We are just days away from The Handmaid's Tale finale premiering in the UK, and with it comes a barrage of questions about what may become of our favourite Gilead residents.
Within the opening scenes of The Handmaid's Tale first season, we watched as June's child, Hannah, was torn from her arms by the oppressive regime of Gilead. Fast forward five seasons and several years, and June is still separated from her child, with Hannah being stationed firmly in Gilead's clutches throughout the seasons. The big question plaguing viewers, however, is whether June will get to be reunited with her beloved child in the series' final outing?
While the answer will be revealed this weekend, if Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale is anything to go by, it may not be a happy ending for the mother-daughter duo. In the novel, readers aren't even given June's name or her daughter's, and the book's protagonist — which is understood to be June — isn't reunited with her daughter, suggesting the fate of the television characters could mirror that of the novel's.
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There's also the knowledge that The Testaments, The Handmaid's Tale sequel, is on its way. Set approximately 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, it's not only a sequel but a spiritual successor, too.
In The Testaments novel, Hannah becomes 'Agnes Jemima', a child raised within Gilead; while Baby Nicole (June's younger daughter in Canada) eventually infiltrates Gilead as a juvenile operative. While June and Hannah's fate is unclear ahead of the final episode airing, it is a certainty that the final episode will establish the children as future agents of change.
The Handmaid's Tale season six finale will air on Channel 4 on July 5.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
