The season 5 The Handmaid's Tale ending explained how all its major storylines reached their inevitable conclusion. Despite The Handmaid's Tale season 5 starting with June (Elisabeth Moss) seemingly safe in Canada, it soon becomes apparent that she wants to make Gilead pay and, more importantly, get information about her and Luke's (O-T Fagbenle) daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake). While Gilead's threats are never too far from June throughout the fifth season, it also becomes clear that Canada isn't safe for her and Nichole, making their hastened trip out of Toronto unavoidable.

Although those whom June might have considered allies in Gilead prove to be either unable or unwilling to help her in the season 5 finale, one particular storyline about June's Gilead connections ends up flourishing, as both she and Serena find themselves on a westbound train out of Toronto. The Handmaid's Tale season 5's ending also proves to be a turning point for many other characters, including Aunt Lydia, Nick, and Luke. But what does it all mean for June's future?

What The Final Moment Between June & Serena Means

June & Serena Might Finally Be On The Same Side

Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski) surprise appearance on the same train June and Nichole had to take to escape Toronto and Gilead's influence proves exceptionally fortunate, at least considering what it means for their relationship going forward. Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, June and Serena have been fierce adversaries, with Serena causing irreparable harm to June. Nevertheless, The Handmaid's Tale season 5, episode 7 brought a tentative reconciliation between the two, with June itting that she didn't kill Serena because she didn't want to.

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 finale ends with Serena and June reuniting without the former power imbalance. It perfectly complements their confrontation turned ive discussion and helpful assistance in the seventh episode of season 5. It's unknown whether Serena and June's exchange in the finale means they'll both have a hand in plotting against Gilead in the future. Still, their meeting surely detailed a new start for the two, a clean slate after everything June and Serena have been through and done to each other.

What Will Happen To Luke Now?

Luke Puts Himself In Harm's Way For June

Among the many shocking happenings in the season 5 ending of The Handmaid's Tale, Gilead's attempted assassination of June via a Canadian citizen hostile to refugees wasn't as surprising as it was impactful. While Luke managed to stop the man before he killed June, he ultimately wound up in the hospital for the injuries sustained in the aggression, making him a person of interest.

Canada will likely try to make an example of Luke.

Since the attacker ended up dying, Luke decided to sacrifice himself to let June and Nichole escape. He could likely end up convicted of manslaughter. Considering also how The Handmaid's Tale season 5 showed Canada becoming less and less welcoming toward refugees from Gilead, and Luke inadvertently killing a Canadian citizen, Canada will likely try to make an example of Luke.

Why Nick Can't Let Go Of June & What It Means

Nick Makes More Enemies In Gilead

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 sees Nick (Max Minghella) adamantly pushing June away because of his commitments to Rose and their family, both Gilead and the U.S. in Canada try to bring him to their side by offering potential proximity to June. Their analysis proves correct, as Nick accepts helping the American government in Canada for a chance to see June and secure her protection. However, attacking Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) in front of the other Commanders shows Nick's hand, making his behavior unjustifiable for Gilead and dangerous for him, as they believe he is a traitor.

It's unclear whether this means Nick will have to escape Gilead to fight them in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 or if they'll somewhat forgive him while continuing to keep him on his toes. Still, as Rose decides she doesn't want to be with him anymore, it looks like Nick will have one less ally in Gilead, making his future perilous.

What's Going To Happen To Janine After Handmaid's Tale S5?

Janine Left Her Posting

Janine's (Madeline Brewer) fate was also left up in the air at the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 5. It's unknown what kind of punishment she'll face for refusing her posting at the Lawrences, especially considering how her reaction was understandably vehement at being called Ofjoseph. Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, on which The Handmaid's Tale is based, didn't detail Janine's story, leaving the TV show version of her character's future open. However, Emily (Alexis Bledel) was punished for escaping her posting by being sent to the colonies. Janine's next journey could lead her there.

Aunt Lydia's Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Ending Sets Up Her Testaments Story

Lydia Is Likely Going To Fight Gilead

transformation was already hinted at by The Handmaid's Tale season 5, episode 4, when she proposed to keep the Handmaids at the Red Center rather than post them to the Commanders' houses. While Aunt Lydia managed to keep Janine under her wing for as long as she could, The Handmaid's Tale season 5 finale forced her hand to find the best possible posting for her, despite Janine categorically refusing it.

Janine's posting falling through could have been expected, considering her new attitude after Esther poisoned her. Still, the Eyes brutally seizing Janine proved transformative for Aunt Lydia, who never questioned Gilead's methods before but tried to forcibly oppose the Eyes to stop them from taking Janine. This action will likely lead to The Testaments' version of Aunt Lydia, still in Gilead but working to change it from the inside by helping the Gilead-opposing resistance, Mayday.

Is Canada Really Becoming Another Gilead In The Handmaid's Tale?

Canada Seemed Easily Influenced By Gilead

The Wheelers' influence and how people reacted to their fertility center might indicate Canadians being susceptible to Gilead's influence in The Handmaid's Tale season 5. As some Canadians also proved sympathetic to the Waterfords' struggles in season 4, The Handmaid's Tale depicted some Canadians' increasing for anything related to Gilead.

However, what The Handmaid's Tale season 5 tended to show in abundance was Canadians' refusal to continue hosting refugees, which played into the hands of Gilead, as it wished they returned to New Bethlehem. It's unclear whether Gilead could influence Canadian politics in The Handmaid's Tale season 6. However, as June and Nichole started moving to Hawaii, it's unlikely Toronto will occupy such a considerable position in the future.

What The Handmaid's Tale Season 5's Ending Song Means

"Bury A Friend" By Billie Eilish

As The Handmaid's Tale season 5 finale's ending saw Serena and June meeting again, "bury a friend" by Billie Eilish accompanied the scene, ing season 5's long list of songs. The song was detailed by the singer-composer as describing the perspective of the monster under the bed, but the eerie lyrics perfectly describe June and Serena's unusual relationship too.

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Antagonism was always common between Serena and June, first because of their roles as a Wife and a Handmaid and then because of their shared history. However, The Handmaid's Tale season 5 changed things by having them show kindness toward each other, making the lyrics "What do you want from me? / Why don't you run from me? / What are you wondering? / What do you know? / Why aren't you scared of me? / Why do you care for me?" particularly appropriate for Serena and June's relationship.

The Handmaid's Tale Season 5's Ending Brings The Show Full Circle

The Handmaid's Tale season 1 spends much time trying to show the differences between June's life in Boston before Gilead and her daily experience as Offred and a Handmaid to the Waterfords. Thus, The Handmaid's Tale season 6 starting off as another new beginning for June, one hopefully less tragic than her life in Gilead, mirrors the beginning of The Handmaid's Tale.

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 concluded on November 9, 2022.

June set up to go through this change with Serena is poignantly full circle, as they are two very different people from the women they were in The Handmaid's Tale season 1, especially after Serena had a taste of what being a Handmaid felt like. Finally, considering how June and Serena were often at the forefront of The Handmaid's Tale's most crucial and intense scenes, it makes sense that it would be their coned story leading the show into The Handmaid's Tale's sixth and final season.

What To Know About The Handmaid's Tale Season 6

What Will Happen In The Final Season?

While The Handmaid's Tale season 5 ended with June escaping to Hawaii, and likely to safety, season 6 found a way to pull her back in. The story has moved away from the source novel by Margaret Atwood, so anything could happen in the final season. Gilead will play a major role again, as Ever Carradine (Naomi Putnam) has been moved to the role of a series regular for The Handmaid's Tale season 6. She has been around since season 1 but has only been a ing character until now.

The main idea for The Handmaid's Tale season 6 storyline is that June will finally work to bring down Gilead, and possibly help save Canada from its desire to fall into that pattern as well. The entire last season looks like a huge call to arms as June and Luke reunite to start the battle for freedom in Gilead, while June remains torn between Luke and Nick (Max Minghella).

Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovsky) also appears to play a big role in the final season, as she is back and seemingly ready to remarry after Fred's death. In the main trailer, she is walking down the aisle in a wedding gown, surrounded by Handmaids, to marry Josh Charles’ new character. She is also one of the main characters from whose eyes viewers will see the revolution starting, as it seems that the battle is not only getting started, but an all our war is beginning in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6.

How Season 5 Sets Up The Handmaid's Tale Season 6

The Final Season Allows The Tortured To Finally Rise Up

The fourth and fifth seasons of Handmaid's Tale seemed to just drag June's torture and horrifying living conditions to a breaking point, pushing viewers to the limit of what they wanted to see. However, the end of the fifth season, showing a possible escape for June, albeit alone, seemed to offer some hope. This leads to the sixth and final season, which has June taking everything that Gilead dumped on her and pushing back with all her anger and might. The final season is June's chance for revenge, as well as saving the women of the future.

The worry about Luke at the end of the fifth season, and his sacrifice, pays off in season 6 as he gets some meaty storylines and action as he helps lead the rebellion and charge against Gilead. The fifth season also really showed the transformation from believers to people who see the true horrors of the system they once praised has ed upon women. This includes everyone from Nick and Serena Joy to Commander Lawrence and Serena. For anyone who has tired of the pain, the time for action is now.

How The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Ending Was Received

Fans Were Not As Happy With The Fifth Season

The fifth season of Handmaid's Tale saw June seemingly escape Gilead and Luke sacrifice himself to the authorities so she could find her freedom. However, the season saw a very low 21% score from the audience, even with a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. So, what was it that kept the audience from buying into the season? Part of the problems was the fact that the show started out strong in the first two seasons, but then stretched out to three seasons of torture, wearing down viewers over time.

One audience reviewer wrote, "Too traumatizing and tired of defending this show. It's time to say goodbye tho I love Moss." Another commented that "Except for the few moments with Nick, the great Commander Lawrence, and Serena, this season filled with filler of the basic husband was unbearable and incredibly tedious."

As far as The Handmaid's Tale season 5 ending, fans on Reddit debated what happened and how it affects the show's last season. One Redditor wrote that it seemed that the show was racing to a conclusion:

"It wasn't a terrible season by any means. I still enjoyed it. The Janine / Aunt Lydia scenes are some of my favourites. But it was by far my least favourite. It felt very much like the last 2 season of game of thrones - where they wanted to speed through a season to get to a certain plot point for the final season."

However, there were also fans that thought The Handmaid's Tale season 5 finale was "really bad." Some fans compared it to Game of Thrones final seasons, with it rushing to the end. "I feel like it was way too much way too fast. So many plot points and little interpersonal dynamics that could have been really cool to explore were quickly addressed at surface level, all in the name of cramming in a lot of scenes to make the finale feel like a culmination of something.​​​​​​​"

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