After six seasons on Hulu, The Handmaid’s Tale will be wrapping up the story in 2025.
Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a dystopian future where low fertility rates have led women to be assigned to men for bearing children. Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley and Amanda Brugel have led the cast since the show premiered in 2017.
The sixth season was announced ahead of the season 5 premiere in September 2022. At the time, creator Bruce Miller expressed his gratitude for getting the chance to start a conversation with The Handmaid’s Tale, saying in a statement, “It has been a true honor to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale.”
He continued: “We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.”
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Moss, meanwhile, promised a “big and wild” final season. “It definitely has final-season energy,” she told TVLine in May 2024. “[It] goes to many different places, and it is very, very surprising all the way through.”
Keep scrolling for the cast’s candid quotes about what to expect from season 6 — and how they are preparing to say goodbye to The Handmaid’s Tale:
Giving Back to the Audience
According to Moss, the ending will satisfy those who stuck with the show.
“I feel like this season, we’re giving it back to the audience,” she explained to TVLine in May 2024. “We definitely really have our eye on that, making sure that it does feel rewarding and satisfying for the fans and like what we would want to watch, you know, as fans of the show.”
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Don’t Expect a Happy Ending
“June is going to figure out who she is and who she’s going to be for the rest of her life,” Moss teased to Elle in November 2022 about her character’s potential story lines. “I think the one thing that we always say is that we do shoot the show through the specific lenses of these characters. I don’t think we feel an obligation to tie up the entire story of Gilead, especially not because we’ve got the sequel coming up in The Testaments. So we do have the opportunity to continue the story. But as far as June, I think she’s on her way to becoming the heroine that she will be.”
Moss noted that the final season centers on a fight that “is not just about one individual.”
Strahovski agreed with Moss, sharing with People that same month, “I just don’t think there was a happy ending. That’s why I love and respect the writers so much. Look at this season: the most obvious thing would’ve been let’s make Serena a handmaid. And that would be just, so cool to have that kind of revenge. But, that would be too obvious. I just would love to see that kind of unique storytelling continue cause it’s just magnificent.”
Struggling to Say Goodbye
Strahovski admitted that she had complicated feelings as The Handmaid’s Tale came to an end.
“Initially, it was new territory for me. I found it really hard at times to justify her position in life and just in the scenes in general, and I spent a lot of time sitting with that. And, you know, obviously, as the years went by, it got easier and easier, and now I know her so well that it’s just sort of an automatic process,” Strahovski shared on an October 2024 episode of the “Bingeworthy ” podcast. “It’s definitely bittersweet [to say goodbye]. I think it’s definitely time to say goodbye, and I’m excited to put her away, make space for the new things that are around the corner, and just energetically, maybe let go of Serena.”
The actress continued: “I’m never sitting in her space, but you inevitably — you’re carrying a character, so you’re visiting that space often. So I think that will feel very liberating and lovely and like a new beginning. But obviously, it will be very emotional for me to say goodbye to her also because it feels like a breakup with a friend.”
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Keeping the Ending a Mystery
“When we started this journey in season 1, we bore no more. In season 2, we reclaimed our name. In season 3, we set ourselves free. In season 4, we preyed together. In season 5, you’ll see how some sins can’t be washed away,” the cast said in a September 2024 Instagram statement. “And as to season 6, our sixth and final season, well, you’ll just have to wait and see. We can’t thank you enough for supporting the show over the years. Much love to you all. Under his eye.”
