Photo Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

George and Bertha Russell’s marriage is in trouble. In Season 4 of The Gilded Age , the once-unbreakable power couple of New York’s elite are at odds — they’re also an ocean apart. In the season premiere, which aired last night, Bertha ( Carrie Coon ) is in England with the daughter she married off to a duke after much scheming and plotting as she gives birth to their grandson. While railroad tycoon George (Morgan Spector) is unraveling under the pressure of maintaining an empire and the impending doom of pesky anti-monopoly laws. Last season, he moved out of their house. This season, he’s barely tolerating his wife. It’s a far cry from the doting, sexy, us-against-the-world energy the Russells were giving in Season 1. But the chill between their characters is the exact opposite vibe Coon and Spector exude in real life.

Together, the actors are warm and playful, complimenting each other frequently and passionately defending their political outspokenness.…