‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Ending, Explained
After 8 years, The Handmaid's Tale has officially come to an end. Here's what happened in the finale.
The Handmaid's Tale has been around for almost a decade. Now, as we say goodbye to this iconic show, its finale brings everything full circle in the most satisfying way possible.
Good news: Boston is free. June recognizes that there's a lot to be done. Boston is just one city and there are many more battles to come. But in order to get to Hannah, they all have to keep going.
Speaking of Hannah, June and Luke haven't given up on getting their daughter back.
The main message of the finale: there is hope, but so much more needs to be done.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Finale Shows June Forgiving Serena
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June and Serena meet one final time. Once bound by their roles in Gilead (June was Serena's handmaiden) they now meet as equals.
Serena congratulates June on her victory and expresses sympathy for what happened to Nick. But June only has one answer:
“Nick reaped what he sowed.”
In their final moments together, Serena asks June for forgiveness. And forgiveness she received.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Brings Emily Back After 2 Seasons
After the emotional encounter with Serena, June meets Emily in front of the ice cream shop. Bruce Miller, the show's creator, spoke about that moment to Entertainment Weekly, explaining:
“And I also loved the impossibility of it, just the idea, if you're able to stand in front of that ice cream shop and Emily walks up next to you and she's okay and she's not happy, but she's not unhappy, she's kind of the same way she was before.”
Emotional highlight: Meeting Emily inspired June to dream about an alternate reality where Gilead never existed. She imagines herself doing karaoke alongside Janine, Brianna, Emily, Moira, Rita and Alma.
June actually talked about doing karaoke in Season 1. So besides being a touching scene, this is also a cool easter egg.
The main full circle moment: June returns to the Waterford house. In a scene that mirrors the moments from her days in Gilead, she sits in the same spot in her room, takes out her recorder and starts telling her story. As the camera pans closer to her face, she breaks the fourth wall and declares:
“My name is Offred.”
Where to Watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Finale?
The finale is available on Hulu right now.
