‘The Handmaid’s Story’ Season 6 Premiere Reunions, Defined

[This story contains spoilers from the three-episode season six premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, “Train,” “Exile” and “Devotion.”]

The largest query for The Handmaid’s Story viewers heading into the sixth and ultimate season was what was going to occur to June and Serena after they obtained on that prepare.

The three-episode premiere of the Emmy-winning dystopian Hulu saga shortly answered that query by setting its starring ladies on diverging paths as soon as once more for the ultimate chapter on this Gilead story. Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) finally ends up leaping from the prepare, along with her child son in her arms, to flee a mob of Gilead refugee ladies searching for revenge in opposition to the previous Gilead spouse. She ultimately makes her means again to Gilead through New Bethlehem, the reformed group based by Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) the place she is required to recruit refugees.

June (Elisabeth Moss), who helped Serena escape, finally ends up making it to Alaska, the place she reunites along with her mom Holly (performed by returning star Cherry Jones), giving the hero of this story a much-needed win after the harrowing journey she took to get there within the occasions of season 5. The mother-daughter reunion reminds the viewers what June is preventing for, as she updates her mom that her oldest daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake), stays in Gilead.

June’s Alaskan go to is short-lived, as she’s shortly pulled again into the struggle and joins the Mayday insurrection on a mission to save lots of her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), who’s out on bail after his finale arrest, and finest good friend Moira (Samira Wiley), who’re trapped in No Man’s Land, the disputed territory within the Gileadean-Canadian border area. She calls on Nick (Max Minghella), now a Excessive Commander, for assist and he obliges the mom of their daughter Nichole, who June is now calling by her delivery title, Holly.

The third episode ends with a profitable rescue mission, which brings about a clumsy reunion with Luke and Nick, as Moira additionally meets Nick for the primary time, and one other poignant goodbye for June and her star-crossed lover. This time, June and Nick agree it’s not goodbye. It’s so long.

Under, longtime writers and season six co-showrunners Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang unpack all of these reunions within the first three episodes — additionally together with Janine (Madeline Brewer), who’s now a Jezebel, with Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) — and clarify how these early occasions of the season will arrange what’s to return because the 10-episode ultimate chapter unspools the remainder of June’s story: “This can be a season the place each character reveals who they are surely.”

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Once I spoke with creator Bruce Miller and star/govt producer/director Elisabeth Moss on the finish of season 5, they didn’t know but what would occur after June and Serena obtained on that prepare. Once you obtained again into the room and began to interrupt the story, how did you determine that you simply have been going to set them on these completely different paths?

YAHLIN CHANG Bruce truly considered it for a very long time, what he wished to occur on that prepare. I feel the enjoyable of that episode is that it begins out as a June and Serena engaged on their relationship story, after which it takes this darkish, scary flip. The top of that episode I credit score completely to my co-showrunner Eric Tuchman, as a result of he was the one who was actually beating the drum of, “Wouldn’t it’s nice if [June’s mother] Holly have been in Alaska? Holly must be in Alaska to obtain June.” I simply cherished that, and it occurred due to him.

ERIC TUCHMAN All people has good concepts within the writers room, however for that episode, as a result of it turned such a darkish disturbing story, which may be very a lot consistent with numerous what the Handmaid’s Story has been about, we wished this [premiere] ending to really feel uplifting and hopeful that there was nonetheless a light-weight on this darkness. What higher for June, after this harrowing expertise on the prepare, then to reunite along with her mom who she thought was lifeless? It’s wish-fulfillment for lots of people, together with me. The truth that we obtained Cherry Jones [who played Holly in seasons two and three] again to play this position once more and to behave in these scenes with Lizzie [Moss] is certainly one of my favourite issues in regards to the season.

Lizzie additionally directed the premiere, in addition to episode two. With Lizzie herself changing into a mom earlier than filming, and having her child along with her on set, how emotional was that mother-daughter reunion to movie? We see three generations of girls in June’s household collectively, and a wanted embrace for June after a harrowing journey.

TUCHMAN Effectively, I occurred to be there for these Holly scenes with Cherry Jones, and Lizzie had her baby along with her for many of that shoot. It’s simply one other side of what makes her this extraordinary superwoman who’s producing, appearing, directing and being a full-time mom on the similar time. She is juggling all these balls so fantastically and with out ever actually breaking a sweat. She has probably the most optimistic, upbeat angle at all times, and that infuses the complete set with that enthusiasm and keenness for the present.

CHANG Bradley Whitford jokes about how so lots of our actresses had infants on the finish of the present, which he’s referred to as dyslexic methodology appearing. (Laughs)

On the flipside, one of many extra disappointing moments for Serena got here on that prepare. She had a chance to ask these Gilead refugee ladies for forgiveness, and as a substitute, she doubles down on her Gilead intentions. Are you able to speak about that scene and what it tells us about Serena within the ultimate season?

CHANG Serena’s going to Serena. That’s how I really feel about her and the way we craft her all through the season. She has an ego. She at all times must be in the appropriate. She at all times has to really feel like she’s near god or doing what god needs, and even when she asks for forgiveness from June or needs redemption, she actually looks like she has this very particular relationship with god and has a sure divine accountability. So I feel she actually believes numerous what she says on that prepare. She does imagine that she saved the nation and sure, it took a pair darkish turns and didn’t work out precisely as she wished, however she actually does suppose that America sucked in some ways and needed to change. And so, god bless her. She doesn’t lie about her true emotions. That’s the one factor that she has going for her: she doesn’t lie.

We see her returning to Gilead through New Bethlehem, the reformed societal imaginative and prescient from Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford). Serena, now sporting a brand new purple coloration, attracts the eye of Gilead Commander Wharton, performed by Josh Charles, who’s the father-in-law to Nick (Max Minghella), who’s now a Excessive Commander himself. How does this third episode set Serena up in New Bethlehem?

TUCHMAN She returns to New Bethlehem very decided to be an unbiased voice, a girl of actual affect. She’s not going to get sucked into the position that Gilead has had her play earlier than, which is both as a spouse or is simply somebody there for a photograph op. She actually needs to contribute and alter Gilead into the Gilead she is aware of it may be. After which she comes throughout somebody who’s highly effective and influential, who’s courting her, who appears to embrace her want for reform, and he or she will get sucked again in. He’s not solely a great romantic match, however he’s a great determine with energy and affect that may assist her. She loves energy.

CHANG Serena is bold and that’s even in her choice to return to New Bethlehem. On the one hand, she felt like god has referred to as her to this function. However the very first thing was that she was threatened. She needed to get the hell out of Gilead, and make it possible for the Wheelers didn’t get her child. [When Lawrence tells her that the Eyes know where she is], she then turns it over in her thoughts to, “God has referred to as me again to set issues proper.”

We see Janine (Madeline Brewer) in episode three and she is now a Jezebel. She has this reunion scene with Aunt Lydia the place she sends Lydia away. Aunt Lydia (who will star within the sequel sequence The Testaments) has been beginning to see issues otherwise since final season. How will seeing Janine at Jezebel’s proceed to show the wheels for Aunt Lydia?

TUCHMAN Janine and Lydia have a very sophisticated, virtually mother-daughter relationship. Lydia genuinely feels love and protectiveness towards her most valuable woman, Janine. And when she sees Janine on this den of iniquity, we’re once more chipping away at Lydia’s delusions about what Gilead actually is. We’re taking these rose-colored glasses off that she’s been sporting for thus lengthy. To see Janine struggling on this place is yet one more step in her journey to cease being so willfully blind about what the reality is behind Gilead. Cease hiding behind faith. It’s actually about energy.

The third episode sees June leaving child Holly (previously Nichole) along with her mom and happening the rescue mission to save lots of Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley). This results in her reunion with Nick. Nick calls June out for selecting Luke, however June makes it clear she loves them each. I’ve spoken with O-T about June and Nick, and he thinks individuals are loopy for delivery them. As a result of their love got here from trauma, is June blinded to the pink flags she ought to see in Nick?

CHANG I feel you’re completely proper that her relationship with Nick was solid in trauma. It saved her alive and it gave her a cause to outlive these horrible, horrible years in Gilead, they usually have this superb bond. Additionally, Nick is at all times there for her and at all times doing no matter she wants at nice danger to himself. So after all, she’s loves him. And Luke has been so dependable and has waited for her for thus lengthy, so she has an actual love for him too, but it surely’s a special form of love. With Nick, I feel it’s extra lusty and passionate, and with Luke, it’s the love of an excellent robust attachment to a husband who has stood by her. However, as you mentioned, there are specific issues about Nick that she is blind to and that our viewers and we as writers are blind to as a result of we’re invested on this romance. And that’s that he’s a commander in Gilead. And that’s the reality of it.

Bruce Miller has at all times mentioned he knew the present’s ending from the beginning. Did issues evolve or change in any respect, or was there a North Star you have been working in the direction of this season?

TUCHMAN I feel the ending is true to Bruce’s imaginative and prescient that he’s had for a very long time. You understand, it’s referred to as the Handmaid’s Story and it ties into the telling of this story. It didn’t dictate the remainder of the tales that we’re telling throughout the season and we might nonetheless result in that ending that Bruce has at all times wished. So we did get to do numerous juicy tales for June and for our complete ensemble.

CHANG Yeah, I feel he knew what that final scene must be for a very long time.

What are a number of the greatest themes you’re tackling this season?

TUCHMAN We actually wished this season to be, as Yahlin has referred to as it, a season of triumph and uplift. It’s been numerous darkish and disturbing tales prior to now, however now it’s the ultimate season and it’s a season about preventing again, about defiance and resilience and braveness and guts and hopefulness. It’s time. Our viewers has caught with us by the darkest instances and it’s time for them to be rewarded for that keenness and dedication they’ve for the present, and we’re going to ship it for them this season.

Relating to giving your sprawling ensemble all some closure, was that the largest problem that you simply had for this ultimate season?

CHANG That was difficult for certain. One factor we actually wished to do that season was to present a fleshed-out story arc to each certainly one of our characters and our superb actors. There have been previous seasons after they possibly obtained much less display time or they didn’t get to have a completely fleshed-out arc and we actually felt like they deserved it, and wished to do justice by these characters. They every deserved a very good fleshed-out arc, which I feel they’ve this season. And sure, it’s at all times a problem as a result of there are such a lot of riches they usually’re all so nice, and there’s restricted time on display. However I feel we get to see that all of them turn into much more themselves and return to internal strengths that possibly we didn’t know they’d. So that they evolve in stunning methods, all of them.

TUCHMAN I feel it is a season the place each character reveals who they are surely. The alternatives that they make, they’re every at a crossroad reveal. Have they got the braveness and the center, or are they extra egocentric and self-serving? We’ll see. All people exposes their true self.

The Handmaid’s Story has by no means stopped being prophetic, however there’s a way of dejà vu with the present once more releasing underneath Trump 2.0. How does that really feel to be right here, eight years later, with this Gilead story once more being so well timed?

TUCHMAN By no means would have anticipated it. Yahlin joined us within the second season. I used to be there from the start and within the first, we had an election in 2016. Whereas we have been in manufacturing. It was an election with a consequence that the majority of us on the present didn’t count on and the present turned immediately very well timed and resonated with lots of people. Many individuals have referred to as the present a cautionary story and it appears to me that not sufficient individuals have been cautioned, and right here we’re once more after a really consequential, surprising election. I by no means would have anticipated that that’s the place we might be. However right here we’re.

CHANG I used to be engaged on a present the place we make stuff up, proper? And I simply can not imagine that as a girl, I’ve fewer rights now than once I began on the present in 2017. I by no means thought that Roe v. Wade would get overturned. It looks like the stuff you’d make up, particularly at the moment with the #MeToo motion when it appeared like society was actually shifting ahead.

Engaged on this present, you actually must get into the minds of authoritarians to write down the characters on the Gilead facet. Moving into these minds is about imagining what the worst individuals would do if given the reins of energy. You need to think about you probably have no ethical compass, if you’re utterly guided by avarice and selfishness and cowardice and protecting your personal ass, how would you act and what would you do? In that means, what’s taking place now feels very comprehensible and predictable to a sure extent.

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The Handmaid’s Story is now streaming the primary three episodes of season six, with new episodes releasing weekly on Tuesdays. Observe together with THR‘s ultimate season protection.