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Elle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How Elisabeth Moss convinced Taylor Swift to green light 'Look What You Made Me Do' in 'The Handmaid's Tale'?
, the 'Shining Girls' actress, recently opened up about how she convinced the billionaire singer, , to give the green signal to use one of her hit songs in the series, 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Elisabeth Moss revealed that... In an interview with Entertainment Tonight , Moss revealed that she requested the Grammy-winning singer to allow her to use ' Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)' in Season 6, Episode 9, during a pivotal moment in the series. In the show, the handmaids stage an uprising to get out of the woods as a protest against the commanders, which is led by June Osborne (Moss), and the song gives an accurate score for the rebels who are standing up against the wrongs. 'That was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read. You know I wrote her a letter about what I felt like the song meant for the episode, and her music means to me and our cast, so the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed,' Moss stated, adding that she wrote a letter to Swift about the impact her profound songs have on her, and her fellow co-stars. Taylor Swift is an inspiration... Moss, who is also one of the executive producers of 'The Handmaid's Tale,' stated, 'I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment.' Furthermore, the 42-year-old expressed that Swift has been an inspiration, and the entire cast feels honoured to have the singer's music in the final episodes of the show.
The Advertiser
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!" Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Swift agreed for the song to be used. Moss told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Moss previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Moss told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for (co-star) Yvonne (Strahovski) and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honour to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie (Moss) wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!"
Perth Now
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift
Elisabeth Moss wrote a heartfelt letter to Taylor Swift in a bid to get permission to use one of her songs in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale. The 42-year-old actress has revealed she penned a note to the pop star explaining what "her music means" to her and how the inclusion of the track Look What You Made Me Do would help the show - and she was delighted when Taylor agreed for the song to be used. Elisabeth told Entertainment Tonight: "We've been so excited ... Honestly the feedback was her saying yes. For me, that was really, truly such an honour that she took the time to read, you know I wrote her a letter about what I felt the song meant for the episode and her music means to me and our cast. "So the fact that she said yes to me was all the feedback that I needed. " The song was featured in episode nine of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, which aired in May, and Elisabeth previously revealed she'd wanted to include a Swift song in the series for years and she'd finally found the "perfect moment". Elisabeth told Billboard: "I've been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I'm so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment. "Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [co-star] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it's such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show." The Handmaid's Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added to the publication:"In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie [Moss] wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. "Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying 'Look what you made me do' and the song couldn't have been more on point. "A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it's meant to be. I shared it with Lizzie and we both knew immediately that this was the one!"
Fast Company
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
By buying back her early music, Taylor Swift once again inspired women
I was at a conference on, of all things, male allyship when the notice popped up on my phone. Taylor Swift had successfully purchased back all her early masters and related material. For an alleged cost of around $360 million, the artist now fully owned everything she had ever created including her first six albums, their videos, and all their related art and album covers. Her community of friends and fans, the Swifties, erupted with elated joy and messages of encouragement online. News outlets rushed to cover the story. Within 24 hours, her early albums hit the top ten on streaming charts with Reputation, the album most anticipated as a rerelease, coming in at No. 1 as fans exercised their economic might. It seemed the universe was celebrating. Even savvy businesses got on the celebratory train. Delta Airlines posted, 'Fly like a jet stream, high above the whole scene. Keep Climbing Taylor 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤.' Starbucks said, 'and in a cafe on a Friday, we watched it begin again . . . congrats Taylor 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤.' And, to no surprise to anyone, the crafty social media gurus at the Empire State Building sent out a message, ' We love you Taylor,' above a picture of Taylor from the top overlooking New York. Mesmerizing Taylor has mesmerized us. Antagonists might argue she has aligned all her hex cruces. It reminded me of the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. I had recently watched seasons four and five to catch up for the season six release. These later seasons have been criticized. The audience seemed bored of the mistreatment of fertile women and then confused when these same women sought plots for angry hot revenge. Is this what Taylor has metaphorically done, used the allies around her and her anger to fuel a strategic masterminding of a long game just like June, the protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale? As if sending a signal, Taylor's song, 'Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version),' became the anthem for season six – days before she announced buying back her early art. Piles of money Taylor has acquired piles of money, enhanced by the success of the Eras Tour. She had become financially powerful enough to buy back her name and reputation, leaving those who crossed her in some metaphorical no-man's-land. She didn't do it alone, and she isn't the first. For decades, centuries, and, perhaps, even since the beginning of time, underdogs have fought to be seen, heard, accurately estimated, and risen from the ashes to reclaim that which was theirs. For example, half a century ago, Dolly Parton moved past the entertainment industry dominance that minimized women's empowerment and claimed her own space driven by her talents. In 1974, Parton walked into Porter Wagoner's office and told him she was leaving the show bearing his namesake that had given her a rise to stardom. She sang him a goodbye song titled, ' I Will Always Love You,' as a sign of respect to Porter for being her mentor. Dolly had outgrown her sidekick role alongside Porter, but it took effort, strategy, and bravery for her to break free. Porter sued her, a tactic commonly employed by those in power, but through discussions, compassion, and a large sum of money (reportedly around $1 million), Dolly settled the case. Independence How have a select set of women throughout history acquired enough resources to buy their independence? Some look all the way back to the early 20th century and the suffrage movement. Even that, however, involved women's collaboration with men. In August 1920, a conservative Tennessee legislator, Harry T. Burn, cast the deciding vote for the suffrage movement's proposed 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. In his pocket, Harry carried a letter from his mother, Febb E. Burn, ' in which she asked him to 'be a good boy' and vote for the amendment. ' This legislation, decided by Harry's unexpected vote, has driven women's economic agency and freedom over the past century. Throughout history, women and underdogs have been harnessing their positions to mastermind their way into influence, power, and self-determination. At a moment in time where human rights are being challenged, whether through challenges to the right to due process, reproductive freedoms, or just the right of children to not be separated from their parents, Taylor has once again shown us a way, that by harnessing our best talents deep within our souls, we can move mountains. We can speak deep into the souls of others, nudging them into a movement—a desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Something with meaning and grit and soul. And, just as I learned from the conference I was attending at John Hopkins University, working with unexpected partners forging allyships has real and meaningful benefits.
