The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is on its way back to Hulu, and details are starting to become public about where this season will go.
After first kicking off in 2017, The Handsmaid's Tale quickly became a mainstay in discussions on pop culture when taking into account its relevance in a modern-day world. However, since the pandemic, new seasons have been harder to come by for this award-winning series.
Season 5 ended its run on Hulu in November 2022 before the writers' and actors' strikes of 2023 pushed Season 6's eventual arrival.
6 Confirmed Details About The Handmaid's Tale Season 6
The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is the Final Season
Via The Hollywood Reporter, Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale is confirmed to be the final set of episodes for this hit series, according to creator/showrunner Bruce Miller.
He made it clear that the show is going out "on [its] own terms," considering himself incredibly lucky to make that decision when so many shows are unceremoniously canceled:
"It’s been a very, very, very luxurious time that I’ve had to think about what happens at the end of this story and exactly how we’d like to get there as a company. I’m very glad we’re being able to do it on our own terms because I know how lucky that makes us — all the actors and creative people who put their hearts and souls into it — to close up the play the way you want. Dropping the curtain the way you want is such a huge privilege."
The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Releases Next Spring
According to Deadline, The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is lined up for a release window in Spring 2025.
The new season first kicked off its production slate in September, leaving only six to nine months of a gap between the start of filming and its release.
12 Cast Members Are Confirmed for Season 6
A dozen major stars are confirmed to be in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6's cast, the vast majority of them having been around since the show's early days in 2017.
This group will be led once again by Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne, who was captured while attempting to escape Canada with her family. Since then, she has had to fight for her safety in her new surroundings, becoming a handmaid to multiple leaders.
The full cast list can be seen below:
- Elisabeth Moss - June
- Yvonne Strahovski - Serena
- Bradley Whitford- Commander Lawrence
- Max Minghella - Nick
- Ann Dowd - Aunt Lydia
- O-T Fagbenle - Luke
- Samira Wiley - Moira
- Madeline Brewer - Janine
- Amanda Brugel - Rita Blue
- Sam Jaeger - Mark Tuello
- Ever Carradine - Naomi Putnam
Additionally, Deadline announced that The Good Wife's Josh Charles was lined up for a role in Season 6.
What Will Happen in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6?
Season 5 saw June in the aftermath of Commander Waterford’s murder as she faced the consequences of her role in that event. She will at least have to go toe-to-toe with his widow Serena and Gilead, but she will also have to find a new identity and purpose for herself.
Additionally, Commander Lawrence will work with Nick and Aunt Lydia as he looks to reform Gilead and push forward with his own rise to power.
However, Nick and Lydia could have their own plans after assisting June in killing Waterford.
Nobody Knew How The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Ended
Elisabeth Moss discussed the ending of Season 5 with The Hollywood Reporter, noting that nobody knew exactly what was going to happen before filming finished.
When asked about the end of Episode 7 of that season, Moss explained that the "ending wasn’t known to anyone" while making that final episode:
THR: "And then I was excited June and Serena had each other on the train, which speaks to the character development on this show. How aware of this final moment were you both when making Episode 7?"
Moss: "Well, that ending wasn’t known to anyone when we made 7, so that’s the answer to that question."
The Handmaid's Tale's Ending Has Been Planned From the Beginning
Showrunner Bruce Miller confirmed to fans that he has thought about The Handmaid Tale's ending "since the beginning" and since he first read the original book. It will reportedly stay "pretty close" to what was originally planned when the show first started its run:
"I’ve been thinking about the end since the beginning. I’ve been thinking about the end of this story since I read 'The Handmaid’s Tale' the first time. It’s one of those books that when you finish reading it, all you think about is the end. So in the end, story-wise, we’ve been able to stay pretty close to what we had thought, from our initial discussions and what Lizzy and I had talked about, and what Margaret and I had talked about."
The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is expected to hit Hulu in Spring 2025.
