Shock Reunions, Farewells & Forgiveness

SPOILER WARNING: This story discusses occasions of the sequence finale.

Ultimately, the story got here full circle, harkening again to June Osborn’s first discoveries of the horrors of life on this bastardization of Christian doctrine.

Not solely did Miller convey Elisabeth Moss again to the burned-out Waterford residence that was her first jail as a handmaid, however we launched the narrative conceit of the entire story, with June narrating the sequence first traces as she begins to inform her story.

After the explosive finale that closed final week’s penultimate episode, the sequence finale went for a softer method. There was no must see how the battle in opposition to Gilead went after that blow of shedding their prime Commanders in Boston.

As an alternative, we simply acquired somewhat exposition that Gilead forces rapidly pulled out of the town, successfully handing somewhat piece of the fractured United States again. And identical to that, it was over — not less than for these folks dwelling in Boston.

Gilead continues to be very a lot a menace, at the same time as they must regroup and reconfigure their command construction on the East Coast. And so, the battle could also be received, however there’s a lengthy conflict to return.

“That is positively not a narrative the place you get what you need more often than not — or the place June will get what she needs. It’s a narrative about the right way to dwell with the issues you may’t get,” Miller informed The Hollywood Reporter.

For June, that get continues to be very a lot Hannah, so she’s not practically prepared to surrender the battle. Neither is her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), although it might seem they’re relationship might not have survived the Nick of all of it.

Do not get us improper, there isn’t a obvious animosity or anger between the 2 of them. However as they half to battle on separate fronts for the conflict to return, neither is there an embrace or any signal of romantic affection. There’s love and respect, however it seems to cease there.

In truth, the couple are getting ready to half methods once more, because the revolution pulls them in separate instructions — however with a promise to see each other once more after they reunite with Hannah.

“What I like about how June and Luke find yourself, how Bruce wrote [it] and the way they performed it, it simply feels very actual,” says co-showrunner Eric Tuchman tells TheWrap. “It feels mature, it feels trustworthy. It seems like a pair which have a protracted historical past collectively, that share a toddler, however they’re completely different folks. They’ve modified. As a lot as they want they may return to who they have been, they’ll’t.”

“They’ve been endlessly modified by this expertise. What they are going to by no means give away is the connection that they’ve. In fact, it’s via their daughter, however the love and respect that they’ve for one another,” he continued. “So perhaps they received’t be bodily collectively, however they’ll at all times be sure collectively, after which someday sooner or later, they’ll reunite once more.”

It won’t be the household reunion with Hannah and smiles for everybody that followers have been hoping for when this sequence launched in 2017, however it’s positively extra consistent with the tone of Atwood’s novels.

Whereas Miller might have identified how he would finish this sequence, even he did not know that Atwood would pen a sequel specializing in Hannah’s story, nor that Hulu would decide that present as much as sequence, as properly. The alternatives she made in that e book knowledgeable how this story might finish.

There was some excellent news for June, who began the hour considering she and the riot must conquer all the best way to Colorado to reunite her with Hannah. With the huge Commander losses, although, she realized that Hannah’s Commander was relocating to Washington, DC, bringing her virtually inside arm’s attain.

Clearly, throughout six seasons, Miller’s tackle The Handmaid’s Story went a lot deeper and additional than Atwood did in her single 1985 novel. However nonetheless, he set the stage for her sequel, The Testaments, to return. Miller can also be the creator and showrunner of that forthcoming adaptation.

This finale was a sequence of small moments that each closed this chapter of the Gilead story, and set the stage for the following one to return.

However this was by no means going to be a whole victory for anybody. Life and conflict are too messy for that. As an alternative, the most effective we might hope for was some human moments to hold our hearts on and really feel some sense of accomplishment and closure.

A technique Miller and his group did that was by bringing again a well-recognized face in Alexis Bledel’s Emily. Her return got here in a totally random second, as June was Boston making an attempt to be rebuilt.

She and June catch up after Emily’s fateful choice years again to remain and attempt to battle Gilead from the within. That selection allowed Bledel to exit the present gracefully, with the door open for this return. Emily reveals that she was a Martha for seven months after her return to Gilead.

She and June stroll alongside the water, as they did when Handmaids, however quite than seeing the lifeless our bodies of rebels, they see effigies of the lifeless Commanders and a wall of graffiti representing the ladies of Gilead declaring their names that have been stolen from them.

One other stunning reunion got here with Janine (Madeline Brewer). As we noticed that she’d been captured once more by Gilead, we have been absolutely ready for her destiny to stay unknown. As an alternative, in a late-night rendezvous, Janine was returned to the US — and he or she wasn’t alone.

As June hugged her buddy, she noticed that there was a small little one additionally being delivered to the US. She helped Janine see that she was not solely free, however being reunited along with her personal misplaced daughter, Charlotte.

Maybe most remarkably, Charlotte’s return was facilitated by each Naomi (Ever Carradine) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) who lastly spoke out in opposition to the Commanders eventually week’s aborted hanging of June Osborne and her fellow revolutionary handmaids. Aunt Lydia’s story will proceed into The Testaments, alongside Hannah (generally known as Agnes in Gilead).

Talking with Selection, Moss admitted that they might not have made that option to maintain June and Hannah separated had Atwood not made it for them.

“That was a selection that Margaret made that we, in fact, adopted, and I don’t know if we’d have accomplished it if she hadn’t written The Testaments, she defined. “I actually do not know, however I can’t think about it some other manner. I believe if there was no Testaments, this is able to be a really completely different expertise for me.”

“There’s actually no yet one more conscious of the viewers’s want for June to get Hannah again than me. It’s the primary query I’m requested. It’s the primary factor folks need,” Moss added, sharing that because of this they made the choice to sprinkle the finale with pictures of Hannah, together with that closing second in June/Offred’s room.

One of the crucial poignant and highly effective scenes was a small one, however one which put a punctuation mark on maybe the sequence’ most vital relationship all the best way again to the premiere. As Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and her son confronted an unsure future as Gilead refugees, June gave her one thing maybe much more significant — forgiveness.

As she was getting ready to board a bus to an unsure future, Serena supplied a real and honest apology for her actions. June made it clear that Serena ought to really feel ashamed for the issues she did and was a part of.

“If phrases imply something in any respect, I’m sorry,” Serena mentioned within the heartfelt trade, to which June replied that she does forgive her. “I forgive you, Serena. I do,” she mentioned sincerely, maybe stunning herself.

For her half, Serena supplied some honest phrases of her personal, telling June of Nick, “You realize, if he ever thought he had an actual selection, he would’ve chosen you.”

June additionally informed Serena that she must be okay with simply being a mom. Generally you do not should be pushed by a bigger ambition than to be the most effective you you will be within the very small world of your loved ones. In Serena’s closing second, sitting on a foul with no concept if she’d even have that come the following day, she seemed extra at peace than ever earlier than.

June additionally shared a second of semi-forgiveness for each Naomi and Aunt Lydia, as she supplied her heartfelt due to each ladies for bringing Charlotte again and reuniting her along with her precise mom, Janine.

It was notably significant for June to share that second with Lydia, as she suffered tremendously beneath the yoke that Aunt Lydia put her and her fellow handmaids beneath on the Pink Heart.

As a lot as The Handmaid’s Story is about Lydia’s awakening, The Testaments is rather more about her journey after opening her eyes to the reality of Gilead. Getting a nod of respect and appreciation from June, after all the pieces, is a testomony to the trail she’s chosen.

Lydia and Hannah will not be the one acquainted faces returning, although it isn’t clear how intently he and his group will maintain their story to the unique e book.

Whereas teasing Bledel’s return for this finale, Miller informed Us Weekly, “We’re gonna convey characters from The Handmaid’s Story to [The Testaments] as properly. So there are individuals who present up — however to let you know who they’re will take away all of the enjoyable.”

Whereas there isn’t a set launch date for The Testaments, it’s tentatively scheduled for the latter half of 2026 or early 2027.