After eight years and six seasons, Hulu’sThe Handmaid’s Talecame to an epic conclusion today after 66 episodes. While not everything was tied up into a neat little bow, it managed to deliver a worthy finale that leaves enough room for fans to look forward to the sequel series,The Testaments, that’s to come later. Reactions have been swift online, with many praising the show for its commitment to quality, though as the saying goes, you may’t please everyone.
“The final season ofThe Handmaid’s Taleis some of the finest television I’ve ever seen,” said X user @WendyClapp1. Meanwhile, @lifeinpolaroid had a message for the haters out there, adding:
“People being mad about the ending of The Handmaid’s Tale series while also claiming to be big fans of the book & sequel have me questioning if they’ve even read the books.”
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Star Reveals How That Epic Taylor Swift Needle Drop Became a Reality
Talk about the perfect song choice, right?
Yes,The Handmaid’s Taledoes have its detractors, like @CeCeCannes, who called the final season “a mess.” On the flip side, there’s @cicily_277, who said that “the finale ofHandmaid’s Talewas very satisfying, and exactly what it needed to be to wrap up this show and set upThe Testaments.” Indeed,the story will continue in the sequel series, which is also based on the novel by Margaret Atwood and set 15 years after the events in The Handmaid’s Tale. It follows Aunt Lydia, Hannah, and Daisy, and though an exact date has yet to be given for its premiere, production is already underway on the series for a potential 2026 release.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Broke New Ground for Streaming Shows
Premiering all the way back in 2017,The Handmaid’s Talehas the distinction of being the first streaming show in history to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Over the course of its run, the show saw few stumbles, maintaininghigh levels of storytelling across the board. While not all were pleased with the final season, the majority of folks are happy with the way it ended, like @VampiiBunnz, who said it “was time to cry” after watching the final episode. @truemoncai enjoyed it well enough, but there was one thing they were hoping for more of:
“The only thing I didn’t like about this season of The Handmaid’s Tale is that we didn’t get more of the revolution! Waiting 6 seasons to get an episode and a half about how they got free was the real letdown.”
We won’t spoil things for those that haven’t seen it yet, but we can say that we agree with @truemoncai, who also said, “That’s the only wayThe Handmaid’s Talecould have ended.” We’ll leave you with the words of @megs_1194, who added:
“The Handmaid’s Tale was a devastatingly incredible TV show from start to finish. It can’t be overstated how important a show like this is in times like these. ‘Not fighting is what got us Gilead in the first place - June Osborne.'”
If you’ve yet to see it, all six seasons ofThe Handmaid’s Taleare now streaming onHulu. We’ll have more news onThe Testamentsas it becomes available.
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian television series based on the 1985 novel by author Margaret Atwood. The series was created by Bruce Miller and stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski. The show follows the story of a young handmaid as she is forced to deal with a new totalitarian government that subjugates women in this dark societal twist.
