The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Ending Explained In Full

The Handmaid’s Tale ending explained how all its major storylines reached their inevitable conclusion. Despite The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 starting with June (Elisabeth Moss) seemingly safe in Canada, it soon becomes apparent that she wants to make Gilead pay and, more importantly, get information about her and Luke’s (O-T Fagbenle) daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake). While Gilead’s threats are never too far from June throughout the fifth season, it also becomes clear that Canada isn’t safe for her and Nichole, making their hastened trip out of Toronto unavoidable.

Although those whom June might have considered allies in Gilead prove to be either unable or unwilling to help her in the season 5 finale, one particular storyline about June’s Gilead connections ends up flourishing, as both she and Serena find themselves on a westbound train out of Toronto. The Handmaid’s Tale season 5’s ending also proves to be a turning point for many other characters, including Aunt Lydia, Nick, and Luke. But what does it all mean for June’s future?

What The Final Moment Between June & Serena Means

June & Serena Might Finally Be On The Same Side

Serena’s (Yvonne Strahovski) surprise appearance on the same train June and Nichole had to take to escape Toronto and Gilead’s influence proves exceptionally fortunate, at least considering what it means for their relationship going forward. Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, June and Serena have been fierce adversaries, with Serena causing irreparable harm to June. Nevertheless, The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, episode 7 brought a tentative reconciliation between the two, with June admitting that she didn’t kill Serena because she didn’t want to.

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 finale ends with Serena and June reuniting without the former power imbalance. It perfectly complements their confrontation turned supportive discussion and helpful assistance in the seventh episode of season 5. It’s unknown whether Serena and June’s exchange in the finale means they’ll both have a hand in plotting against Gilead in the future. Still, their meeting surely detailed a new start for the two, a clean slate after everything June and Serena have been through and done to each other.

What Will Happen To Luke Now?

Luke Puts Himself In Harm’s Way For June

Among the many shocking happenings in the season 5 ending of The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead’s attempted assassination of June via a Canadian citizen hostile to refugees wasn’t as surprising as it was impactful. While Luke managed to stop the man before he killed June, he ultimately wound up in the hospital for the injuries sustained in the aggression, making him a person of interest.

Since the attacker ended up dying, Luke decided to sacrifice himself to let June and Nichole escape. He could likely end up convicted of manslaughter. Considering also how The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 showed Canada becoming less and less welcoming toward refugees from Gilead, and Luke inadvertently killing a Canadian citizen, Canada will likely try to make an example of Luke.

Why Nick Can’t Let Go Of June & What It Means

Nick Makes More Enemies In Gilead

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 sees Nick (Max Minghella) adamantly pushing June away because of his commitments to Rose and their family, both Gilead and the U.S. in Canada try to bring him to their side by offering potential proximity to June. Their analysis proves correct, as Nick accepts helping the American government in Canada for a chance to see June and secure her protection. However, attacking Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) in front of the other Commanders shows Nick’s hand, making his behavior unjustifiable for Gilead and dangerous for him, as they believe he is a traitor.

It’s unclear whether this means Nick will have to escape Gilead to fight them in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 or if they’ll somewhat forgive him while continuing to keep him on his toes. Still, as Rose decides she doesn’t want to be with him anymore, it looks like Nick will have one less ally in Gilead, making his future perilous.

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Why Hannah Writes Her Real Name, Not Agnes, In Handmaid’s Tale S5, Ep 9

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, episode 9 brings June and Luke’s daughter, Hannah, to the forefront and breaks Gilead’s law while she’s at it.

What’s Going To Happen To Janine After Handmaid’s Tale S5?

Janine Left Her Posting

Janine’s (Madeline Brewer) fate was also left up in the air at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale season 5. It’s unknown what kind of punishment she’ll face for refusing her posting at the Lawrences, especially considering how her reaction was understandably vehement at being called Ofjoseph. Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, on which The Handmaid’s Tale is based, didn’t detail Janine’s story, leaving the TV show version of her character’s future open. However, Emily (Alexis Bledel) was punished for escaping her posting by being sent to the colonies. Janine’s next journey could lead her there.

Aunt Lydia’s Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Ending Sets Up Her Testaments Story

Lydia Is Likely Going To Fight Gilead

Aunt Lydia’s Testaments transformation was already hinted at by The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, episode 4, when she proposed to keep the Handmaids at the Red Center rather than post them to the Commanders’ houses. While Aunt Lydia managed to keep Janine under her wing for as long as she could, The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 finale forced her hand to find the best possible posting for her, despite Janine categorically refusing it.

Janine’s posting falling through could have been expected, considering her new attitude after Esther poisoned her. Still, the Eyes brutally seizing Janine proved transformative for Aunt Lydia, who never questioned Gilead’s methods before but tried to forcibly oppose the Eyes to stop them from taking Janine. This action will likely lead to The Testaments’ version of Aunt Lydia, still in Gilead but working to change it from the inside by helping the Gilead-opposing resistance, Mayday.

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Mayday In Canada Flips The Handmaid’s Tale’s Darkest Gilead Change

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, episode 3 revealed that Mayday outposts are possibly everywhere, restoring hope in light of Gilead’s expanding reach.

Is Canada Really Becoming Another Gilead In The Handmaid’s Tale?

Canada Seemed Easily Influenced By Gilead

The Wheelers’ influence and how people reacted to their fertility center might indicate Canadians being susceptible to Gilead’s influence in The Handmaid’s Tale season 5. As some Canadians also proved sympathetic to the Waterfords’ struggles in season 4, The Handmaid’s Tale depicted some Canadians’ increasing support for anything related to Gilead.

However, what The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 tended to show in abundance was Canadians’ refusal to continue hosting refugees, which played into the hands of Gilead, as it wished they returned to New Bethlehem. It’s unclear whether Gilead could influence Canadian politics in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. However, as June and Nichole started moving to Hawaii, it’s unlikely Toronto will occupy such a considerable position in the future.

What The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5’s Ending Song Means

“Bury A Friend” By Billie Eilish

As The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 finale’s ending saw Serena and June meeting again, “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish accompanied the scene, joining The Handmaid’s Tale season 5’s long list of songs. The song was detailed by the singer-composer as describing the perspective of the monster under the bed, but the eerie lyrics perfectly describe June and Serena’s unusual relationship too.

Antagonism was always common between Serena and June, first because of their roles as a Wife and a Handmaid and then because of their shared history. However, The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 changed things by having them show kindness toward each other, making the lyrics “What do you want from me? / Why don’t you run from me? / What are you wondering? / What do you know? / Why aren’t you scared of me? / Why do you care for me?” particularly appropriate for Serena and June’s relationship.

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Handmaid’s Tale: Why June Sends Fred’s Finger To Serena Joy

The Handmaid’s Tale season 4 finale saw June send Fred’s finger – and wedding ring – to Serena Joy, serving as a taunt and a warning sign.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5’s Ending Brings The Show Full Circle

The Handmaid’s Tale season 1 spends much time trying to show the differences between June’s life in Boston before Gilead and her daily experience as Offred and a Handmaid to the Waterfords. Thus, The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 starting off as another new beginning for June, one hopefully less tragic than her life in Gilead, mirrors the beginning of June’s story in The Handmaid’s Tale.

June set up to go through this change with Serena is poignantly full circle, as they are two very different people from the women they were in The Handmaid’s Tale season 1, especially after Serena had a taste of what being a Handmaid felt like. Finally, considering how June and Serena were often at the forefront of The Handmaid’s Tale‘s most crucial and intense scenes, it makes sense that it would be their conjoined story leading the show into The Handmaid’s Tale’s sixth and final season.

What To Know About The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6

What Will Happen In The Final Season?

While The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 ended with June escaping to Hawaii, and likely to safety, there’s still plenty that could go wrong in season 6. Luke has been arrested, and one wonders if June will just move on or if she wants to find a way to save him and maybe take the fight back to Gilead again. The best thing about the next season is that no one knows what will happen, since the story has moved away from the source novel by Margaret Atwood.

Gilead will play a major role again, as Ever Carradine (Naomi Putnam) has been moved to the role of a series regular for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. She has been around since season 1 but has only been a supporting character until now. With no news about the release date of the next season, all that is known is that the show starts production in the summer of 2024, but there is no word on how long that will run or when the release date will be. The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 is expected to arrive sometime in 2025, likely later in the year.

The main idea for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 storyline is that June and Serena will finally work together to bring down Gilead, and possibly help save Canada from its seeming desire to fall into that pattern as well. Luke’s story will also continue, as he will either be tried for manslaughter (or murder) or just shipped back to Gilead, which would be even worse. With so many potential twists and turns, fans should expect a shocking ending to this intense drama series

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian television series based on the 1985 novel by author Margaret Atwood. The series was created by Bruce Miller and stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski. The show follows the story of a young handmaid as she is forced to deal with a new totalitarian government that subjugates women in this dark societal twist.

Cast

O-T Fagbenle , Joseph Fiennes , Alexis Bledel , Elisabeth Moss , Amanda Brugel , Bradley Whitford , Max Minghella , Ann Dowd , Samira Wiley , Madeline Brewer , Yvonne Strahovski

Release Date

April 26, 2017

Seasons

5

Showrunner

Bruce Miller

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