The Handmaid's Tale - Season 6 - Series review

After six seasons, The Handmaid’s Tale comes to an end. While the previous seasons were strong, they often felt repetitive. Does this final season deliver? Partly. Several storylines are brought to a close—some more satisfyingly than others. Overall, season 6 holds up better than season 4 and 5 that came before it.

June and company once again take the fight to Gilead. For the umpteenth time, June returns to what was once America. In the occupied territory, she fights for the survivors and for her daughter Hannah. Alongside the resistance group Mayday, Luke, and Moira, she tries to bring Gilead down once and for all.

Performances

Though many plotlines feel familiar, this season offers more action and a tangible sense that the story is heading towards its conclusion. And that pays off. For the first time, June spends an entire season living in freedom. That’s new — and it brings a fresh dynamic to her relationships with both Serena and Luke.

The rest of the cast has consistently delivered top-tier performances across all six seasons. That hasn’t changed. Their work has made viewers either deeply care about or thoroughly despise the characters. New additions, particularly among the commanders, continue this tradition. Meanwhile, familiar faces like Nick Blaine and Joseph Lawrence provide an emotional farewell in their final scenes.

Elisabeth Moss remains in a league of her own as June. Her facial expressions often say more than words and could have a script of their own. On top of that, she directed some of the season’s most powerful episodes. Her love for the story is evident — especially in the final scene, which reveals what June will now devote herself to. It’s a fitting end to a powerful and important series. Since season 1, the fictional world of The Handmaid’s Tale has, sadly, grown ever closer to reality. In today’s geopolitical climate, a follow-up wouldn’t feel out of place.

Spin-off: The Testaments

It was announced some time ago that season 6 would be the last. While the series was originally based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, it has long since gone beyond the book’s final pages. Still, Atwood once again provides the foundation for what’s next: her 2019 novel The Testaments will serve as the basis for a spin-off series.

The arrival of this new series also explains why not all storylines are wrapped up in season 6. The ending is solid, but not as satisfying as one might hope. Whether The Testaments will resolve all the loose ends remains to be seen. The spin-off is expected in 2026 or 2027 — so we’ll have to wait a while longer.