The Handmaid’s Tale premiered the first three episodes of its final season on April 8, with new episodes releasing weekly thereafter. Fans are both excited and saddened to see how June Osborne’s story will end: will she finally be able to rescue her daughter, Hannah? Or will she lose to Gilead?
The two-time Golden Globe-winning TV show is based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel, published in 1985, and has been critically acclaimed ever since. This harrowing and haunting story gives a dark glimpse into a dystopian world that a patriarchal, totalitarian government overtook, which no longer feels so far away. The Handmaid’s Tale follows a woman by the name of June. Throughout the show, we watch her struggle as she attempts to escape the world of Gilead and also rescue her daughter, who was taken from her.
The Handmaid’s Tale was released in 2017 and is the proud owner of at least 15 Emmys and countless nominations. Seven years later, on Sept. 6, 2024, the news was announced in an official Instagram post, with Elizabeth Moss holding a clapboard that read “Season 6.” Fans were left with Season five’s cliffhanger for three years, sitting in the final image of June Osborne’s smirk.
As a fan since the premiere of its second season, it has been breathtaking to see how much this show and the characters have grown. Moss’s acting has only strengthened; fans can see just how much she has absorbed the role of June. We will finally see a conclusion to June’s story, as well as Serena’s, Aunt Lydia’s, and many more characters.
During the break between Seasons five and six, Moss, the star, executive producer, and director of the series, had her first child.
“It was incredibly meaningful to end this show as a mom, I have to tell you,” Moss details in her interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I think I didn’t even realize it until I saw different points in the show as we went through… I’m really glad that I got to have this last season playing June with a little bit more visceral emotional experience of some of the things that June is talking about or fighting for.”
The final season is subject to premiere with 10 episodes and will air its final episode on May 27. The final season will see the return of our core cast members: Moss as June Osborne, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Waterford, Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence, Samira Wiley as Moira, O-T Fagbenle as Luke, Max Minghella as Nick, Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, Amanda Brugel as Rita, and Madeline Brewer as Janine.
It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and I am so sad to see it go. That said, you need to run, not walk, to the TV and stream it on Disney+ and Hulu.