How ‘The Handmaid's Tale' Pulled Off That Surprising Finale Reunion
If you've been following io9's coverage of The Handmaid's Tale season six, you might have caught our list of five things viewers needed to remember about season five. There was a long gap between seasons, and quite a few high-stakes plot threads to keep track of.
One of the items on that list was the departure of fan-favorite character, whose absence was explained away in the season five premiere. We wondered if perhaps that person might return in season six, and, well…
Yes! Alexis Bledel's Emily, fearless fighter and noted salted caramel ice cream fan, did indeed show up for some closure in 'The Handmaid's Tale,' the series finale episode. In season five, we learned she'd left her wife and son—after a hard-fought escape to safety—to return to Gilead and keep fighting.
It was an abrupt end for a character who'd been so important as both a friend to June (Elisabeth Moss) as well as to the plot of The Handmaid's Tale as a whole; it's because of Emily that we learned about Mayday. She's the reason why Bradley Whitford's Commander Lawrence entered the story. Her experiences also illuminated the bleak life for exiles in the Colonies, as well as the genital mutilation forced upon women who refused to obey Gilead's draconian laws.
Though the character's absence was due to Bledel choosing to leave the series, it was tempting to imagine Emily would soon pop up again. But she was MIA throughout season five and all of season six until the very end. In interviews with the Hollywood Reporter, Bledel as well as Moss and show creator Bruce Miller discussed how they planned her cameo.
'We were both thrilled that it might work out,' Miller told THR. 'I think she was really excited when we talked. The only thing that was hard was the logistics to get her up for the time we needed … It was wonderful to see her and [Moss] get right back into it after all that time.'
Moss added, '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.'
In a separate interview with THR, Bledel said returning to The Handmaid's Tale was 'an immediate yes' because 'it felt right to bring closure to Emily's journey and offer the audience a sense of completion … 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 Handmaid's Tale finale is now streaming on Hulu.
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Elle
15 hours ago
- Elle
'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 9: After That Explosive End, Who Makes It To The Finale Alive?
Spoilers below. Rebellion requires sacrifice. Many have died in the fight against Gilead, and the penultimate episode of The Handmaid's Tale only spills more blood. The Mayday rebellion set out to kill commanders by lacing Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and Commander Wharton's (Josh Charles) wedding cake with a strong sedative. June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira (Samira Wiley) disguised themselves in red robes to secretly distribute weapons to the handmaids during the nuptials and reception. Almost everything went according to plan. However, like any other operation executed in this world, there are immediate repercussions. June, her fellow co-conspirators, and even Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) don't get the benefit of a trial before their punishment is decided. It is a tense hour of television (though I wouldn't expect anything less) that puts many lives on the chopping block, and two big characters meet an explosive end in the final moments. Moss plays double duty, directing an episode for the third time this season, and once again, the Emmy-winner shows poise in front of and behind the camera. Read on to find out who makes it to the final episode alive. The episode opens with June, Moira, Janine (Madeline Brewer), Aunt Phoebe (D'Arcy Carden), and the other handmaids running toward freedom with 'Look What You Made Me Do' by Taylor Swift soundtracking their escape. It is an appropriate song choice for this brief respite. Everything appears to be on schedule, but nearby explosions indicate that Gilead's Guardians are starting to retaliate. In the trucks, Phoebe reveals to June that her real name is Ava. 'I guess all that community theater finally paid off,' says Ava. Discussion turns to who is going to stay and fight. June wants the women to live their lives, but Janine won't leave without her daughter Angela. Unfortunately, the Guardians block the gates, ready to take the handmaids into custody. First, they demand June reveal herself, which she does when they threaten to shoot other handmaids. You would think everyone in Gilead knows June's face by now. Serena also learns that she has very few options to escape. As the bombs go off in the distance, Serena runs to Commander Lawrence's (Bradley Whitford) house to seek refuge—and witnesses a handmaid stabbing a wife on the way. Naomi (Ever Carradine) is bewildered that Serena left her husband on their wedding night because that thought would never occur to her. The following morning, Naomi takes it upon herself to call Wharton to let him know his bride's location. Commander Wharton is a man who can multitask as he first meets with Lawrence to discuss the next steps after the massacre they suffered. Next, he asks for Serena's forgiveness. Serena says having a handmaid is a deal breaker, and to her surprise, Wharton agrees to try for a baby on their own. Serena is still skeptical about the whole thing, which is why it is a little too neat that Wharton spills the beans that June used their wedding to plan the attack that left 37 commanders dead. He is reminding his wife that Gilead is good and June is evil. 'I thought that we were friends,' Serena says. Wharton reassures Serena that 'God's justice will be served.' However, the new Mrs. Wharton's concerned reaction highlights that she disagrees with Wharton's intended retribution. 'So, was it the bride who figured it out?' June asks Wharton. To give a sense of his 'civility,' Wharton lets June out of her Gilead cage to have a face-to-face meeting without bars between them. Wharton assures June that Serena was stunned by her betrayal. What follows is a back-and-forth about whose sins are an affront to God. June is fearless, which rattles Wharton. Of course, everything June said to Serena about the kind of man Wharton is was accurate, and this was before she had even met the man. 'This is the beginning of the end,' says June. When Wharton continues to preach about God, June turns the tables and reminds him of the blood on his hands after what he did to the women at Jezebel's. June then brings up that Serena's version of God is one of love and quotes from the Bible: 'He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God.' This strategy helped persuade Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) to do the right thing last week, but Wharton is unmoved. Gilead leaders love nothing more than putting on an elaborate public execution, with Wharton reveling in the role of emcee. Ava isn't dead yet, but her cover as Aunt Phoebe is blown, which means she is part of the hanging theatrics. The platform is a gallows equipped for multiple executions; Ava stands in place with a noose around her neck. June stands center stage with her rope attached to a crane so her soon-to-be dead body can be seen far and wide. Surprisingly, Aunt Lydia faces the same punishment but has been deemed responsible for the rogue handmaids by Wharton. The rest of the handmaids are the final piece of the execution tableau. But Lydia is full of fury, telling the crowd that her 'precious girls have been prisoners of wicked Godless men.' Finally, Aunt Lydia is part of the resistance. Wharton offers June a chance to say some last words before the mass hanging begins. While June starts with a prayer, Luke (O-T Fagbenele), Rita (Amanda Brugel), and other Mayday operatives have weapons ready to strike before it is too late. June's tone switches to rage, calling for everyone to rise up before yelling the famous Handmaid's Tale refrain: 'Don't let the bastards grind you down.' The crane pulls June up at this point, dangling her from high above. Grenades are thrown, shots are fired, and the handmaids free themselves. Rita shoots the crane operator, lowering June before it is too late. Ava is a certified badass, and it is later confirmed that the undercover aunt is actually a CIA agent. Suddenly, it all makes sense! American bombers fly above, and in the chaos, Wharton escapes. At Lawrence's, Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger) arrives for both Serena and Lawrence, but only Serena is there. One person I thought would come to June's aid was Nick (Max Minghella). However, he is at the hospital with Rose (Carey Cox). The baby is okay, though the sedative in the cake is what led to this scare. Rose wants Nick to show his allegiance to her and Gilead, and it is disappointing that he doesn't put up much of a protest. Serena has been taken into protective custody but has told Tuello that she doesn't have any information that will help the American cause. June thinks she can get through to her, and what follows is a classic June-Serena tête-à-tête. Serena is glad to see June is alive, with June quipping about ruining her wedding. June has zero regrets about the dead commanders and keeps pressing Serena for information about the ones who escaped. Eventually, June calls Serena out for her empty promises about 'reform'—that word is meaningless with those men in charge. When that doesn't work, June focuses on what Serena values most: motherhood. Using love didn't work as a strategy on Wharton, but Serena responds to this plea. Serena tells June that Wharton and the other higher-ups will fly to Washington, DC later that day. Earlier in the episode, Serena is the one who won't let it go when Lawrence appears to be going about business as usual. She tells Lawrence that June is the reason she is alive (and the same goes for her son Noah), and it hits the spot. Without a hint of sarcasm, Lawrence asks Serena to say a prayer for June, which is a first. Lawrence tried to appeal to the remaining commanders to choose reason and restraint, but they wanted a new reign of terror. Given how much Lawrence has assisted, getting him to do another big favor for Team Mayday might be an easy ask. 'I'm an economist, I'm not James Bond,' he demurs when they ask him to put a bomb on the plane with an altitude trigger. They can't shoot the plane down because the airspace is restricted. Tuello says it is now or never; if the commanders get away, they can regroup. Lawrence won't be alone as June volunteers to be his getaway driver. Lawrence refuses this offer as she is finally safe, but June knows they will never be safe with those men still in the world. When they arrive at the plane, June tells Lawrence that courage looks brave on him. First, security at this private airfield is terrible because how is this plane left unguarded? Second, June's face should be plastered everywhere as public enemy number one. I can maybe give the Guardians a pass for earlier, but not after the whole public execution thing. Of course, the other commanders are early, and this throws the entire operation because Lawrence can't pop the case on board and then leave after they've seen him. June hides behind their car, and Lawrence looks ready to accept his fate as he walks up the stairs. He takes one final look at June, touching his heart to show he will see this through, and I get as teary as June does watching this sacrifice. Whitford has been reliably great throughout his time on the series, and he peels back the vulnerability of this character in this final moment. There is one latecomer who arrives before wheels up. June gasps when she sees Nick get out of the car—as did I. For a brief moment, I thought Nick would see her and not climb onboard the death flight. Moss cranks up the tension in her devastated look toward the man she might still love and in how she shoots this scene. (My notes at this point were just the word 'no' repeatedly.) This season has been hard for Team Nick, and I must admit that this conclusion is not the hero's end I was hoping for. Instead, Nick remarks to Lawrence about being on the winning side before asking how June is. Nick also mentions that June had told him to give all of this up, and Lawrence points out that he should've listened to her. Yep, he really should have. The plane takes off and explodes when it hits a certain altitude. Lawrence goes out as a hero, Nick goes out as a man who could only go with the rebellion so far. June has tears in her eyes, and so do I. The Handmaid's Tale is going out with a bang. 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. Emma Fraser is a freelance culture writer with a focus on TV, movies, and costume design. You can find her talking about all of these things on Twitter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Nawi' Star Michelle Lemuya Ikeny Thought She Was Auditioning for a School Play But Ended up in Kenya's Oscar Submission About Child Marriage
Nawi: Dear Future Me, a Kenyan-German coming-of-age drama about child marriage that was Kenya's entry for the best international feature film race at the 2025 Oscars, has made waves in Kenya, on the film festival circuit and beyond. At the recent Beijing International Film Festival, the jury created a special jury honor to shine a spotlight on it. And on Friday, the movie won two awards at the Raindance Film Festival in London, one for best international feature and the second for the best performance in a debut feature, for its star Michelle Lemuya Ikeny. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lorde Performs Surprise Glastonbury Set on Day of Album Release: "I'm Back and Completely Free" Raindance Film Festival: 'Nawi' Wins Best Int'l Feature and Debut Performance Awards Polish Indie Kino Swiat Names New CEO The young Kenyan woman is 15 now, but was 12 when the movie was shot. Her portrayal of a young girl battling child marriage in hopes of an education and self-determination has been praised for being multilayered and full of charisma. THR's Georg Szalai talked to her about how she thought she was autioning for a school play, while ending up getting cast in Kenya's Oscar submission, how real-life experiences in her community mirror those of her character Nawi, wanting to empower girls and audiences, and whether she will pursue more acting opportunities. Did you always want to become an actress or how did you get the role in this film? As I grew up, it had never been a job that I had in mind but I'm multi-passionate. Personally, I have so many dreams, and I could do anything. I didn't know it was a movie role that I was auditioning for. I just thought it was a school drama, and I signed up and tried out. Then we had a two-week training with an acting coach in Kenya. What really inspired me and what motivated me to want to play this was the story of this film. It was actually about these girls in my home, and it was a movie advocating for their rights. So there's no way I could say no. I had no idea what actors do or how they do it, but I was willing to try. How did you know or figure out how to portray the experience of child marriage? What helped me be able to portray all the emotions was that I've interacted with these girls who are victims of early marriage. I have been their friend. We've lived together and seen them when this thing happened to them. So it is easier to do this because I've interacted with them. I know them, and I know how they feel. So I just tried to remember, 'Oh, my friends felt this and that. She didn't want this to happen, and this is how she felt.' What was the hardest part of acting for you?First of all, I come from the Turkana community itself [where the film is set], so playing this, accepting to play this role alone, was a bit of a decision to make. Because doing this means, for my community, that I'm going against them. I'm going against those traditions. I'm trying to say no to what they've been doing for years. So it is a bit of a difficult decision to make as a girl, because my community would take me as a betrayer, defying all these rules. Yeah, accepting to play the role itself was a hard decision. Also, the emotions were [challenging]. It's was my first time doing this. And what you do on camera and set while shooting is different from your real emotions. It may be a good day for you as a person, but you're supposed to act sad. But along the way, I had great mentors. The directors themselves were really nice, so I was guided. What did you think when you heard that two German guys were making a movie about your country, even though they are so respectful of its experience and culture?It was crazy and also great, because it takes people from a different continent, thousands of miles away, to come and make a movie about this. I really thought it was a good idea, even though people from within didn't try to do something like this. But I thought it was a cool idea because I've also always wanted to be advocating for these girls, to be part of this journey to bring an end to early marriage. So I thought it was a good idea, and I was really ready to work with them. We just want this to end. What has the reaction to the flm been like in Kenya and in your community?Ever since the film came out and we got people to watch it, there's been positive feedback from most of our audience. Especially the younger generation has responded very well. They now feel more empowered, and we are now hearing and reading the voices that were suppressed in the past. When it comes to the older generation, the uncles and the fathers who are doing this, with some, I don't really know if they are fully convinced. They are the people we really want to talk to, we really want the movie to influence. But so many conversations have been sparked on this topic, conversations that before the movie was out, noone could have. Very few people stood up to talk about this topic. It was a topic that was avoided. So many people are now against this. So many people now are not afraid anymore and are ready to speak up for themselves. And we've also shown the movie to girls in high schools, and they've written letters to their future selves [like Nawi does in the film]. I think it has really influenced them to dream big and not to be afraid of anyone, and not to be afraid of speaking out for themselves. The movie seems to have also traveled well, screening and winning awards in various parts of the world. How do you feel about making a global impact? I didn't think the movie would go this far [and beyond] Kenya and Turkana. But because it is making a global impact, I'm so happy because now so many people know what is happening here. It's a really good feeling to know that this is really working. People are now reaching out to us, wanting to help these girls, wanting this to come to an end, so we're getting help from people from the outside. I just love how the world gets to know the truth. It's been kept a secret for so long, and now that it's out, I'm glad that you're getting positive feedback, and many people want to support us. How amazing was it to find out that Kenya submitted the film for the International feature film Oscar?It was so quick. This is my debut film, and it was so crazy when they said it's been submitted for the Oscars. It was so cool. And I was so happy because as the official submission from Kenya for the Oscars, I knew that the movie would get more recognition, and if you get more recognition, people get the message. So that was what I was really happy about. I'm just a kid, and being associated in any way with the Oscars was something so cool, and I was happy. Do you think of yourself as a rule breaker or social activist?If my community has taken me to be a social activist, a rule breaker or just a rebellious teenager, I really don't care, as long as I get to convey this message to the outside world, and as long as these girls get justice, as long as we bring up these voices that were suppressed. I'm ready to be an activist. I'm ready to break any rule that helps avoid the loss of life of these girls and avoids a girl living a life that she doesn't want. I'm ready to advocate for that. How is school going and how much longer is it for you?I'm 15 years old and in my second year of high school. I have two more years of high school, then I have another national exam. I was in my last year of primary school, and we also sat for my national exams when we were shooting the school. I go to school in Nairobi, but we're just home for a short break of one week. Are you thinking about doing more acting in the future? Yeah, I am thinking of doing more acting, because I feel like film is a very nice way of storytelling, a very nice way of conveying a message to society. So I'm thinking of doing more acting, but am also focused on school. I want to make sure my grades are good in school, because I also just have many dreams. In my community, there are girls who have not been able to get this opportunity to get an education and to get to study. So, I also don't take it for granted, and that's why I really want to work hard in my studies. Do you think you might want to go to acting school? I would love to go to acting school. But as I said, I'm kind of multi-passionate. I don't want to just do one thing in life. I want to do so many things, take many different career paths, because I find that interesting, and it makes life a bit more interesting. So yeah, I would love to go to acting school. I would love to go to medical school. I have also thought of engineering and maybe law. I'm just trying to figure it all out. I'll figure it out. Thanks so much for your time. Before I let you go, is there anything else you would like to share? I feel that how we are living right now and what is happening right now is a result of what the previous generation in my society did and the decisions they made. That's why this is happening. So I really love Nawi because this film tells a story that the generations before us could not tell or were afraid to tell people. So I would really love to tell people not to be afraid of speaking up for themselves and not allow the traditions in your community to determine who you will be. For example, I would tell a girl: You can. You are more than just a wife. You can be so many things in life, and not just a wife. This film is telling a story that generations before us could not tell or were afraid to speak about in public. And it just asks them to dream big, be positive in life. You can be anything you want to be. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Geek Tyrant
Gareth Edwards Sees JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH as a Metaphor for the Film Industry — GeekTyrant
Gareth Edwards is no stranger to creating thought-provoking sci-fi, whether he's building his own worlds in Monsters or The Creator or working within established universes like Godzilla and Rogue One . For Edwards, science fiction is never just about spaceships, robots, or dinosaurs. Instead, it's about what lies beneath the surface: the hidden metaphor, the deeper meaning that makes these stories truly resonate. As he prepares for the release of Jurassic World Rebirth , Edwards revealed that the film's underlying theme is something more profound than just prehistoric creatures running amok. To him, the dinosaurs are a stand-in for something bigger… the very nature of the film industry itself. Edwards explained to io9: '[Sci-fi] films are never really about spaceships, robots or dinosaurs. They feel pointless if they are. They [only] have meaning when the whole thing is kind of an analogy for something else.' He then goes on to explain that Jurassic World Rebirth is about the decline of cinema, the challenge of keeping audiences engaged in an ever-evolving media landscape. 'The idea of people sort of slowly not going to the cinema, you know what I mean? They started trying different things to make them more entertaining, they mutated them, they created this stuff that people can't watch or look at. 'And I kind of felt like this, in a weird way, I was getting a kick out of, it was some strange version of the situation we're in as filmmakers, where, like, how do you get people excited about this stuff again?' It's a sentiment that's all too familiar to those of us who have witnessed the shift in audience habits from the rise of streaming services to the explosion of content on platforms like YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitch. The film industry has had to adapt to these new demands, and in some ways, so has the Jurassic Park franchise. When the original Jurassic Park hit theaters, audiences were awestruck by the groundbreaking special effects. But over time, those effects became standard fare, and what was once a dazzling spectacle was now expected in every blockbuster. In Jurassic World Rebirth , Edwards picks up on that shift and brings it to the forefront. 'My first movie was a monster movie set in Central America. It was supposed to be like, at the end of King Kong, King Kong falls onto the middle of New York and dies… Imagine a movie where they're now trying to tidy that up and clean it up. How do you move King Kong out of the way for traffic?' For Edwards, it's the idea of exploring the aftermath, dealing with the fallout of something big, something that's already been seen. It's a way to inject fresh perspective into an old idea, something that is becoming increasingly important in the current landscape of filmmaking. So, Jurassic World Rebirth is a commentary on the current state of cinema and how even the largest blockbusters can begin to feel stagnant. The dinosaurs, once awe-inspiring and mysterious, are now just another part of the everyday, much like the formulaic nature of big-budget films today. The industry has mutated, tried to keep up with audience demand, and yet, Edwards argues, that very mutation has led to a disconnect between what filmmakers are creating and what audiences are truly craving. As Edwards sees it, this film is his way of exploring the 'ending of another movie,' but in doing so, he's tapping into the larger question of what happens when the magic fades and the spectacle becomes routine. It's not just about the dinosaurs in the film, it's about the entire industry, struggling to find its next big thing. With Jurassic World Rebirth set to hit theaters on July 2nd.
