Considering what a dismal place Gilead is to visit, this is welcome news for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale: the show has been renewed for a fifth season! In December 2020, the cast announced that they’d be returning for a fifth season.
“We are pleased to be able to continue to tell these tales with our wonderful cast and crew, and can’t wait to be back on the air with season four next year,” showrunner Bruce Miller said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
This season, however, could be the final one. Season five may or may not be the show’s final excursion, according to Miller in a new interview with THR:
After this year, “we talked about it, and [Elisabeth Moss] and I have talked about it,” she said, “and the writing staff and I have talked a lot about where we’re heading specifically.”
That’s what he said in an interview for Deadline’s Contenders TV virtual event: “I’m never seeking to terminate it… “Oh, you know, let’s simply walk away?” is not an option for me because the team produced an excellent television show.
When it comes to writing for Elisabeth Moss it doesn’t get any better. “I know what the end is and will not overstay my welcome, but I also will not rush off if I do not have to.”
Hulu’s Head of Scripted Originals, Jordan Helman, told Deadline that a “creative fashion that feels organic” is critical in concluding the show.
In response, he said, “We don’t have a solution.” We should be able to answer that question within the next few months.
Margaret Atwood’s recent source material may be the answer, according to the rumors.
As Helman explained, “The Testaments on Hulu and the end of The Handmaid’s Tale are related.” Helman added. “We’re working on that right now.”
This is an issue for future generations. Meanwhile, let’s see what The Handmaid’s Tale season five has in store.
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The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 potential release date
No official date has been set for the return of The Handmaid’s Tale as of February 2022.
However, it is thought that the show has returned to Ontario, Canada, where it was first filmed, to begin production.
Filming for a television drama called Ruby Road will take place in Brantford from February 14 through March, according to a filming notice posted in the region. There is speculation that The Handmaid’s Tale is being produced under the codename “Ruby Road.”
In the past, the show has filmed in Brantford, which is one of the many Ontario locales.
The actress who plays Aunt Lydia, Ann Dowd, recently told The Independent that filming would begin in February.
A video from backstage, featuring Amanda Brugel as Rita, was also posted on February 9; the footage was labeled season 5′ and showed a chair that read her character’s name.
For now, we’re looking at a summer 2022 launch, but our bet is on the fall of that year.
However, it has been revealed that there will be the sixth season in the works! Prepare yourself for more harrowing experiences to come.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 cast
Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
• Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
• Alexis Bledel as Emily
• Madeline Brewer as Janine
• Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
• OT Fagbenle as Luke
• Max Minghella as Nick
• Samira Wiley as Moira
• Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence
• Amanda Brugel as Rita
Joseph Fiennes, who played Fred Waterford, will not be returning to the show any time soon. June recruited the help of her fellow survivors to ultimately avenge the killing of the Commander in the no man’s land between Gilead and Canada at the end of season four. Even though June was abused by Fred, we wouldn’t be surprised if he reappeared in flashbacks or visions from time to time, given the misery he caused her.
Bruce Miller, showrunner, said to Entertainment Weekly: “Without a doubt, I believe Fred will reappear. Seriously, if I didn’t see Joe [Fiennes] again, I’d die of sadness.”
TVLine asked Strahovski if Serena will believe June is responsible for her husband’s death “That’s correct. I believe she’ll be able to tell. They’re so close, I have no idea if that hasn’t crossed her thoughts… Because she wants Serena to be in constant terror when she comes out of the jail center, I can envision June purposefully informing Serena of the situation. You can’t even begin to picture what it would be like.
“Is it possible to live in the real world with a baby if you know that someone out there is capable of doing anything like that to your husband or partner? Knowing June has done what she has, I can only imagine how paranoid you must be.”
Miller spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on the possibility of Fiennes’ return. “That Serena and Fred’s stories have never been told before in Gilead is intriguing to me. In the epilogue, we return to the Waterford house to see what happened to Fred and June. Nothing like that would be off the table for me. My favorite part is when June and the spectator are both thinking about the same things at the same time.” In the past, there were many flashbacks to June’s memories of Hannah, which made it difficult for us to forget about her. But now that we’ve found her, we’re all together. Walking to the ceremony with her and recalling it brings back memories for me. As a result, you’re not simply being carried along by her; you’re walking beside her as well.
“Everything is capable of being pushed to new heights. It has the potential to make Serena a more sympathetic character. Alternatively, it could lead to an irrational outburst of fury or a new level of personal independence. It has the potential to either make June famous or land her in prison. She’s a refugee who committed this crime, but who will know? Who was there, and who will tell them about it? Positively, it might serve as a powerful symbol of motivation for the Handmaids, or it can serve as a derogatory depiction of their plight.
“The image at the end of the episode was placed in such a way that everybody who looks at it can see something completely different. This is the point at which you realize “Oh, crap, she did that.” It’s a mix of both joy and sorrow; Fred doesn’t have ahead, and yet she’s standing there with the baby in her arms. In the final paragraphs, the story revolves around how amazing and awful that is. As time passes, June will continue to close her eyes and see that vision of Fred.”
In any case, Fiennes is eager to finish the story (via Fortress of Solitude).
“I’d love to see an episode where we go back in time to witness how Fred supported Serena in her early days. When you have a lesser character like Fred, who hides behind double-breasted suits, political positions, and mahogany tables, the corrosive effects of power can be seen.”
No one notable will be portraying Serena’s baby in season five!
It seems extremely clear that McKenna Grace will return as Mrs. Keyes in season five, even though she has only made appearances in the first two episodes of the show. Now that Aunt Lydia has forced Esther to become a Handmaid, she will need all the assistance she can get. As a consolation prize, she has Janine as a companion.
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The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 plot
As of right now, plot details are scarce, but it can be safely presumed that The Handmaid’s Tale will continue to explore June’s trauma after she escapes from Gilead.
The actress who portrays Aunt Lydia, Ann Dowd, has already teased a big moment in the upcoming season’s premiere.
Just finished the first two episodes, and I can only say that they’re fantastic. I was completely unprepared for any of this. Season five and you’re thinking, “Wow,” she said in an interview with The Independent.
Not in an absurd way where you’re thinking, ‘Wait… how could that happen?’ she said. As if to say, “[gasps] That’s wonderful.” It’s fantastic.
“Woah, Woah, Woah,” said Dowd. “There are things that happen.”
But will the polarising aesthetic of torture-porn continue?
“I truly think the best way to make an impact is to make people uncomfortable,” Amanda Brugel, who plays Rita, said in an interview with Digital Spy last year. It must strike a nerve to get people to rise and pay attention, but not be so unpleasant that they run away.
As a bonus, she also hinted at the show’s upcoming ferocity. According to her, “I think it’s vital to show that we’re not even close to being done with our path, especially towards violence against women, misogyny, and equity between the genders,” she said.
However, whether the program has time to explore everything it wants to depends on how many seasons it has left to run. The Handmaid’s Tale will “keep going” as long as Elisabeth Moss is involved, according to Miller.
In an interview with Deadline, he said, “This narrative has a lot of life in it.” What happens in The Testaments and whether or not it will be a part of our lives in the future fascinates me.
When The Testaments is released 10 years later, it will follow three women as they look back at June’s legacy and what it means for Gilead and the rest of the world. One of them is Aunt Lydia.
During an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dowd stated, “That feels amazing.” Just now, I thought, “I hope they’ll let me play her,” and I’m just going to say it. They should keep an eye out for the actress who would have been chosen because if they don’t I’m going to go after her until she gives it up.”
Furthermore, “I was thrilled—get let’s genuine about that—by what Aunt Lydia did and how she did it, her comprehension of Gilead to its core and what will bring it down. What shocked and didn’t surprise me was how [she] initially became interested in Gilead.
As a character like Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale, you look for a human connection that explains why she would make the choices she does. In The Testaments, a family court judge named Lydia rapidly came to the realization: “If I want to live and survive in this world, this is what I must do. In addition, I’m going to do it better than anyone else, so I’m going to rule the other aunts.'” ”
The Handmaid’s Tale hasn’t been permitted to explore this subject matter because it has already been contracted by MGM Television and Hulu for a second television version.
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June’s drive for vengeance may have lost her the family she had always longed for. Season four ends with her killing Fred and returning home to Nicole, bloodied. In recognition of her transgression, June begs Luke for a little moment with her child before departing.
With the support of Emily and other survivors, anticipate June to continue her resistance against Gilead from Canada in the future. If the closing sequences are any indication, we may expect an all-out battle and a slew of deception.
The actress shared her thoughts on the upcoming fifth season with Digital Spy, as well as her plans for Rita and June. As far as I’m concerned, June is either going on the run or going into hiding. I believe she’ll be a target. There are going to be a lot of pieces to pick up in Canada.
Although my connection with Serena Joy is still complex, it is likely to strengthen because she is pregnant and because Rita is in the process of divorcing me.” In her heart, she cares for Serena Joy and the presence of a kid.
This was especially true for my character’s sole objective in Gilead: “to raise children.”
Although she is now departing Canada, her desire to raise a kid and provide for a family remains undiminished. After all, she lost her son, as we all know.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming season, Miller described it as Sophie’s Choice: The Series:
Whether or not we can return to our pre-crisis status quo is a question for the American people. June is currently in that position. She’s done something dreadful, or she thinks she’s done something that can’t be undone. Is she able to get her bearings? Does she have to determine that sometimes you have to give up your entire life to make the world a better place for future generations?
It’s not only a matter of changing presidents, I believe.” Even if you manage to pass only one piece of legislation—as is the case now—you’ll have to keep fighting for the rest of your life. This “integration” is what June and Offred’s mother-daughter relationship is all about, according to me.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 trailer
We won’t be able to smuggle any new footage into Gilead unless production on season five is stepped up immediately.
The apologies!
If something changes, we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.
Hulu in the US and Channel 4 in the UK air The Handmaid’s Tale.