The Handmaid's Tale Season 6: The Series Finale's "Very Big Cliffhanger" Teased By EPs As June's Story Nears Its "Authentic" Conclusion

Warning: SPOILERS for the first 3 episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 6!With 3 episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 already out, the final season of the hit Hulu show is already well on its way to setting up its explosive conclusion. But fans are already aware that said ending won't provide a complete resolution, given that Margaret Atwood's 2019 sequel The Testamentsis already in production to become Hulu's next Gilead stronghold. The cast and co-showrunners of the beloved dystopian series shared their take on the remaining episodes of June's original tale, teasing aspects that will reward and tantalize loyal viewers.

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 finale put June and Serena Joy on a train to ostensible freedom, but Gilead's architect was discovered, forcing June to throw her frienemy out to save her life. The two took refuge in different havens (June reunited with her mother in Alaska while Serena found a peaceful community of women) until Gilead came calling again. June found her way back to Luke and Moira, becoming part of a new Mayday plot while still holding onto Nick. Meanwhile, Serena joined forces with Commander Lawrence to make New Bethlehem the softer version of her original pet project.

ScreenRant interviewed several cast members of The Handmaid's Tale, along with co-showrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang, about the unfolding events of season 6. Samira Wiley and Sam Jaegar shared how Moira is handling the resistance's most recent setbacks, while also deciding on a ship name for Mark Tuello and Serena Joy. Amanda Bruegel revealed her headcanons for Rita's family as Madeline Brewer explained how Janine has been transformed by Jezebel's. Finally, Bradley Whitford and Ever Carradine teased how Commander Lawrence and Naomi's political marriage evolves into something more.

Elisabeth Moss Has Been Closely Involved In Shaping June's Final Arc For The Handmaid's Tale

"Every Ounce Of Her Is Filled With Passion And Creativity For This Show"

Fans who, like me, are worried about how The Handmaid's Tale season 6 can wrap up June's story properly with The Testaments hanging over its head should take comfort in star Elisabeth Moss' level of involvement. Not only is she an executive producer, but she has been directing more and more episodes as the seasons progress, which the new showrunners proclaimed "such a wonderful collaboration." Having taken over after Bruce Miller stepped down to focus on developing the sequel series, Tuchman and Chang expressed their gratitude for the lead actor's contributions.

Elisabeth Moss "is involved in every aspect of production."

"Every ounce of her is filled with passion and creativity for this show, so it's really thrilling for us to collaborate with her," Tuchman gushed. He also assured fans that "she's involved in every aspect of production. She's so smart. She's become an amazing, accomplished director." She directed the first 2 episodes of the season, and she also helmed the final 2 — "that are really spectacular," Tuchman added — so it's hard to imagine she would have let anything less than a true bookend to June's story slide.

A custom collage image of Elisabeth Moss as June in the Handmaid's Tale seasons 1, 4, and 6 - created by Tom Russell

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Of course, that doesn't answer exactly how her story will end, especially when I consider that Agnes McKenzie (née Hannah Bankole) is a main character in The Testaments and still trapped in Gilead. Nevertheless, the EPs were insistent. "I think fans should expect an honest, emotional, and authentic ending for June's journey," Tuchman promised. "If they've stuck with her from the beginning, I think they'll be very understanding about where she ends up."

Chang gave a more general overview: "We are able to resolve a lot of storylines," but that's not to say the revolution is put on pause, or that everyone who isn't June will get a happy ending. "There's still a very big cliffhanger that will get resolved in this sequel." Chang was enthusiastic about the final season and viewers. "It was just such a blessing to be able to wrap up this amazing series. I'm just thrilled that I got to be a part of it, and I thank our fans who are really the best fans in the world."

Watch the rest of our interview with Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang here:

Rita & Janine’s Most Satisfying Arcs Are Yet To Come In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6

Will Rita “Give Herself Permission To Be The Secret Weapon”?

June isn’t the only refugee to be drawn back into Gilead over the course of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. Rita, who escaped life as a Martha, was convinced to make a pilgrimage to New Bethlehem to reunite with her sister. Fellow Handmaid Janine never managed to leave, on the other hand, and was instead transferred from Commander Lawrence’s household to a Jezebel’s. But don’t worry, Brewer shared that she was “thrilled” over Janine’s latest storyline.

The actor recalled seeing Jezebel’s in previous seasons and thinking, "God, now that's something I want to see more of. I want to know more about this world and why it is this way." With her placement there just as June and Moira and planning more Mayday activities, “we really turned it up to 11 this season,” offering Janine a chance to be part of the resistance in her own way.

“Janine does this wherever she is,” Brewer explained. “She finds the friendships, she finds a way to help. That's her purpose. That's where we've met Janine here: she's making the best of a bad situation.” The actor found it ironic that Jezebel’s represents “the most freedom Janine has had while still within the walls of Gilead,” which allowed her to be “a little rougher now and bring back some of that early Janine that we saw in episode 1… We've brought her right back around, and that's where she becomes of real use to the resistance.”

The beginning of Rita’s arc in season 6, meanwhile, tastes of bittersweet victory. She accepted the offer of asylum in New Bethlehem in exchange for a chance to be with her sister once more, which feels to me like capitulating to the enemy, but Brugel was excited. “When I found out from the showrunners this season that we were going to revisit a member of her family, it was so thrilling,” the actor confided.

“Rita hasn't been tethered to anything outside of the Waterfords or June,” she acknowledged, which is indeed one of the few ways in which the show has faltered, as Rita is clearly a character with a rich inner life. “To have a piece of her family pre-Gilead was just the most exciting thing this season, and I think fans will like it too.”

While the first 3 episodes haven’t given us much of a glimpse of her story yet, Brugel teased that Rita would still factor in the show's promised revolution down the line. She hinted that the final season “allows Rita to give herself permission to be the secret weapon that she's always been.”

Mayday May Be Running Low On Resources, But Never On Hope, According To Moira & Mark

“We See How People In The Real World Would React To More And More Restrictions”

Moira & Mark in The Handmaid's Tale season 6

Moira had her carefully reconstructed family ripped away from her the end of The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, with Luke arrested and June on her way to Alaska. But that didn’t stop her from charging forward with her resistance work, and neither will she pause now that she has them back. “Her driving force is still the same,” Wiley proclaimed, “which is being able to bring everyone back together.”

All of the Handmaids became Moira’s family while trapped in Gilead, of course, but her number one priority remains June and her kids. “There's a relationship that Moira and June have that sort of transcends friendship. It's almost written in the stars,” the actor explained. “I feel like they've been together in past lives almost.” I tend to agree – Moira is June’s true love, even if it’s platonic, and the fans can’t decide whether she should be with Nick, Serena, or Luke.

Speaking of Luke, Wiley shared her thoughts on Moira and Luke’s “real brother-sister bond” in the form of an adorable anecdote: “Honestly, somebody on set was like, ‘You're doing a scene with your brother today,’ and I was like, ‘He's not my actual brother...’” At the end of the day, Nicole, Hannah, June, and Luke are “Moira's family in a way that blood can never be,” the actor continued, meaning that “it's even more dire now that she brings them back together. She's the glue to bring her family back together.”

While the interview, as seen above, quickly devolved into a hysterical debate on Mark Tuello and Serena Joy’s ship name, it began on a much more somber note. With Mark being pretty much the only CIA agent left in the once-United States of America, Jaeger agreed that he was feeling “pretty depleted” after trying “to hold on to what's left of the United States” the entire series.

He made an excellent observation, however. “What I love about the show is that we see how people in the real world would react to more and more restrictions and obstacles growing,” which viewers can’t help but relate to in the current trying times. “Mark is in a position where he needs to rely on people and rebels that he wouldn't normally have done,” he added, hinting at the deal he’s made with Nick. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Despite The Handmaid’s Tale not being particularly ripe for romance, I had to ask Jaegar about my unfulfilled hopes for a Serena and Mark relationship. He responded with a surprisingly poignant headcanon: “Mark first fell in love with Serena before Gilead. I think he researched her, and he knew so much about this woman who was like a firebrand feminist that you see a glimpse of in those flashback episodes.” That made finding out “that she's such a calculating woman” something of a blow, but with 7 episodes left, hope is not lost. “There's a lot of layers to Serena.”

Commander Lawrence & Naomi’s Dynamic Shifts In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 As New Bethlehem Progresses

“Connection And Teamwork And Compassion, Which Does Not Come Naturally To Naomi”

Commander Lawrence, Serena Joy & Naomi in The Handmaid's Tale season 6

Commander Lawrence and Naomi recently found themselves in a marriage of convenience (or really of self-preservation), which Carradine said “had to happen,” explaining that “on some level, they know that they are the only two people that can keep the other one safe and keep the other one powerful.” She teased, “We get to see a lot of their discomfort, but at the root of it all, Naomi knows she needs Lawrence. And Lawrence knows he needs Naomi, much to his chagrin.”

While Whitford joked in turn that “she's a beautiful beard,” he also revealed a moment later in the season that tugged at his heartstrings. “[It shows] a real connection, and I think there's a lot in this moment of them dropping the artifice and the mercenary aspect to this marriage.” Despite the distance between them, the final episodes offer “a moment of real connection, which is amazing writing.” Carradine amended that it wasn’t just connection, but also “teamwork and compassion, which does not come naturally to Naomi.”

The Handmaid's Tale - Lawrence and Serena Joy

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One fly in Naomi’s newly compassionate ointment, however, is the reappearance of Serena Joy. “In her view of Gilead, Naomi is not a big resister,” Carradine shared. “Naomi has surrendered to everything that Gilead is, and I think when she was forced to marry Lawrence, she was all in. There was no looking back.”

But with Serena ready to make moves in New Bethlehem, “the only person who poked Naomi to resist inside of Gilead” is back. “It throws Naomi's game a little bit. She's really annoyed.” It leaves the ex-friends in something of a precarious position, and also has me wondering whether the push that Serena provides will send Naomi careening in the direction of helping the rebels – or entrench her further in Gileadean values.

For Whitford’s detailed breakdown of New Bethlehem and his character’s tentative mentorship of Nick, watch the full interview below:

Check back soon for our interviews at The Handmaid's Tale season 6 premiere red carpet.

The first 3 episodes of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 are now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

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