The Handmaid's Tale has finally returned for its sixth and final season, and the newest batch of episodes has the high-stakes task of concluding the Hulu show that started in 2017 while also setting up the franchise's future. While The Handmaid's Tale started out strong, the reception of the most recent seasons has soured. This left some The Handmaid's Tale fans anxious about whether the show would be able to successfully pull off its ending. Having seen the first eight episodes for review, I can say it is a mixed bag.

The Handmaid's Tale season 5 ended with the main characters separated once again, Gilead taking over what is left of America, and June and Serena Joy trapped together again. June and Serena Joy were last seen on a train leaving Canada, with them and their children trying to figure out their next moves after another failed attempt to save Hannah. Season 6 had the seemingly impossible task of wrapping up every storyline after several seasons of very little forward progress, something that caused viewers like me to become a bit bored with the show.

The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Fails To Fix Issues From Past Seasons

It Continues Issues From Seasons 4 & 5

Seasons 4 and 5 of The Handmaid's Tale were plagued with various problems, and unfortunately, many of these haven't been fixed here. Firstly, the show keeps repeating story beats like June and Luke being separated, June being forced to choose between Nick and Luke, Serena Joy going back and forth on her allegiance to Gilead, characters going on missions to Gilead only to get stuck there, and Mayday rescue missions going horribly wrong. Several storylines that have already been done multiple times are reiterated in season 6, and not much is added to them.

Another issue with previous seasons is that it felt like the show was stalling any progress forward. Ever since June escaped Gilead, there has been very little advancement of the status quo. This continues to be an issue in the first half of season 6, with June being a surprisingly ive protagonist in the first several episodes, making her far less interesting than some of the returning side characters from previous seasons.

Ever since June escaped Gilead, there has been very little advancement of the status quo.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 also comes with the introduction of another main antagonist — and he is incredibly boring. Ever since the death of Fred Waterford in season 4, the series has failed to have a centralized antagonist who represents the ideals of Gilead. The show keeps swapping out replacements for Fred, but none of them are as interesting as the show's original antagonist. The constant talk about Fred's legacy doesn't help; it only makes it easier to compare the show's newer villains to him.

The Handmaid's Tale's Final Season Gets Better In Its Latter Half

As The Storylines Begin To Converge

Although The Handmaid's Tale season 6 gets off to a rough start, it does start to get better in its latter half. I found the series to be a lot more engaging when June began to take a more active role in the story. Although I don't yet know how the show ends, things finally start to come together around episode 6, with the many disconnected storylines finally beginning to overlap as the season nears its end.

Things finally start to come together around episode 6...

Things like the cinematography, the performances, and the costume design have been consistently great throughout The Handmaid's Tale, and they are still good in season 6. Since most of the show's recent issues have been with the story and pacing, the show becomes just as good as the early seasons when these aspects get back on track.

The Existence Of The Testaments Is Still The Show's Biggest Detriment

It Hurts The Stakes Of The Handmaid's Tale

A sequel series to The Handmaid's Tale is already in the works, and its existence is the biggest detriment to season 6. Based on Margaret Atwood's sequel book of the same name, The Testaments will follow older versions of Aunt Lydia, Hannah, and Nichole as they continue the fight against Gilead. The series is already in the works at Hulu, meaning that the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 will not be the end of the franchise.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments was released in 2019, in between the releases of The Handmaid's Tale seasons 3 and 4.

Sadly, The Testaments really takes the wind out of The Handmaid's Tale's sail. For years now, I have known there is no way June will get Hannah back, and there is no way that Gilead will get defeated. Thus, I fully expect The Handmaid's Tale to have a downer ending, and I will be shocked if the series finale can find a way to surprise me without compromising the story of The Testaments.