Latest news with #Handmaids
Elle
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
5 'The Handmaid's Tale' Plot Points That Cleverly Foreshadowed Sequel, 'The Testaments'
* This article contains spoilers. At the very minimum, fans of The Handmaid's Tale will have to wait at least a year until The Testaments, plays out on their TV screens. As the sequel to the series and Margaret Atwood's novel, it is expected that the upcoming TV series will answer and resolve a number of fans' burning questions and open-ended storylines. Although The Handmaid's Tale season finale ended on a number of cliffhangers, true fans of the series will appreciate that throughout the series, plenty of foreshadowing that was sprinkled into the show that has set the stage for The Testaments. From evolving character arcs to new generations taking on former legacies and the continued fight against the regime, The Handmaid's Tale has carefully been setting the scene for the new series, which we unpack below. While Aunt Lydia has been one of Gilead's most brutal enforcers and enablers for the vast majority of the show, she's had a change of heart since season five, which continued into season six. What began as small incidents of doubting herself, her values and easing up on the Handmaids, has turned into a full blown change of sides (even if it was momentary) in the eighth episode, Exodus, when she let the girls leave the Red Centre to flee to complete the Mayday mission and kill the Commanders. As such, it comes as no surprise that The Testaments will see this continued change of heart. The sequel will see her embark on a more a present in bringing Gilead down from the inside. She does this through working for Mayday as a mole, she feeds them vital information regarding Gilead, which is then leaked to correspondents in Canada. The season finale angered fans for many reasons, with one of the central gripes being that June and her daughter Hannah were never able to reunite for good. As such, given that June was the central character in The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments will see her daughter, Hannah (Agnes MacKenzie), living in Gilead as a young woman who is initially unaware of her true identity. The sequel is set to continue to tease her and June's reunion, and could possibly see Hannah follow in her biological mother's footsteps and begin to fight against Gilead. If you've gotten through the entirety of The Handmaid's Tale, you'll know by now that the writers like to let fans believe that certain characters are dead. For example, many fans thought that Emily was dead after not appearing in the series for multiple seasons, however, her character made a return in the final season. In episode nine, it is assumed that Nick (Max Minghella) dies in a plane explosion, alongside other Gileadean Commanders. As this occurred in the second last episode, we'd understand if you thought that there was no reason to fake his death, however, as his character is written into The Testaments novel, he could appear in the series, Now that we know that Mayday was not successful in taking down Gilead by The Handmaid's Tale ending, it's clear that the mission will continue on, and become a central plot point in The Testaments. At the beginning of the series Luke was more concerned with rescuing his daughter Hannah, then eventually began to put all his efforts into the fight against Gilead, so much so, that he is now one of the group's most established leaders. Similar to Nick, Luke is written into the novel, meaning that there is every reason for his character to appear in the series, as a main proponent to undermining of Gilead. The escape of June and Nick's baby, Nicole, to Canada was undoubtedly a monumental moment for both the regime and Mayday. Her escape marked a sign of hope for those wishing to be freed from Gilead, as well as the groups's continued fight in The Testaments. Now living in Canada with adoptive parents and completely unaware of her true identity, Nicole's natural interest in human rights clearly derives from her roots. 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
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
This 'Horrifying' New Podcast Is Being Compared To 'The Handmaid's Tale', And It's A Must-Listen
The sixth — and final — season of The Handmaid's Tale might be over, but the show, which has become a cultural shorthand for conversations about reproductive rights, has sparked a string of dystopian pronatalist podcasts that nod to the themes of the hit Hulu series, the most recent of which is an episode of The Guardian's Today in Focus podcast. The episode, named Make America Pregnant Again, is presented by Helen Pidd with Moira Donegan, and it probes the question of why there is a growing contingency of pronatalists in America, and what exactly it means, questions that are eerily mirrored throughout the Hulu series in which women are stripped of their autonomy and reduced to their reproductive function. In The Handmaid's Tale, Handmaids are forced to bear children for elite families with no say in the process. Make America Pregnant Again touches on an annual pronatalist conference named NatalCon, the second outing of which took place in April in Austin, Texas. The gathering brought together the various groups who want there to be more babies in the US – and they were an unusual collective. Doneghan says: 'So you have folks who we might think of as sort of the traditional old-school pronatalists, right? Like traditionalist Catholics who are very invested in a cultural model in which marriage is the sole legitimate expression of sexuality and in which that sexuality is sort of unmediated by any use of birth control or non-reproductive practices.' The episode name checks the Hulu adaptation of Atwood's seminal 1985 novel, too. 'In the pronatalist movement, there are fewer women. There is a married couple named Malcolm and Simone Collins,' Doneghan notes. 'Simone has started wearing these bonnets that look kind of like what Elisabeth Moss wears in The Handmaid's Tale. She's doing that on purpose.' In fact, the warped interpretation of the Bible in The Handmaid's Tale — which Gilead uses to justify the Handmaids' roles of forced procreation — mirrors many of the most prominent pronatalist voices in America who are often driven by religious ideology. Make America Pregnant Again posits the idea that the pronatalist movement isn't just trying to encourage a higher birth rate to remedy the west's ageing population, but rather to condition the types of children that are born into the world — something that wouldn't feel out of place in Gilead. 'There's a lot of these techno-futurists, who are advancing the use of artificial reproductive technology, including things that are very frowned on by the Catholic church, such as IVF,' Doneghan explains. 'These are also people who tend to be very into gene editing. Something I think is really important to hammer down about the pro-natalist movement is that they're not just looking for more babies, they're looking for more of what they consider higher-quality babies … which is a judgment that they're making that might have, I think frequently does have, racial connotations.' In 2023, the total fertility rate in England and Wales was 1.44 children per woman, the lowest ever on record, which has resulted in an ageing population. It's a similar picture across the pond in America too, where the fertility rate has fallen to 1.6 births per woman, below the 2.1 needed to sustain the population. LISTEN TO 'MAKE AMERICA PREGNANT AGAIN' HERE 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.
Elle
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
'The Handmaid's Tale' S6: With Two Episodes To Go, 5 Theories On How The Series Will End
*This article contains spoilers if you've not seen episode 8, season six of 'The Handmaid's Tale'. If you're up to speed with season six of The Handmaid's Tale, then there's no doubt that theories of the season's ending will be whirring in your mind and group chats, especially after the events of Serena and Commander Wharton's wedding massacre played out in the most recent episode. Led by none other than the Mayday resistance group, and headed by June (Elisabeth Moss), episode eight, titled Exodus, saw the Handmaids and their supporters devise a plan that aimed to dismantle a core pillar of Gilead's power: the Commanders. By the end of the episode, 37 Commanders were killed, with help from Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) who freed the Handmaids from the Red Centre). But as we've seen before, Mayday may have to face life threatening consequences for their actions, and we're certain episode nine and 10 will be no different, meaning every single theory we had about the supposed endings of the character leads and their arcs has now completely changed. Below, we detail our new theories on how we think The Handmaid's Tale will end. A lot of blood was shed during the wedding massacre, and naturally, the Gileadean regime will be on the hunt for those responsible. There's a good chance that characters who were involved in the killings and letting them happen will be sent to the gallows, including Janine (Madeline Brewer), Moira (Samira Wiley), Aunt Lydia, Aunt Phoebe (D'Arcy Carden) and Luke (O-T Fagbenle). While Aunt Lydia may have been one of the main perpatrators of violence and enabling it upon the Handmaids throughout the series, she's had a real change of heart this season far, especially in the last episode when she agreed to let them leave the Red Centre and partake in the killing of the Commanders. Although Aunt Lydia is still very much a pious woman, she is beginning to see the cruelty in Gilead's way of life. An example of this occurred when Janine successfully pleads with her to be freed, 'He hurt me, Aunt Lydia. They hurt us. They raped us. You gave us to them.' As a confirmed character who will feature in the series sequel, The Testaments, Aunt Lydia may keep position but will become some sort of infiltrator, secretly working for Mayday, or working to enlighten other high-ranking women in Gilead. Okay, so we won't get ahead of ourselves and even begin to think that the Mayday resistance group have done anywhere near enough to fully take down Gilead, especially since we know that The Testaments is set in the state, 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale. However, the murder of 37 Commanders is no small feat, and will do some damage to the core structure of Gilead and its logistics. Whether this means that the Mayday will be able to slip through the weakened cracks or the Commanders turning against themselves through internal conflict, time will soon tell. If it wasn't the drop of the knife during the ceremony, Aunt Lydia almost blowing June's cover or Rita Blue distracting Serena from attempting to uncover the Handmaids' wings, then June's visceral reaction towards Serena's speech is surely what would have ruined the wedding day massacre. June was barely able to stand still while the newlywed Mrs. Wharton spoke of her relationship with a 'former handmaid', who she 'could have been nicer to', but ultimately believed that she had earned the Handmaid's forgiveness. A final confrontation between the two might see Serena's luck finally run out, largely due to the fact that June has already saved her once and will no longer empathise with Serena, who is now effectively on the run. If the Handmaids and their supporters are not killed by Gilead, then this means that they'll be saved by Mayday. We're thinking they both groups will meet at a designated safe house, and will then be transported to Alaska, hopefully in one piece. 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
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
'An Army To Free Ourselves': 'The Handmaid's Tale' Episode 8 Is The One We've Waited Six Seasons For
The episode opens with a voiceover from June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), who reflects on overconsumption and how, pre‑Gilead, society measured itself by the clothes we wore and discarded. 'We bought more clothes,' she says. 'When we didn't want them anymore, they went straight into landfill.' It's an eerie and powerful reflection, not only of what catalysed the creation of Gilead, but of our own modern wastefulness. Just like that, you're pulled back into the present and into the mind of someone shaped by both worlds. And then we see her, draped once again in the handmaid uniform, the red cloak and white wing cap. We haven't seen June wear it since season four. It lands like a punch. She's back in that cage, but this time, she's not playing the helpless victim. She's stepping into the scene with purpose. We've come full circle: back in Gilead, back in ranks, back seeing who everyone really is. It feels like a callback to those stylised, tension-jacked first seasons, pristine facades masking unspeakable violence. The ostentatious ceremony of Serena Joy Waterford's (Yvonne Strahovski) wedding drives that contrast home: on the surface, a polite, respectable gathering; underneath, a world carved by power and cruelty. What made the early seasons disturbingly compelling was that underneath all that elitist polish, women suffered starkly different experiences based on their rank. That tension had faded in recent seasons, but here it's reignited. The tyranny, the hierarchy, the quiet infrastructure of pain and trauma, it never left. We thought June had escaped, that Serena had changed, that Commander Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) had found redemption. And yet Gilead pressed on. But this week changes everything. As Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) rises to deliver a prayer to Gilead's elite, June begins passing knives, silver, and discreet weapons that look tiny in comparison to the power they may face, to her fellow Handmaids. It's quiet on-screen, but rattles through us: she's resumed the fight. The plan is going smoothly, until one knife falls to the floor and I could feel the audience collectively hold their breath. Will they be caught? But June is calm. She's laser‑focused. Fear has faded; resolve has taken its place. When you watch these women, you no longer see passive victims, you see an army of survivors, united and unwavering. And as the rest of Gilead smiles and glitters in ignorance, their victims are taking a stand. June is the powerful now, proving that these women, long taught to be submissive, can now lead something revolutionary. Serena, meanwhile, is on stage again, in dutiful light blue, basking in her own spotlight. Her speech to the Handmaids drips with carefully rehearsed contrition: 'I could have been kinder to June… she could have been kinder to me.' It's classic Serena: introspective, but never truly accountable. She names June a 'friend' again inserting herself at the centre of the narrative. But Rita Blue (Amanda Brugel) interrupts, offering a silent rebuttal: 'Keep your eyes on the prize.' Not spoken into a mic, but heard loud and clear. The sacred cake arrives, spectacularly over-the-top it is almost comedic in its extravagance, a dessert-sized monument to Gilead's narcissism. But beneath the pomp hides a plan. June reveals to Moira Strand (Samira Wiley) that it's laced with sleeping pills. Their commanders will be sent into an unconscious slumber once they eat it, no bomb, no bloodshed in public. Just quiet sedition. And as the Handmaids begin to leave, there's the most haunting callback to the early seasons, the iconic march, the group of red‑clad women striding through the night, peeling off house by house. But now, it isn't a procession of obedience; it's a coordinated strike team. That unity, that silent strength, makes it terrifying and beautiful. June's mission leads her to Commander Bell (Gil Bellows)'s modern home, its stark minimalism a chilling counterpoint to his adherence to Gilead's ideology. It's a reminder: obedience doesn't require a costume. It can hide in sleek interiors, in suit jackets, in polite voices. The setting underscores that anyone can become complicit. In the final moments, June stabs Bell in the eye, holding the knife as he falls. It's brutal, visceral and deliberate. She looks him in the eyes, holds him there. This is vengeance, reclamation, clarification. It's not random violence. It's a statement about justice. And as he lies dying, she takes a breath. Not relief, but resolve. She finds Janine Lindo (Madeline Brewer), and the ferocity in June softens. These women didn't want to be this way. They were made this way by trauma, by violence, by the system. The power, it could be said, is starting to shift, but Gilead's psychological toll remains. Back at the Red Centre, Aunt Lydia Clements (Ann Dowd) returns to chaos: unconscious Eyes, missing Handmaids. Her instinct isn't punishment, it's concern. She's unsettled. And then Moira stands up, unashamed, unbroken. She approaches, a woman Lydia had once scared into submission. She doesn't even remember Moira. The cruelty of power: it cements memory in one person, erases another. But it is when June enters that really shows that Gilead has entered a new era, for someone like me who has watched every episode it is the fight we have yearned to witness for so long. June doesn't plead. She challenges: 'What do you think God would want? To condemn us—or to stand with us?' Silence from Lydia. And that's the loudest line. It's a fracture. The enforcer is questioning her own obedience. The real coup: when Janine touches Lydia, melting something in her. She remembers, she feels it all again. And she hugs Janine. And the Handmaids walk free. The cage's gate swings open, from the inside, who would have ever thought it would be Lydia to turn the key. As the episode draws to a close, without letting the audience know if the Handmaid's had succeeded in killing the commanders, June's voice rings out: 'This is the beginning. We've become an army. An army to free ourselves.' That line, the one we've screamed for since Season 1 feels like we are heading for the conclusion we are all desperate to see. With only two episodes left and the looming The Testament on the horizon, this is the episode the final season has been building toward. One we hoped for, pushed for, a moment we all knew had to come. It's what made us scream at our screens back in 2017: 'Stand up. Fight back. You can.' For so long, we watched them live through Gilead's horrors. Now, we see them fight. We stayed for this. And we'll keep watching till we witness the end of the story. Because, after all, we all want to see Gilead fall to its knees. 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.
Black America Web
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Fact Not Fiction: ‘The Handmaid's Tale' Ends, But Its Real-World Horrors Live On
Source: BRYAN DOZIER / Getty After six haunting seasons, The Handmaid's Tale has aired its final episode. Yet, the chilling legacy of Gilead is far from fiction. While audiences may have approached the show as dystopian drama, creator Margaret Atwood has long made it clear: every law, punishment, and ritual in the series has roots in real history. Read more inside. According to a viral post shared by Culture Cut Women, the creator famously said she only used real-world examples to build Gilead. In fact, Atwood stated that she did not invent a single atrocity. Gilead, the authoritarian theocracy depicted in the series, is constructed entirely from real-world examples pulled from religion, war crimes, and global gender oppression. What makes The Handmaid's Tale so terrifying isn't the red robes or forced surrogacy—it's that for many women, this wasn't dystopia, but recognition. Atwood drew on historical regimes, including Nazi Germany's Lebensborn breeding program, where 'racially pure' women were forced to give birth to children for the Reich. In Gilead, Handmaids are stripped of their names, identities, and bodily autonomy in eerily similar fashion. Biblical surrogacy—the story of Rachel and her handmaid Bilhah—served as the scriptural justification for these modern horrors. Public executions, used to maintain fear and order in Gilead, have long been a method of control in authoritarian states. Modern parallels also echo the show's themes. From restrictive reproductive laws to widespread gender-based violence, elements of Gilead remain alive in many parts of the world today. In the United States and abroad, the rollback of reproductive rights has felt like a step closer to Atwood's world for many viewers (especially those for whom bodily autonomy has never been fully guaranteed). As the show concludes, fans reflect not only on the fates of characters like June and Serena, but also on what The Handmaid's Tale represents: a warning. The finale may mark the end of this chapter, but its cultural relevance persists. It reminds us that the systems of oppression depicted on screen have existed before—and in some places, still do. For some, The Handmaid's Tale was never just a show. It was a mirror. And now that the final curtain has dropped, it's up to us to ensure fiction doesn't continue repeating itself as fact. Check out the viral post below: SEE ALSO Fact Not Fiction: 'The Handmaid's Tale' Ends, But Its Real-World Horrors Live On was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
