The simmering rebellion against Gilead’s brutal regime reaches a boiling point in the upcoming sixth and final season of Hulu’s critically acclaimed series, The Handmaid’s Tale.
With June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) at the forefront of the resistance, viewers can expect a season brimming with high-stakes conflict, heart-wrenching choices, and the potential for a long-awaited reckoning.
If you are inquisitive about the return of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 and have been curious to know about the release date, storyline, and cast, we have all the answers lined up.
When is The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Releasing?
While the wait for season six has been excruciating, there’s finally a release window to hold onto. Initially slated for a fall 2024 premiere, production delays due to industry-wide strikes pushed filming back. However, there’s good news!
Disney Television group president Craig Erwich confirmed that season six will kick off production this summer, targeting a 2025 release. Though an exact date remains under wraps, considering past seasons’ release schedule, we can expect it sometime in early 2025.
But, despite all these confirmations, we’d recommend that you keep an eye out on the previous seasons and finish watching them if you want the sixth season to make sense to you. Some aspects of it might not make much sense, so that’s a factor you have to keep into consideration.
What can we expect from The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6?
Season five left viewers with a cliffhanger that ignited the flames of rebellion. June, having escaped Gilead with a plane full of children, finds herself in a precarious situation in Canada. Meanwhile, within Gilead, the resistance movement, Mayday, continues to chip away at the totalitarian regime.
June’s journey in Canada will be fraught with challenges. She’ll grapple with survivor’s guilt, the trauma of Gilead, and the complex political landscape of a nation wary of refugees. However, June’s fire for freedom burns bright, and she’ll undoubtedly continue to fight for Gilead’s overthrow, potentially leading missions back into the totalitarian state.
With June physically removed, the burden of leading the Mayday resistance inside Gilead falls on characters like Nick (Max Minghella) and Janine (Madeline Brewer). We can expect to see Mayday’s operations become bolder, potentially targeting Gilead’s leadership or infrastructure.
Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) allegiances remain unclear. While he’s shown moments of sympathy towards June and the resistance, his position within Gilead gives him limited options. Season six might reveal a definitive choice: will he side with Gilead or defect to fight for a better future?
With internal dissent growing and external pressure mounting, Gilead’s totalitarian grip might begin to crumble. The season could showcase the power struggles within the Commander class, the desperation of the Eyes (Gilead’s secret police), and the potential fracturing of Gilead’s control over the occupied territories.
Who is returning in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6?
At this point, we are hopeful that the showrunners will bring back the cast from the previous seasons, including:
- Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
- Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
- Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford
- Max Minghella as Nick Blaine
- Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek
- Madeline Brewer as Janine Lizeri
