It looks like The Handmaid's Tale is coming to an end. It was announced ahead of the Season 5 premiere that the dystopian series will be returning for its sixth and final season. The series, which premiered in 2017 to universal acclaim, is based on Margaret Atwood's seminal 1985 novel. Season 5 of the series premieres on Hulu on September 14.
The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Gilead, a dystopian society that took over an increasingly divided America. The series takes place in the future in which women's rights have been stripped away as fertility rates plummet. The series follows June, or Offred, a woman whose life was torn asunder by the founding of Gilead. Transformed from a wife and mother and into a subservient handmaid, kept by a wealthy family in order to produce children, June soon finds herself stuck in the midst of a growing revolution.
In the fifth season, June will face the consequences of killing Commander Waterford. She will also struggle to redefine her own identity and personal purpose. Meanwhile, the recently widowed Serena will attempt to raise her political profile in Toronto as Gilead’s political influence creeps past the Canadian border. June, Luke, and Moira will fight Gilead from afar as they continue their mission to reunite with Hannah.
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Bruce Miller, creator, showrunner, and executive producer on the series said of the series coming to an end, “[i]t has been a true honor to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale.” He continued, "[w]e are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.”
This will not be the end of the tale of Gilead, however, as Miller is currently developing a series based on Atwood's follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments. The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale stars Elisabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Sam Jaeger.
There's no need to mourn the series prematurely as viewers still have Seasons 5 and 6 of the series to look forward to. Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale will premiere on Hulu on September 14.