Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
TV FEATURE
Described by The Atlantic upon its release as “an astounding work of television” and by the New York Times as “unflinching, vital and scary as hell,” audiences and critics alike can’t seem to look away from “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Season 5 draws to a close Wednesday, Nov. 9, on Hulu.
Based on the 1985 book of the same name by Ottawa, Ontario-born poet and author Margaret Atwood, the “Tale” was picked up by Hulu and Season 1 was released in 2017. An instant hit, thanks to its gripping content, thoughtful casting and unsettling cinematic shots, the series has gone on to air four more seasons with a final, sixth season in the works (likely to be released in 2023).
Perhaps more relatable than ever, given the 2022 overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade court case regarding women’s rights to abortion, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (both book and TV series) is narrated by a young woman named June (played in the series by Elisabeth Moss, “The Invisible Man,” 2020), whose world is turned upside down when she is fired from her lucrative career, stripped of her earnings, separated from her family and has all her fundamental rights revoked in the name of a new regime.
As she watches the United States change from the inside, June loses her given name along with the right to her own body and is turned into a “Handmaid,” a term used by the new republic, called Gilead, to refer to fertile-but-tainted women who must bear children for wealthy couples (referred to as “Commanders” and “Wives”) as a solution to a global infertility crisis. Handmaids take on the name of their Commander, and as such, June bore the name Offred for much of the series.
From the very beginning, June has been desperately trying to flee to Canada, a country that has remained relatively unaffected by the Republic of Gilead and where she believes her family to be living. In more recent seasons of the show, viewers have gotten a better look at what Gilead/Canadian relationships look like as others seek a way across the border. (Spoilers ahead for those not yet caught up.)
Season 5 began with a bang as June, back in Canada and still covered in blood, admits to her best friend, Moira (Samira Wiley, “Orange Is the New Black”), that she killed her old Commander, Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes, “Shakespeare in Love,” 1998). Running off into the night, June joins up with the Handmaids, who helped her commit the murder, but she’s soon pulled into a plot that will drive the whole season: they all want a similar kind of justice — and the women have come prepared.
Despite her own doubts and fears, June finds affirmation when she is congratulated by Officer Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger, “Devil in Ohio”) for Fred’s death, and again when the Toronto Police Department refuses to charge her for a crime that was committed in Gilead.
Fred’s Wife, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski, “Chuck”), however, is far less forgiving than Tuello and the Toronto Police, and now she has it out for June more than ever. Terrified and now a pregnant widow, she holds a memorial for her departed husband and spends a large part of the season trying to restore the power that was taken from her when Fred died.
As the episodes continue, June and Moira join a rebel outpost as Serena makes her own way to Toronto with a plan of her own. Back in Gilead, Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, “Hereditary,” 2018) prepares a new group of Handmaids.
But the big question is what will happen in the Season 5 finale? Will June and her husband, Luke (O-T Fagbenle, “The First Lady”), be able to accomplish their mission? Will the Handmaids get the justice they crave? Will Serena succeed in getting vengeance over June, or will she grow sympathetic to the cause now that she’s had some distance from Gilead?
There are surely more questions than answers heading into the last episode of the season, but fans can rest assured that not all loose ends will be tied up just yet. In fact, even those looking to the original novel for guidance will find very little in the way of resolution. In addition to the show straying from the source material at many turns, the novel’s end is left somewhat open to interpretation. (Those interested will have to do some research of their own.)
Filming has yet to begin for “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” sixth and final season as of writing, but Hulu has confirmed it is working on a series sequel, based on Atwood’s most recent addition to the literary franchise.
“The Testaments,” released in 2019, takes place 15 years after “The Handmaid’s Tale” and is, in book form, narrated by Aunt Lydia and two young women: Agnes, living in Gilead, and Daisy in Canada. Assuming Hulu’s adaptation stays true to the novel (which is, in itself, unlikely), fans of “The Handmaid’s Tale” can at least expect Aunt Lydia to make it out of the sixth season alive. Maybe.
In the meantime, tune in to the Season 5 finale of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” coming to Hulu Wednesday, Nov. 9, and remember: “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.”