It’s been two long years since The Handmaid’s Tale was last on our screens and at last, the show's eagerly-anticipated finale series is coming to a UK screen near you! As Gilead’s gripping story to a close, we're in for a slightly different series 6 - but one that will have been well worth the wait. As the people of Gilead would say, praise be!
In case you need reminding, the show is adapted from Margaret Atwood’s classic novel and tells the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. It’s a tale of strength, survival and sisterhood and Elisabeth Moss' rebellious resistance leader June Osborne is at the very heart of it.
Series 5 ended with June and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) on a train of Gilead refugees hoping to make it to Vancouver and, eventually, Hawaii. At the time, Elisabeth, who’s also an executive producer and director on the show called it "a pretty positive ending for the show and the season, which we don’t usually do. It’s a cliffhanger, but there’s something quite positive about it."
With Gilead rapidly crumbling and Serena questioning her path forward and wanting to raise her son in peace, series 6 will undoubtedly be very different to those that have come before it. Ahead of its arrival on Channel 4 and Prime Video this weekend, here's everything you need to know about the show's last hurrah, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Handmaid’s Tale about?
Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, the award-winning series (the first season won 8 Emmy Awards alone) is set in a dystopian future where, following a Second American Civil War, a totalitarian society subjects fertile women called "Handmaids" to child-bearing slavery.
June (Elisabeth Moss) is one of those fertile woman; renamed Offred, she lives as a concubine to a Gileadan officer Fred Waterford and his wife Serena. The couple are key players in the formation and rise of Gilead, but they struggle with the realities of the society they helped create.
Though forced to agree to their strict rules and conditions, June fights to be freed and reunited with her husband Luke and daughter, Hannah, with much of series centred around June's desire and attempts to be reunited with them - and ultimately, to take down Gilead.
What will happen in The Handmaid’s Tale series 6?
According to the official synopsis, in the final series of The Handmaid’s Tale, June’s (Elisabeth Moss) "unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead.
"Luke (O.T. Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley) join the resistance," it continues. "Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick (Max Minghella) faces challenging tests of character.
"This final chapter of June's journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom."
The new trailer, which you can watch below, gives us a taste of June and Luke's dangerous mission back into Gilead, and we also see Serena walking down the aisle in a church, dressed in a blue wedding gown.
The latest images released by Channel 4 also reveal an enticing selection of scenes from the first three episodes of the final series.
We see June holding her baby close to her, but in none of the photos released so far do we see her with her eldest child, Hannah. Will she finally be reunited for good with her daughter and manage to rescue her from Gilead?
The images also include June's husband, Luke, pointing a gun - but it's unclear who his target is. Plus, Aunt Lydia's return is confirmed with a new image of her - what's in store for her, however, remains to be seen.
Who's starring in The Handmaid’s Tale series 6?
The cast of The Handmaid’s Tale series 6 includes:
- Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) as June
- O.T. Fagbenle (No Good Deed) as Luke
- Amanda Brugel (Dark Matter) as Rita
- Yvonne Strahovski (Teacup) as Serena
- Bradley Whitford (The Madness) as Joseph Lawrence
- Max Minghella (Babylon) as Nick
- Ann Dowd (The Friend) as Aunt Lydia
- Samira Wiley (Orange Is the New Black) as Moira
- Madeline Brewer (Hustlers) as Janine
- Sam Jaeger (Parenthood) as Mark
- Ever Carradine (Goliath) as Naomi
- Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
How can I watch The Handmaid’s Tale series 6?
It's almost here! The Handmaid’s Tale series 6 will premiere on Channel 4 and Prime Video on Saturday 3rd May.
