Warning: this article contains some spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale season 6.

The Handmaid's Tale is now nearing the conclusion of its sixth and final season, but there is one character whose fate is still unknown. The series is based on the 1985 book of the same name, but has made changes to the source material, leading the characters down unexpected paths. Season 1 introduced the dystopian world of Gilead and saw June and her fellow handmaids attempting to survive and rebel through their incredibly bleak conditions. Across The Handmaid's Tale's six seasons, the oppressed women of Gilead have indeed rebelled, creating an explosive set-up for the final episodes.

By Handmaids enacted their plan using the cake to cause the guests to fall asleep, allowing the Handmaids to run free. While some of the events of season 6 so far have been building for some time, and others have come as a surprise, there is one detail that the series has not addressed yet concerning the whereabouts of one important character.

What Happened To Emily & Why Alexis Bledel Left The Handmaid's Tale

Bledel Made The Choice To Step Back

Back in 2022, Alexis Bledel announced that she was leaving The Handmaid's Tale following season 4. Her character, Emily, had been present in the series since its premiere and was one of June's most important allies. In the season 4 finale, Emily played a big role in Fred Waterford's death, and her story was left open, implying that the character would continue to be a focal point in the following season. Understandably, some audience were shocked by the character's absence, but Bledel herself made the decision to step back.

At the time of her departure, Bledel shared little about her decision to leave the series, stating only that the decision came "after much thought." Likewise, the show's creator, Bruce Miller, stated that Bledel made the choice on her own but that "it was a complicated time, and she let me know" (via The Hollywood Reporter). The actor's decisions reflect the fact that she knew what was best for herself and put those concerns first, though it did mean that Emily had to be written out of the series abruptly before season 5.

The Handmaid's Tale Returning To Gilead Could've Provided An Update On Emily

June's Path Could Have Coincided With Emily's, Or At Least News About Her

In response to Bledel's decision to leave The Handmaid's Tale after season 4's shocking conclusion, the show had to come up with a way to explain her absence. The Handmaid's Tale achieved this by having Emily's wife Sylvia tell June that she had returned to Gilead to fight the regime from the inside. Even though this feels like an abrupt departure for the character, it does at least reflect the troubles that the former Handmaids face in adjusting to life outside of Gilead due to their trauma, and explains why Emily would have done that.

The Handmaid's Tale could have at least mentioned her whereabouts.

Given that Emily's stated fate was that she returned to Gilead to fight and that June and several of the other characters have returned for this same purpose, it seems strange that Emily has not been mentioned at all. Even if Bledel herself did not return for the character to appear in scenes, The Handmaid's Tale could have at least mentioned her whereabouts. Something as simple as a line or two discussing whether Emily escaped Gilead again or left Boston to lead a rebellion elsewhere would have made her fate more concrete.

Emily Is Too Great A Character To Have Such An Unresolved Fate

Emily Was Such An Important Character For The Series

Emily was an important part of The Handmaid's Tale's first four seasons and is arguably one of the best characters in the series overall, so completely forgetting about her would be a disappointing way to end the show. Bledel did leave the show of her own accord rather than her character being written off, which means that the writers had to improvise her return to Gilead and its reasoning, but the show's current focus and setting would allow her character to have a clearer fate.

Especially because the series is coming to its end, Emily's story could be resolved fairly easily. The Handmaid's Tale is incredibly complex and often hard to watch, but sharing what happened to Emily after her departure could help answer a lingering question and give a beloved character a fitting, or even hopeful, ending. For all of her suffering, she should at least get to share in some of the revenge the other former Handmaids are taking, though with just two episodes left, it remains to be seen whether The Handmaid's Tale will give Emily a more satisfying conclusion.

Source: THR