Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 10!The Handmaid’s Taleshowrunners Yahlin Chang and Eric Tuchman explain the one June reunion that couldn’t happen in the series finale and why the storyline wasn’t fully resolved. At the end ofThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6, Boston is liberated from Gilead’s rule thanks to June (Elisabeth Moss) and other Handmaids killing the city’s Commanders. In the finale’s last scene, she returns to the burned-down Waterford house to record her story. However, the show doesn’t reunite her with her daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake), her fight to save her daughter from Gilead still ongoing when the show concludes.
Speaking with theLos Angeles Times, Chang and Tuchman explained thatThe Handmaid’s Talecouldn’t reunite June with Hannah because ofThe Testaments. They explained how Hannah’s important role in the sequel series prevented the reunion, something they struggled with because of how much buildup there had been for it. However, they also explained the emotional shift it caused, allowing the series to explore June’s ability to carry on despite not being able to save someone she loved. Check out what Chang and Tuchman had to say below:
Yahlin Chang:Given that our hands were tied, unfortunately, and we could not bring June and Hannah together because of “The Testaments,” which was something that we really struggled with — I struggled with, speaking for myself — not giving people what they wanted or what I wanted, the idea of her telling the story to Hannah was just so emotionally captivating.
Eric Tuchman:Knowing we couldn’t reunite June and Hannah, it was heartbreaking because we’re certainly aware of how much the audience was longing for that. It seemed to be what was driving June over the course of the whole series. But once we found out that we couldn’t do that, that there was that boundary that we had to respect, when I think about it now, it shifted what her emotional engine became: What does it mean to keep going when you don’t get what you want and what you are hoping for, and what if that might never happen? It actually feels like a really powerful message now — that you keep going; you never stop loving and hoping and wishing and dreaming and whatever obstacles come your way, certainly as a parent, you’re going to do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.
What June & Hannah Not Getting Reunited Means For The Handmaid’s Tale
The Testaments Will Continue Hannah’s Story
The biggest reason for June and Hannah not reuniting is because the latter’s story is going to be continuing in theupcoming adaptation ofThe Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel toThe Handmaid’s Tale.Chase Infiniti has been cast as Agnes, the name given to the young girl when she’s adopted by the MacKenzie family in the show. Because her story is independent from her mother’s, the pair weren’t able to reunite in the original show, as it wouldn’t make sense given their respective tales.
However, it still allowed the original series to end by exploring the theme of what it means to push forward, even when all hope for one’s goals seems lost.Chang and Tuchman’s explanation shows that June is never going to stop fightingto reunite with her daughter, even if it seems hopeless given the number of failed attempts she’s made in the past. With only Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) confirmed to be a returningcharacter fromThe Handmaid’s TaleinThe Testaments, it remains to be seen in the sequel will revisit the former protagonist’s ongoing mission.
The Testamentsshowrunner Bruce Miller and June actor Elisabeth Moss have both expressed interest in June coming back in the new series.
Our Take On June & Hannah Not Reuniting In The Handmaid’s Tale
A Disappointing Yet Understandable Direction
It’s somewhat disappointing that June and Hannah weren’t able to reunite at the end ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, especially given how hard the main character has fought to get her daughter back. However, it was a sensible decision, as the story ofThe Testamentswouldn’t be able to happen if the pair did reunite. Despite the bittersweet note this leaves the series on, the sequel could still explore this dynamic, especially if it goes beyond the original pages of the novel, much like the first show did.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cast
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
