As the sixth and final season of Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale returns this month to give its audience, and heroine June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), some closure, it’s worth taking a beat to really consider the lifespan of this monumental series. In the history of television, there’s never been a time when audiences could watch a fictional, dystopian drama about the patriarchal and theocratic overthrow of the United States government unfold onscreen in parallel with chillingly similar events happening in real life.
As they say, timing is everything, and series creator/executive producer Bruce Miller (Alphas, The 100) couldn’t have launched his telling of Atwood’s 1985 book at a more opportune moment. The pilot dropped on April 26, 2017, just three months after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Told through the perspective of June, audiences came to know how she was placed in her “sacred” position and—through flashbacks—witness some of the steps taken that eventually ripped away autonomy and dignity from all women.
Even if we remove current politics from assessment, the first two seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale are still high watermarks. The alchemy of Miller, his writers, and the cast made this series, early on, an inspired reimagining of the brilliant source material. But for all its strengths, the series has suffered from the common challenge of keeping audiences engaged with relentlessly depressing storylines and tough depictions of torture and misogyny. There’s also a strong argument to be made that the show should have been condensed into a tighter run. The last two seasons of Handmaid’s in particular tested the patience of audiences who were very much ready for a conclusion to June’s suffering.
In this final batch of episodes, the throttle has been released and the show delves into Gilead’s liberal capitulation experiment, New Bethlehem (run by Bradley Whitford’s pragmatic Commander Lawrence), as well as the individual fates of June, true believer Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), zealot Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), and the many others impacted by this bleak turn in society.
With a climax and resolution baked into its last 10 hours, this season has a propulsion and watchability to it that’s reminiscent of the show’s first year. When Miller left the series to develop the spin-off The Testaments, longtime writers Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang were handed the responsibility of tying together the many narrative threads into satisfying conclusions as showrunners. And so far—eight of the final season’s 10 episodes were provided to critics—they’ve hit their mark.
All of the main players (and even some unexpected minor characters) in the ensemble have been given individual moments to shine here. In particular, the sometimes frustratingly sidelined Moira (Samira Wiley) and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) are granted meaty storylines that position them centrally. And because of that, audiences are rewarded with some much delayed but necessary confrontations between them and June about what this fight has cost their relationships. What’s more, they get to articulate with haunting honesty to one another why they’re still fighting after they’ve lost so much. As always, Moss is stellar, embodying a far more proactive June than we’ve seen in recent seasons. The actor opens the gates of her ferocity and vulnerability, reminding us why this is such a career-defining role.
Meanwhile, on the Gilead side of the story, Strahovski continues to make Serena Joy a fascinating exploration of a particular kind of woman, one whose religious and political convictions obscure their empathy until they too suffer from what they’ve so doggedly pursued on behalf of the men around them. As Commander Lawrence, Whitford exceptionally plays that wry bit of light in the dark. He’s the best man amongst the worst of them, trying to drag Gilead into something better (even if it’s just so he can live with himself). There’s also a worthy arc for Commander Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) as he rises up the ranks while trying to serve two masters: the patriarchy of Gilead and his heart, which still belongs to June and their young daughter.
This season builds at a much more engaging pace than the past few ones. There is a sense of purpose and urgency that was especially missing last season, as well as a very cinematic execution, from Adam Taylor’s inspiring score and some effective Radiohead needle drops to the show’s signature framings of expressive faces. The jury is still obviously out on the last two installments, but this final bow sure feels like a triumphant comeback.
The Handmaid’s Tale season six premieres April 8 on Hulu
