The Handmaid’s Tale ending may not be completely satisfying to viewers who were hoping for uncomplicated conclusions, but it is true to the spirit of the show. After six seasons, Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s feminist dystopian novel aired its finale on May 26. If you’re looking for meaning, especially amidst everything happening with current events, well, that’s understandable.
Mayday has liberated Boston from Gilead at last, but the nation of Gilead still exists in most of the rest of the United States, and June (Elisabeth Moss) still hasn’t been able to rescue Hannah (Jordana Blake). But why, you might be asking in frustration. I think I can explain. (For what it’s worth, the spinoff series, The Testaments, is already underway and revolves around Hannah’s story in Gilead.)
The Handmaid’s Tale could conceivably have ended on episode nine, when Mayday won the battle for Boston. The rebels rescued June and the other Handmaids (plus Ann Dowd’s Aunt Lydia!) from the noose in the nick of time, having already killed a majority of the Commanders after Serena’s (Yvonne Strahovski) grotesque wedding. The win became decisive when Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) brought a bomb onto the plane that was to transport the remaining Commanders, including Nick (Max Minghella), to D.C., and sacrificed himself in the process. Episode ten was about wrapping up as many loose ends as possible, though not every loose end.
Janine (Madeline Brewer), who had been recaptured by the Eyes, was delivered back to Mayday by Naomi Putnam Lawrence (Ever Carradine), of all people. And Naomi doubled down on her 180 degree character change by sending Angela/Charlotte to live with her real mother Janine, where she would be safe. Serena and Noah were sent to refugee limbo, which she made peace with by reflecting on a) how blessed she was to have her son and b) the fact that she finally got June’s forgiveness. Emily (Alexis Bledel) popped in for a brief life-update (she’s doing okay, and still gets to FaceTime with Oliver [Charlie Zeltzer] occasionally), and we left Moira (Samira Wiley) and Luke (OT Fagbenle) already planning their next Gilead assault. June’s mom Holly (Cherry Jones) has traveled with baby Nichole/Holly from Alaska to reunite with June, whose last struggle is with herself. She knows she has to continue the fight, but she doesn’t want to leave her daughter again.
June actually explains it best in her emotional monologue to baby Holly, who seems to be fighting some wicked jet-lag. “It’s my job to keep you safe, you know that. You and your sister. I have another job too, I think,” she says. “I think I have to do my best to help keep all the little girls in Gilead safe too. If I can’t, I have to try.” Through tears, June explains to her daughter that she needs to stay with Grandma a little while longer, because she won’t be safe where June is going. But, she adds, “But you know what? Can I tell you something? You don’t have to be near mommy in order to feel her love. It’ll find you, no matter where you are.”
Read the full article here
