'The Handmaid's Tale': Will June Get Hannah Back In The Season Six Finale?
Within the opening scenes of The Handmaid's Tale first season, we watched as June's child, Hannah, was torn from her arms by the oppressive regime of Gilead. Fast forward five seasons and several years, and June is still separated from her child, with Hannah being stationed firmly in Gilead's clutches throughout the seasons. The big question plaguing viewers, however, is whether June will get to be reunited with her beloved child in the series' final outing?
While the answer will be revealed this weekend, if Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale is anything to go by, it may not be a happy ending for the mother-daughter duo. In the novel, readers aren't even given June's name or her daughter's, and the book's protagonist — which is understood to be June — isn't reunited with her daughter, suggesting the fate of the television characters could mirror that of the novel's.
There's also the knowledge that The Testaments, The Handmaid's Tale sequel, is on its way. Set approximately 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, it's not only a sequel but a spiritual successor, too.
In The Testaments novel, Hannah becomes 'Agnes Jemima', a child raised within Gilead; while Baby Nicole (June's younger daughter in Canada) eventually infiltrates Gilead as a juvenile operative. While June and Hannah's fate is unclear ahead of the final episode airing, it is a certainty that the final episode will establish the children as future agents of change.
The Handmaid's Tale season six finale will air on Channel 4 on July 5.
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.
Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years' worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Elle
6 hours ago
- Elle
Emily Makes a Long-Awaited Return in 'The Handmaid's Tale' Series Finale
Spoilers below. 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 where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
Elle
15 hours ago
- Elle
'The Handmaid's Tale': Yvonne Strahovski Explains Serena And June's Finale Face-Off
*This article contains spoilers For six seasons, Serena Joy Waterford has evolved from a quiet enforcer of Gilead's oppressive regime to a woman caught between survival and redemption. As The Handmaid's Tale wraps up its final season on July 5, all eyes are firmly on Serena's highly anticipated resolution. Ahead of the finale debut, Yvonne Strahovski, who portrays Serena spoke to ELLE UK and revealed all pertaining to her character's evolution, the moments that defined her as a villain, and whether she deserves the forgiveness of those that she has directly harmed - namely June Osbourne (Elisabeth Moss). As an early advocate of Gilead's regime and the former wife of Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), Serena has for the most part been a high-ranking figure in Gilead's power structure. That is until her vision of women having a singular purpose - to be domesticated - was realised, and she too became one of the most tragic victims of her own manifesto. As Strahovski puts it, 'She's a character full of contradictions. She's not someone who easily accepts blame, but she knows the weight of her choices.' This awareness of the choices she's made, combined with the inability to fully comprehend who she is outside the oppressive system she helped build, has shaped Serena into one of the show's most morally complex characters. Strahovski continues, 'She's spent so much time in a world that she helped create that it's hard for her to even see who she is outside of it.' For all her cruelty, Serena is not without her moments of vulnerability, and one of the most interesting aspects of her character is her bond with June. Though she has inflicted unspeakable suffering on June throughout the series, there's an odd, shared understanding between the two women. They recognise each other's suffering, and in the finale's final moments, it's this nuanced relationship that defines Serena's tragic resolution. Strahovski doesn't sugarcoat the issue of forgiveness. June's act of forgiving Serena is one of the most shocking twists in the final season. However, Strahovski views June's decision not as a form of absolution for Serena, but rather as part of June's own healing process. 'June's been carrying so much rage for so long,' Strahovski states. 'I think this moment of forgiveness is more about June letting go of the anger that has defined her entire journey. It's not about Serena getting a free pass. It's about June finding a way to heal.' June's forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean Serena is absolved of her crimes. Instead, it reflects a pivotal moment in June's character arc, where she finally sheds the rage that has consumed her since the beginning of the series. June's forgiveness allows her to move forward, unburdened by Serena. However, it doesn't diminish the damage Serena has done. Now, stripped of her power, her position, and her former life, she is left in exile, a refugee without a country, without protection, no one is likely to want to take her in, it marks her permanent fall from grace. As Strahovski sums it up, 'I don't think Serena ever gets the "happy ending". But I think that's the point. Gilead doesn't let anyone off the hook that easily.' 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.
Elle
16 hours ago
- Elle
Madeline Brewer Knows You Wanted This Ending For Janine Too In 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Major spoilers below. If there was any character that The Handmaid's Tale fans were praying would get a happy ending in the series finale, it was Janine, the feisty, and at times delusional, handmaid played by Madeline Brewer. Like all those forced to don red in Gilead, Janine has been through hell and back, but season 6 was particularly brutal: Throughout the show's last 10 episodes, viewers find out that Janine has been forced into a life of sex work at Jezebel's. When Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) then shuts down the brothel, Janine watches as her friends get violently murdered, and she gets reassigned to be a handmaid for the abusive and obsessive Commander Bell (Timothy Simons). Even after Mayday retakes the city of Boston, and Bell is murdered, Janine is still trapped in Gilead—until one night when she's delivered across the border and into June's (Elisabeth Moss) arms. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and Naomi Lawrence née Putnam (Ever Carradine) appear soon after, finally ready to give Janine her daughter, Charlotte, back. 'I know [fans] are [getting] what they've been asking for, and insisting upon, for seasons and seasons now,' Brewer tells ELLE of the emotional reunion. 'Every time I post anything about Handmaid's, [the comments are] like, "I just need her to get into Canada with Charlotte"' Below, the actress gives her full thoughts on Janine's resolution, filming the episode's dream karaoke sequence (featuring a few deceased characters), and the parallels between Handmaid's Tale and Brewer's other talked-about series, You. I was just saying earlier today that I was like, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready. And now that the final episode is [airing], I'm like, No, I'm not ready for it to be over. It is just always a little bit anxiety-inducing to meet the end of a very major chapter of your life. I've been really proud since season been allowed to evolve. They didn't try to keep her as the crazy, screw-loose [handmaid], a little bit of almost comic relief at times. They allowed her to become more fully grounded between season 4 and season 6. So, season 6 has been especially gratifying to me as an actor. Janine is grounded. She has a purpose, but she's willing at the drop of a hat to help her friends. No, I don't have any say in anything. But one of our writers told me in season 4, 'We're not killing you. It's just not going to happen. I think that's something we've pretty firmly decided will not happen.' So, I was like, "I wonder how this will end then?" I found out reading the script. Lizzie [Moss] had said something to me during season 6, something like, "I think you'll be very happy with where you end up." And I am. I'm very happy with where Janine lands and with whom she lands. It's just such a beautiful moment of these four women—Naomi, Lydia, Janine, and June—and the sacrifices that they've all made. I've called it a quiet ending, because it's so peaceful for me. It's not chaotic and bombs going off and a plane blowing up. It's such a beautifully peaceful, quiet, earned ending for a character who has been through so much. And she's the one that you'd think is going to go out with a real bang and a real fight. I'm so glad that she just gets to quietly go into the next phase of her life. I never really allowed myself to do that, because I think part of me, despite what they told me, thought Janine would die in Gilead, maybe in the fight or something...I'm glad that I just let it be. And I trust our writers. I think with all of the chaos of what happens in the days prior, and some of the things Serena has been saying to Naomi, it really cuts to the core that Naomi is a mother. She's been a mother to this girl. Especially seeing [Commander] Lawrence with Charlotte, I think it just changes something for her. Because when we think about the timeline, Naomi would've been raised to read books and to form her own opinions. And regardless of what she believes in this patriarchal structure, I think she wants her daughter to know how to read. I think she wants her to know how to form her own opinions and experience the most out of life, and she knows it's not going to happen in Gilead. It's a really beautiful sacrifice that Naomi makes where she, for the first time it seems, casts aside her own ego and her own hatred of these handmaids, and puts the life and happiness of her daughter [first]. Oh, it was beautiful. Nina [Kiri, who plays Alma, who died in season 4] and Bahia [Watson, who plays Brianna, who also died in season 4] are two of my closest friends, so to have them back, to see Alexis [Bledel, who plays Emily] after so many was a beautiful moment. It was bittersweet, which is how I think we've all described the ending. But that is a callback to season 1 where I'm on the bridge, and June is trying to get Janine to come down, and she's like, 'We could drink margaritas and do karaoke.' It's such a beautiful callback to their friendship and the way these women have saved each other, repeatedly, and in a different world, in a different time, they could have been was really nice to just think about what could have been. It was also a beautiful goodbye for all of us. I think that's really what they wanted. To say: Our final image of these women together is not going to be in strife. Let's remember them as what they could have been together. There's too much history and too much guilt, and resentment, and love, and fear that they could only just part ways. Janine recognizes what Lydia did for her. And I think Lydia cannot move forward without doing this. But I don't think that absolves anyone of their participation, speaking only for Janine and Lydia. I think that guilt will haunt Lydia for a very long time. What she learns in episodes 9 and 10 of this series sets up The Testaments. But I don't think their relationship could ever meet peace. There's just too much history. Let's say they both ended up in Canada and were living normal lives. I don't think they'd go out for coffee. It's like, this is over now, because this is all we can be to each other, is this relationship. This can't take on another life in another place and time. She just texted me this morning! I've worked with so many brilliant actors on The Handmaid's Tale that it would be impossible not to take with me some of the technical things I've learned as an actor. But what I'll take with me, from Ann specifically, is that is the warmest and most generous human being you will ever meet in your life. As archaic as it is, and icky as it is sometimes, it's a caste system on a set. It's hierarchical, and you don't really step out of your rank, which is insane. Ann has a way of being at the top of the totem pole and making every single person feel like her closest friend. She has a way of touching every person and making them feel heard, and wanted, and valued in just a quick interaction. She makes sure to thank everyone, all of our crew, all of our background [actors], our crafty, everybody. I've seen the warmth that she brings to people. And I will take that with me because it changes your life. She's magic. Lizzie doesn't blink. She blinks, of course, but she has a way of maintaining eye contact and connection where I think most people might shy away. I have trouble with eye contact—I'm looking anywhere but in someone's eyes. And watching her, that connection is so powerful and engaging. That was when all of the Jezebels get shot. It was like my body was ignited. It was so hard, but necessary. She's lost so much, Janine. That was one of the only things she was really living for. She was living for Charlotte, but her purpose was with these women, her friends, her sisters, and she can't save them. There's nothing she can do. It's just so utterly devastating. Janine has just made me a better person. She's smarter, and funnier, and more compassionate, and stronger. She's so many things I'm not and that I aspire to be. She is smart! That's the thing about Janine that I've always loved and admired is that she knows how to survive. When we meet her in seasons 1 and 2, and she's checked out, it's because that's how she's going to get through. Because, otherwise, what? Is she supposed to meet despair and torture every day? And in the meantime, that sisterhood—with Alma, Brianna, and June—uplifts her and holds her, as she does them. It really drives home for me the truth that we are nothing without our sisterhoods, whatever they may look like. Our sisterhoods, our brotherhoods, our everythings. Our communities are how we get through. Not between the characters, but definitely thematically. I guess that's part of the zeitgeist right now. That's a reflection of a bit of our world. Handmaid's Tale, You, Adolescence—these are conversations that are being had on large and small screens because they are part of our lives. Patriarchy hurts everyone. And in our own way, in Handmaid's Tale and You, we're trying to help people understand that fact and that it's not an admonishment of maleness, it's not an indictment of masculinity, but it is worthy of conversation. Especially with You coming out, I naively assumed most of the fans were young women and girls like me. And it's a lot of men, really boys, like 18- to 23-year-olds. They idolize this man [Joe]. They want to model themselves after him because, to them, he is the perfect picture of masculinity. He's strong, powerful, clever, charming, good looking, he's rich at the end, and he gets the girl nine times out of 10. I can see on the surface why they admire him, but they're doing mental acrobatics, or it's not bothering them, the cognitive dissonance of the man they admire is also a murderer. I think for some of them, unfortunately, the murder makes him even better—the fact that he's willing to go the distance to punish a woman for what she has done to him. The conversations around the two shows... I want to be in a Netflix Christmas movie. [Laughs] I'm so tired. No, I do love it. And this is the greater picture around getting to be an actor. I get to be on shows where the conversations are important and interesting. And I feel sorry that the boys who are mad at me for playing Bronte [in You], I'm sorry that they don't have better role models. I was at a meeting at Netflix, and they were like, 'What do you want to do?' And I was like, 'I would love to do a Christmas movie.' And they were like, 'Really? That's not really your thing.' And I'm like, 'It could be.' I love a musical. I'm a musical theater girl. It would take several years, but I would want to be Mama Rose in Gypsy. Then, of course, after seeing Sunset Blvd., I simply must play Norma Desmond, who I'm obsessed with from the film. But there are so many great shows out there and great roles for women in musical theater and more being written. I think theater is having a really great time right now, and I'm excited to join. I have a few irons in the fire and things I'm cooking up. I want to go back to theater. I live in New York, so that's where my heart is. I'm getting married in less than two months. So I'm like, Nothing can hurt me right now. I get to get married to the love of my life. I feel a lot of possibility. I feel like the world is my oyster. I just finished two extraordinary shows. I'm very proud of them. And I can't wait to see what's next in store for me. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 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. Madison is the Digital Deputy Editor at where she also covers news, politics, and culture. If she's not online, she's probably napping or trying not to fall while rock climbing.
