Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale season five.
We will be seeing the infamous red cloaks on our screens very soon because the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale is almost upon us!
The dystopian drama is returning for season 6, and there is plenty to look forward to. The fifth season aired in 2022, so this instalment has been a long time coming!
Scroll to find out who’s returning to the show, when it airs, how you can watch it, and a refresher on the show’s terminology.
What happened at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5?
Season five of The Handmaid’s Tale ended with plenty of cliffhangers, and many that fans cannot forget.
One standout moment was when Elisabeth Moss’ character June was chased by a driver and ran over, with her arm crushed in the process. Luke (O-T Fagbenle) beat up the driver and later discovered he had killed him.
With the potential risk of protests, June provided the solution to run away together with their daughter Hannah, but Luke stayed behind so they could escape.
In the finale, Serena (Yvonne Strahovksi) ran into June on the train, after she escaped from the Wheelers at the fertility centre.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Elisabeth said the final episode intended to leave things unresolved to set up for the final chapter in the series.
“We want to reveal how they feel about that moment when we come back. So you want to leave it in a place where you’re not necessarily ending the moment; where you’re just kind of presenting it, but not finishing it,” she told the publication.
What will happen in season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tail?
In season six, June is determined to take down Gilead for good, with Luke and Moira (Samira Wiley) helping her as part of the resistance.
In the first trailer for the series, Serena (Yvonne Strahovksi) is seen trying to reform Gilead, Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) reckon with their past actions, and Nick (Max Minghella) faces challenging tests of character.
The Handmaid’s Tale lingo and information
Why are Marthas not handmaids?
For those needing a refresher, handmaids are fertile women chosen to carry the children of commanders and their wives.
They have been selected because they were exiled of past behaviours before Gilead. These include previous abortions, affairs, being openly gay, or marrying divorced men.
Marthas, on the other hand, are women who cannot conceive and have been delegated to being cooks and cleaners for esteemed families. Instead of wearing red, they don green-grey robes and aprons.
What does “blessed be the fruit” mean?
This is one of the most distinct phrases uttered throughout the show, which also has biblical origin. In Gilead speak, it means hello, and is usually met with the reply “May the Lord Open”. Both aim to encourage fertility in Gilead.
What happens when a handmaid gets too old?
Once a handmaid reaches a certain age, cannot get pregnant for a third time or can no longer carry children, they are sent to the Colonies as punishment.
The Colonies are contaminated by pollution and radioactive waste, and their occupants are put to work. Because of the squalor, they generally die within a few years.
Where can you watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 in Australia?
Season six will be available to stream on SBS On Demand from 2.01pm on April 8, and will start with a triple episode premiere! The finale will air on May 27, 2025.
You can also watch it every Wednesday, from April 9 on SBS, at 8.40pm. On SBS, there will be a double-episode premiere, and two other episodes will follow on April 16. After that, one episode will air weekly from April 23, at 9.45pm.
The finale will air on TV on May 27 at 9.30pm, and an encore will follow on May 28 at 9.35pm.
How many episodes are in season six of The Handmaid’s Tale?
The final season will contain 10 episodes, with the finale due to air on May 27, 2025.
Where can you get The Handmaid’s Tale books?
Margaret’s 1985 book The Handmaid’s Tale and its follow-up The Testaments can be purchased on Amazon. The sequel is set 15 years after the first book and follows a teenager who finds out about her connection to the Republic of Gilead.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hulu and MGM acquired the rights to The Testaments in 2019. It’s due to be released sometime this year.
