“The Gilded Age” is finally a hit.

The breakthrough was Sunday night, when George Russell (Morgan Spector) was unexpectedly shot.

The shooter is unknown, and so it the person he works for. It’s likely one of George’s many enemies, like Clay, whose life was destroyed earlier in the episode during a failed business deal. When George gloated about Clay’s demise, Spector sounded just like Larry Hagman in “Dallas.”

Of course like JR, George will survive, and be more vicious than ever. Maybe the season ending cliffhanger this Sunday will keep fans salivating until Season 4 returns.

Show creator Julian Fellowes and his amazing partner in crime, Salli Richardson Whitfield, have amped up the drama and the humor this season. The episodes swing by, there’s no dwelling on deep moments. When Oscar’s lover died, we didn’t see Oscar being told. No, that was off screen. We were already on to the aftermath.

Many stories and actors stand out. Nathan Lane’s Ward McAllister is Truman Capote a century early. McAllister has been excommunicated from society for writing a scathing book, just Capote faced the same expulsion in 1975 when he published a chapter from his novel, “Answered Prayers,” in Esquire. He was dropped by the society women he wrote about, and the full novel didn’t see the light of day until 1986.

Will Lane return? Let’s hope so. But soon we’ll see him again in “Only Murders in the Building.”

Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon as the wealthy battling sisters are always top notch. This past week, Nixon levitated as Aunt Ada advised niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson, aka Streep) when she warned her against becoming a spinster. Aunt Ada is a gem.

There are so many Broadway stars in “Gilded Age,” it’s a little daunting but a lot of fun to watch them all in scenes. One of the best stories is about Peggy (Denee Benton) and her family including her mother, played by Audra McDonald. Lately, McDonald has been in scenes with Phylicia Rashad, who’s playing the scowling mother of Peggy’s possible future husband. This whole story could be spun off as its own series.

But back to George. Fellowes really has made him a likeable JR Ewing, twirling his actual mustache as he dances on the graves of his enemies. Lately George has been staying at his club while fighting with his wife, Bertha, played by sudden HBO star Carrie Coon. So George’s enemy could be anyone, not just a business player but maybe someone he’s seen at club. The possibilities are endless.

So on we go to Sunday, and then a fourth season that should make “The Gilded Age” bigger than “The White Lotus.” Bravo!