when The story of the maid The dystopian landscape of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel premiered on Hulu in 2017, which is a flashing sight in the distant future. Today, as the series’ sixth season approaches, we seem to be on the cliff of reality. Gender equality and LGBTQIA rights are directly under attack in the United States, and the government is integrating control methods that are more distinct than in recent generations. The red maid dress and white hood depicted in the novel and the screen version of Bruce Miller have become symbols of female repression. But can the series end in a narratively satisfying and sincerely liberating way in 2025?
Shortly after the start of Season 6, the Season 5 finale (Elisabeth Moss) was injured and Luke (OT Fagbenle) was arrested for murder and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski). By chance, June and Serena are on the same train traveling through Canada with the kids, not the intention. Serena is jeopardized by public identity because of Gilead’s wife, and June is reluctant to help her turbulent history. The first episode in June builds their unlikely connection by pushing the train away, slowly moving Serena, but Miller quickly pushes the story in the way that brings Serena and June back to Gilead, who starts the story.
There are a lot of conclusions in the 10 final chapters of the season (the reviewer got the first 8 before the three episodes premiered). Mayday and the maid lowered Gilead’s powers together with Gilead and Lawrence Commander Bradley Whitford. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) is forced to compete with her choice and role in the Conquer Maid, which is close at home when Madeline Brewer reappears in Gilead’s brothel. Meanwhile, Nick (Max Minghella) is trapped by his role as commander and his love for June, both of which have put him in a morally appropriate situation. But the real core of this season is how much we can actually change in the face of the terrible environment and revelation.
Strahovski’s performance as Serena is the most striking. Her beliefs are so specific that when we meet her, her beliefs are shaken. Should women get rights? Who does Gilead’s restrictive system benefit? But even if she seemed to change, Serena returned to her traditional wife whom she was ready to fight in Canada. She is a co-conspirator in suppressing her gender, just like she did in the United States today when she voted for certain politicians. Miller and his writers interrogate the phenomenon in a subtle way, just as they reflect Aunt Lydia’s unwavering accomplices. Like June, Moss’ portrayal is less subtle, often showing his characters with an angry opaque front. This season, June also struggles with her choices and relationships, with Luke and Moira (Samira Wiley) facing her blatant selfishness. Moss is more restrictive and vulnerable, and it is an effective option, with a stronger sense of relevance in June compared to past seasons.
Technically, Season 6 isn’t the end of the story, just like Atwood’s book isn’t the end. Much of the series is Miller’s assumptions about how the novel continues, but once The story of the maid Hulu Wraps Hulu will begin making Atwood’s 2019 sequel will (Also characterized by Aunt Lydia). In that novel, 15 years later, Gilead has not fallen, suggesting The story of the maidThe final scene may be more of a cliff than a conclusion. But it can still bring us hope and recognition, an artistic mirror of our modern history that has only become more prescient since Atwood conceptualized it. If June and Moira can survive, so can we. The small act of rebellion incites people, including us. Both novels and series are warned in entertainment if we are ready to listen.
The first three episodes of “The Story of the Handmaid” Season 6 will be aired on Hulu on April 8.
