Emily Makes a Long-Awaited Return in 'The Handmaid's Tale' Series Finale
The Handmaid's Tale has put us through the wringer throughout its final season (and the whole series, really), but luckily, not all of the surprises have been brutal. In this week's season 6 finale—the show's final episode—June (Elisabeth Moss) and viewers at home were treated to Emily's (Alexis Bledel) shocking but welcome return.
The character, who was introduced in the show's first season, was written off after season 4 when Bledel stepped away from the series. In season 5, Emily's wife, Sylvia (Clea DuVall), tells June that Emily returned to Gilead on a personal mission to seek revenge and find Aunt Lydia. Since then, she's been missing in action, until this week's finale scene, where Emily and June reunite and take a walk together in a freed Boston.
'It was an immediate yes,' Bledel told The Hollywood Reporter of returning to Handmaid's for the finale. 'It felt right to bring closure to Emily's journey and offer the audience a sense of completion. Bruce put together such a kind and talented group, and so many of the original crew were still there in season six. The production runs like a well-oiled machine — everyone brings their best. I'm excited to see what they create in [sequel series] The Testaments.'
Bledel added, 'I hope viewers take away to keep hope alive when things seem impossible. Even if it seems like seeds you plant couldn't possibly grow, plant seeds of hope anyway. You never know; they might find a way.'
The actress announced her departure from The Handmaid's Tale in May 2022, ahead of the season 5 premiere. 'After much thought, I felt I had to step away from 'The Handmaid's Tale' at this time,' she told Variety in a statement. 'I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.'
At the time, Moss told Entertainment Tonight that Bledel's exit 'wasn't the easiest thing in the world to handle, I'll be honest with you, because she's such a great, fantastic part of the show. But I do think that it was handled in a really good way.'
Years later, the star, director, and executive producer opened up about bringing Bledel—and Emily—back to Handmaid's for its emotional conclusion. 'Bruce talked to me about bringing her back a while ago, before there was even an outline or script,' Moss told THR. 'I think I said to him at the time, 'You realize now that you've told me that, we have to do it.' It's not the easiest thing in the world to call an actor and be like, 'Can you come back for this one episode?' They're busy. But I was like, 'She has to do it.' I get very passionate about these things! And she wanted to do it from the beginning. She didn't need convincing at all. My first official scene on day one [on set] was with Alexis. So it meant a lot to get to work with her again.'
That surprise cameo meant a lot to fans, too.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Erica Gonzales is the Deputy Editor, Culture at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cierra's Family Slams Fan Threats After Her ‘Love Island USA' Exit Over Racist Post: The ‘Attacks' Are ‘Heartbreaking' and ‘No One Deserves That Hate'
The family of 'Love Island USA' contestant Cierra Ortega issued a statement on her Instagram story calling for compassion from fans following Cierra's abrupt exit from the Peacock dating competition series. Cierra, one of Season 7's original cast members, has received widespread backlash online after a social media post in which she used racist language resurfaced online. It was revealed by narrator Iain Stirling during the July 6 episode (Episode 30) that Cierra 'left the villa due to a personal situation.' 'As Cierra's parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives,' Cierra's family statement reads. 'We've seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn't seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her. We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what's happening online right now has gone far beyond that. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it's heartbreaking. It's uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they've made.' More from Variety Cierra Leaves 'Love Island USA' Due to a 'Personal Situation' Amid Backlash Over Resurfaced Post 'Five-Star Weekend' Peacock Series Casts Judy Greer, West Duchovny, Tory Devon Smith (EXCLUSIVE) Ariana Madix and Iain Stirling on 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Surprises, Heart-Rate Challenge Aftermath and Toxic Fans: 'To Be Cringe Is to Be Free' 'While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away,' the statement continues. 'She hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth, and grace. While she'll always be our little girl, she's also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice.' The statement concludes: 'Until then, we're simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this. Thank you to those who've continued to show love, even when it's not easy.' Cierra had been in an exclusive couple with Nic Vansteenberg for several episodes prior to her exit from 'Love Island USA.' He has seen coupled up with Olandria Carthen. The Cierra controversy marks the second time in Season 7 that a contestant has left the show amid backlash over past social media posts. Yulissa Escobar was kicked off the show after two episodes for using racial slurs in old podcast clips that resurfaced online. 'In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur,' Escobar wrote on her Instagram account in an apology post after her removal. 'I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.' 'Love Island USA' airs new episodes on Peacock every weeknight except for Wednesdays and Saturdays. The finale is set for Sunday, July 13. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jesse Tyler Ferguson Opens Up About Processing 'Criticism' Over 'Stereotypical' 'Modern Family 'Role
Jesse Tyler Ferguson opened up about dealing with "criticism" from the gay community over his Modern Family character The actor, who played Mitchell Pritchett on the beloved ABC sitcom, said he always took it "with such a grain of salt" While the character was never meant to represent all gay men, Ferguson said he viewed Mitchell as "a shade of who I was"Jesse Tyler Ferguson is reflecting on the criticism he received from gay Modern Family viewers. The 49-year-old actor, who played Mitchell Pritchett on the beloved ABC sitcom, opened up on the July 9 episode of the Dinner's on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast about the feedback the gay community gave him about his character during the show's 11-season run from 2009 to 2020. "One of the pressures I've always felt, specifically after being on a show like Modern Family, where I'm portraying a gay man on a television show on a network that is as popular as it is," he began. "You receive criticism, as you do with anything you do, but the criticism that I think I heard the loudest was always from the gay community." Ferguson said the feedback, as he took it, was that "maybe I didn't represent their idea of what a gay relationship was, or a gay man was." "I'm representing one person," he reasoned. "I'm in charge of this one character." While Ferguson felt that his Modern Family character wasn't supposed to represent all gay men, it did represent someone he knew: himself. The actor said he viewed Mitchell as "a shade of who I was" and joked, "If it's stereotypical, I'm basically playing myself, so, I guess, guilty as charged." The series was a hit with viewers and won two GLAAD Media Awards for its everyday depiction of a gay couple on primetime TV. Not only that, but Ferguson and his onscreen love interest, Eric Stonestreet, who played Mitchell's husband Cameron Tucker, both received Emmy nominations for their work. While Ferguson received five Emmy nominations but never won, Stonestreet won two Emmys out of three nominations. During an August 2024 episode of Dinner's on Me, Ferguson said playing Mitchell on the small screen felt empowering in a way. "There was some weird superpower that I felt like I was being protected by this role that I was also playing," he said at the time. "It kind of gave me this coat of armor, and I had this protection of being this character that people also loved," he continued. "I don't know. It was really weird." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Modern Family is streaming in full on Hulu. Read the original article on People
Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Pixar's ‘Elio' is not a political movie, but it arrives at a political time
Floating in the vastness of unknowable space, our miniscule planet contains all of our stories — victories and tragedies orbiting around a dying star. But what if we could leave it all behind and start anew elsewhere? To migrate if you will. Elio Solís (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) dreams of leaving Earth — he feels he doesn't belong. As day turns to night, the eponymous orphaned boy in Pixar's new intergalactic adventure looks up at the sky and wonders if perhaps somewhere out there, on another levitating rock or among a still undiscovered alien race, he might feel more at home. The animated voyage, with its themes of alienation and aliens, arrives at a time when immigrants in this country, and Latinos at large, have become the target of brutal ICE raids that ignore due process and racially profile citizens and undocumented people alike. In turn, the production of 'Elio' also illuminates the regressive political climate in this country. Last week, a piece published by The Hollywood Reporter claimed that leadership at Pixar erased the protagonist's queer identity, prompting the original writer-director Adrian Molina to exit the project, with Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian stepping in to co-direct 'Elio.' Had his take come to fruition, Molina, who is Mexican American, would have become the first Latino and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to solo direct a movie for Pixar. Still, the version that did make it to the screen, where Elio feels ostracized because of his obsession with extraterrestrial life and all its possibilities, remains relevant. Though not overt about his ethnicity, the movie features visual nods to Elio's Latino upbringing: a Day of the Death altar (pertinent since Molina co-directed 'Coco'), a Spanish language song on the radio and colorful conchas as part of a feast. It's not a stretch to think that the premise of a Latino kid alienated for who he is and who believes that he won't ever feel fully accepted in the place he calls home could speak to millions of Latino children across this country; especially here in California, witnessing the disturbing, life-threatening consequences of the administration's policies. Kids who must be wondering why there are masked men violently abducting people that look like their family members solely based on their appearance, or why their parents don't want to leave the house, or why the vendor near their school hasn't shown up in weeks. They might be devastated to learn via online chatter that the people in charge of this country don't want them to feel like they belong, even if they were born here. Now think about the children whose parents were among those taken. Words fail to estimate the trauma they must be experiencing without any certainty of when or if they'll be reunited. How do you explain to a child that the president of the United States is gleefully targeting anyone he deems looks 'illegal,' regardless of their immigration status? That millions of people in this country harbor such hatred against immigrants that they cheer on an ill child being deported, children crying for their mothers and people dying in detention centers? 'I voted for this,' they write on social media endorsing the inhumane atrocities their government is committing against people they consider 'criminals.' But their rigid version of legality only applies to immigrants from underprivileged backgrounds, those who have no choice but to cross borders without documents in order to survive, to aspire to a dignified life. The 'right way' is not available to the poor, and those in power know it. Down here in our chaotic reality, the villains currently have the upper hand. But up in space, nobody asked Elio for a passport or questioned the validity of his existence. On the contrary, the leaders of other planets, who gathered in a striking locale known as 'Communiverse,' take his claim that he is the leader of Earth at face value and the singular boy rises to the occasion. Elio helps deescalate a conflict with a space warlord and reconnects with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) by befriending and then saving the life of the warlord's young son. Unfortunately, 'Elio' has become Pixar's biggest box office failure, despite being one of the studio's best reviewed releases in recent years. Grosses were low globally, perhaps as a result of poor marketing or because audiences have been conditioned to wait for Disney's animated films to hit streaming rather than seeing them in theaters. But while that outcome can't entirely be attributed to Latinos not going to the movies, when millions who are part of the audience that most devoutly purchase tickets in this country — we see movies even though the movies don't often show us — are frightened to step outside their door, one can't help but wonder if the numbers for 'Elio' would be at least slightly different if the ICE raids were not terrorizing the community. If people are afraid to even go to the grocery store, movie theaters are certainly not a priority. This country takes Latinos for granted, including how our money impacts Hollywood. I hope that 'Elio' lands in front of Latino children soon, and that they see that the hero who saves not only himself but the entire planet is a Latino boy who ultimately redefines the meaning of home on his own terms. Amid the horrors, I also wish for them to not feel alone, and that they know thousands of people have taken to the streets to speak up for them. People who believe they do belong here, that they are not 'aliens' or 'invaders,' but integral part of this country. And that their parents and others in their lives, documented or not, deserve dignity and compassion, no matter what the overlords do to deny them.
