 2025 when it was revealed he was leaving the NBC crime drama ahead of season 25. Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.HBO Max/Warrick PageTracy Ifeachor, The PittThe Pitt star Tracy Ifeachor walked away from the hit HBO Max series after the medical drama's breakout first season. "It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece," the actress posted on Instagram July 10. "Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me."Liane Hentscher/HBOPedro Pascal, The Last of UsWhile fans maybe should have been aware that the days were numbered for Pedro Pascal's Joel Miller, considering his April 2025 death was quite similar to how it unfolded in The Last of Us Part II, the 2020 video game season two of The Last of Us is based on, the moment his character was brutally impaled still stunned. Pascal, meanwhile, who also died onscreen in Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, took his game over status in stride. "I get killed a lot," he joked to Entertainment Weekly. "I like to die." Disney/Christopher WillardPeter Krause, 9-1-1After what he dubbed "one wild adventure," Peter Krause officially extinguished his role as 9-1-1's Los Angeles Fire Department captain Bobby Nash on an April 2025 episode of the procedural drama. "Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this," Krause wrote in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. "First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them." Killing off the som