Spoiler warning for the series finale of The Handmaid's Tale.
The series finale of The Handmaid's Tale recently premiered for Hulu subscription holders, and it left many viewers with a mix of emotions. While it won over our own Corey Chichizola, many fans were left feeling pissed off. And Elisabeth Moss, who stars as the series lead June Osborne, is well aware of the diverse reactions. She says take it up with the book's author Margaret Atwood if you’re not happy about the finale.
Fans' frustrations over the finale primarily stem from the fact that June never reunites with her daughter, Hannah, which has been the central focus of the entire narrative. The show’s lead discussed the choices made in the finale with Variety, emphasizing the significant influence of Margaret Atwood's sequel novel, The Testaments, on the conclusion:
Talk to Margaret Atwood. It definitely is something we have carried with us since ‘The Testaments’ came out, knowing that wasn’t going to be an ending. That was a choice that Margaret made that we, of course, followed, and I don’t know if we would have done it if she hadn’t written ‘The Testaments.’ I really have no idea, but I can’t imagine it any other way. I think if there was no ‘Testaments,’ this would be a very different experience for me.
One of the most persistent questions from fans has been about June's quest to reunite with her daughter, Hannah. Moss addressed this directly, acknowledging the audience's deep investment in this storyline of the book-to-screen adaptation. The actress continued:
Our challenge was to be loyal to what Margaret decided to do, but at the same time honor Hannah’s presence. There is literally no one more aware of the audience’s desire for June to get Hannah back than me. It is the number one question I’m asked. It is the number one thing people want. I don’t want to call it a burden, but I’ve carried this question with me for many years. And I want to say to every single person who says to me ‘Please tell me she gets her daughter back,’ like, I get what you’re feeling, but that doesn’t happen in Margaret’s sequel.
The Handmaid’s Tale wraps up in a pretty mixed way. Gilead is still around, but it’s looking a bit rougher than before. June is determined to keep fighting and speaking out. She says goodbye to her husband, Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and it doesn’t really feel like a permanent goodbye. She also tells Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), her former tormentor, that she forgives her as they part ways. Plus, there’s a nice callback to the series opener when June goes back to the house where she was held captive.
If you are one of the many viewers frustrated that June never reunites with her daughter, it’s worth noting that the reason for that is that Margaret Atwood wrote The Testaments, a 2019 sequel novel to the original The Handmaid’s Tale. There’s a new series based on this sequel in the works, so technically, the series finale has been spoiled for some time. The creator admitted that the follow-up book shaped what the show’s creators had planned for the series ending. If you're unaware, The Testaments follows characters like Hannah and Aunt Lydia, so their fates were largely predetermined for the OG show's finale.
While some viewers may have their complaints, I personally believe that the show concluded in a beautifully poetic way. It offered slight closures to The Handmaid's complicated relationships with Aunt Lydia and Serena. Series finales can often be messy, but this Emmy-winning show managed to wrap things up in the best possible way, given the circumstances and the forthcoming spinoff.
Production on The Testaments has already begun, but a release date has not yet been announced. As soon as we know when to expect it to be added to the streaming schedule, we will be sure to update you.
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