Spoiler Warning: Series Finale of The Handmaid’s TaleAfter six seasons and eight years, The Handmaid’s Tale has finally come to an end. While the show wraps up many of its storylines, the fight continues, as already teased in the existence of the upcoming sequel series The Testaments, which is in production now and picks up in Gilead four years later.
A lot happened in the penultimate episode of The Handmaid’s Tale’s final season, but there were still a lot of resolutions needed for the main characters, including everyone who is not tapped to appear in the sequel. How did it all end? While there are some happy endings, the battle is far from over. June (Elisabeth Moss), however, seemingly found a new way to contribute to it.

Boston Has Been Liberated

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Following the actions of the handmaids at Serena’s (Yvonne Strahovski) wedding that saw many commanders, even their wives, brutally murdered, June struck one final devastating blow in the penultimate episode. She found out where the surviving commanders were headed and ensured the plane would blow up upon take-off, sadly sacrificing both Commander Joseph Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) and Nick (Max Minghella) in the process. That was the final nail in the coffin for the Boston chapter of Gilead.
Now fully liberated, Gilead was scrambling to promote commanders from other states and shift people around. This meant that Hannah (Jordana Blake) would be moving to Washington. She still isn’t reunited with June, but she’s inching closer, so there’s greater hope.
Boston is now free, with much of the community burned to a crisp and most people reunited with their families. There are still some missing people, however, including Janine (Madeline Brewer). When Janine is awoken in the middle of the night to head out with Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger), it’s for good reason. She emerges, clearly requiring medical attention.

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Surprisingly, she’s delivered by Naomi (Ever Carradine) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). Not only is Janine free, she is also reunited with her daughter Charlotte, who is now in her custody. June graciously thanks Naomi for making the right decision, likely one she didn’t have a choice to make, and Aunt Lydia is redeemed with this final act for Janine. “Take care of my girl Janine,” Lydia implores June, to which she agrees.
In a surprise appearance, while June is looking into an abandoned storefront, she is joined by Emily (Alexis Bledel), who had long ago returned to Gilead to fight from within and hadn’t been seen since. After a lovely embrace, Emily explains that she has been doing her part from within, even working as a Martha with a commander she could call a friend. But she still maintained contact with her family, including her son.
What Happened to Serena in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?

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What about Serena (Yvonne Strahovski)? With nowhere to go, no country willing to issue her a passport, Serena is in limbo. She pleads with Mark for his help, and he promises he’s working on it and will find her when he has a solution. For now, she’s moving from shelter to shelter, looking through bins for used clothing and supplies. She and June share a tender moment where Serena finally apologizes for all the heinous things she did to June. Finally, June tells Serena she forgives her.
Left with nothing but her son Noah and the clothes on her back, Serena realizes that this is all she ever wanted, and all she needs. The rest of the world can simply melt away. It might not be the redemption fans wanted for Serena, but it’s a fair one given all the awful things she has done.
June Won’t Give Up the Fight

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While June should be reveling in the fact that she has taken down the entire city of Gilead, she can’t help but believe that she has more work to do. While embracing her daughter Holly after being reunited with the toddler and her mother (Cherry Jones) again, June says she has to leave again. She feels like she needs to save all the little girls of Gilead.
She has a heart-to-heart with her mother about her desire to create change, inspired by her mother’s lifelong activism. Holly encourages June to write a book about her story. Fans may forget that June was a journalist before she was taken by Gilead, and she now has a story unlike any other. It’s not one about violence, strife, and loss, Holly tells her, but about never giving up. Indeed, June has no plans to do that. “They’re never going to stop coming for us even when we’re gone,” June tells her mother, justifying her decision to keep fighting.

“They’re going to come for our children and our grandchildren. Fighting may not get us everything, but we don’t have a choice because not fighting is what got us Gilead in the first place. Gilead doesn’t need to be beaten, it needs to be broken.”

Before going on her way, June awkwardly talks with Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and it’s clear that their relationship is no longer what it once was. They are each going off to do their own thing, but they promise to reunite with Hannah when they hopefully meet her again in Washington someday. (It’s unclear if this storyline in The Testaments will be changed for the adaptation.)

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June Has Always Been Telling Her Story

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In her final moments, June heads back to the old Waterford home where she spent much of her time as a handmaid. Though badly burned, it’s still standing. She slowly opens the gates and observes, recalling those terrible memories, but likely some good ones as well. She heads up the stairs and to her old room as she looks around.
She stands by the window, pulls out a voice recorder, and starts talking. Her words and positioning mirror her first scene in the series. She talks about the bed, the table, the chair, and the lamp. Those are all she has. She talks of the type of escape that every handmaid had dreamed of, the only option they felt they had to get out of the nightmare. But she persevered.
It’s clear, then, that the entire series, all of June’s recollections, are part of a book she eventually writes. Likely one called The Handmaid’s Tale. “My name is Offred,” she begins as she stares into the camera as she had in that first opening scene when her journey to the revolution began.
It’s a beautiful full-circle ending to the story. While there’s no pretty red bow to tie things up, June has made her story known and continues the fight for the foreseeable future. Where she ends up later will likely be addressed in The Testaments, which is set four years after the ending of The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood’s sequel book was set 15 years after its predecessor). For now, June is ready to tell her story. She hopes that people will not just listen but also act on her recollection of the oppressive, totalitarian, theocratic society that almost stripped her of her very identity.
The final season of The Handmaid’s Tale is available to stream now on Hulu.