Long-time fans of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale have been bracing for the show’s thrilling conclusion for some time. The series, which adapts its narrative from Margaret Atwood’s iconic 1985 novel of the same name, has been airing since 2017 and has taken several twists, turns and deviations from the source material. On May 26, The Handmaid’s Tale finally came to an explosive end, which involved a return of a few fan-favorite characters, a few notable call-backs to where the show began and a full-scale revolution in the city of Boston. One of the most pressing questions ahead of the finale was the fate of Serena Joy. For those not in the know, Serena has had one of the most compelling character arcs in the history of television, growing from a foul, miserable tormenter in season one to a sympathetic mother just trying to protect her son.
Since many fans are still buzzing with questions regarding the Handmaid’s Tale series finale, now seems like as good a time as any to examine how the show ends, what happens to Serena and where the franchise could potentially go from here. Obviously, there will be major spoilers ahead for the entirety of the show, so please proceed with caution if you have not yet watched The Handmaid’s Tale through to the very end. With no further preamble, let’s dive right in, and see what we can learn about the fate of TV’s most complex antagonist.
What happened to Serena in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’?
Those who have been watching The Handmaid’s Tale since the very beginning will recall that Serena first came into the show as a staunch supporter of the Gilead regime. As a wife to Commander Wharton, she bullies, manipulates and attacks June (AKA Offred) throughout the entirety of the show’s first season. Still, Serena is never depicted as completely unsalvageable, and she becomes progressively more sympathetic as the series continues. By the time season six rolls around, she is a loving mother to a boy named Noah, whom she swears to protect with her very life. Throughout the last several episodes of the show, June and her cohorts work tirelessly to dismantle the Gilead regime, especially in the city of Boston, which serves as an integral battleground for the post-apocalyptic nation.
In the Handmaid’s Tale finale, Serena manages to successfully defect from Gilead, just as the rebels take out the commanding officers and reclaim Boston for America. She is left with no home, no allies and no real prospects for her future – though her main goal, to protect Noah, remains her sole focus. She ultimately defects from Gilead and makes her way towards a U.N. refugee camp after acknowledging that she can never return to the misogynistic nation, which remains active in other portions of the former United States and Canada.
Before she skips town, Serena shares a moving discussion with June, which sees her apologizing for her role in June’s misfortune throughout the years. “When I recall some of the things that were done to you,” Serena says, “the things that I did, that I forced you to do, I’m ashamed.” June accepts this apology, prepared to move on to bigger and more dangerous foes, prompting Tuello to remark, “That was very generous of you.”
Does Hannah get out of Gilead?
With Serena headed toward an uncertain future, June is free to turn her attention back on her children. She manages to locate her daughter Nichole during the finale, though The Handmaid’s Tale ends before she can reunite with her other daughter, Hannah. As Boston is liberated, Tuello informs June that Hannah has moved to Colorado, where she lives under the assumed name Agnes McKenzie. Hannah is still a resident of Gilead when the credits roll. However, our protagonist comes to learn that Hannah will soon be moving from Colorado to Washington D.C. This means that June has a better shot than ever before at reconnecting with her daughter and freeing her from the oppressive regime.
As Luke says during the final moments of the series, “The way we get Hannah back is we take down Gilead one piece at a time.” This could leave the entire series with an open-ended conclusion, or it could be setting the stage for the forthcoming Handmaid’s Tale sequel series. According to a report in USA Today, The Testaments is currently in the works at Hulu, and aims to tell “a coming-of-age story that finds a new generation of young women in Gilead grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.”
The show will reportedly center on Hannah and is expected to take place 15 years after the events of the original series. While there’s no confirmation yet that June actress Elisabeth Moss will be appearing in the show, she has signed on with an executive producer credit, meaning the Handmaid’s Tale finale may not be the last we see of June.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who impregnated Serena Joy in The Handmaid’s Tale?
Though it is repeatedly stated that Fred Waterford is sterile, the writers of The Handmaid’s Tale have confirmed that he is the true father of Serena Joy’s son, Noah. Back in season four, when Serena was still a full-on Gilead loyalist, she claimed that Fred’s sudden ability to conceive was wrought by clean air and fresh water offered in the Gilead borders, along with a little help from God himself, as a reward for standing by the regime. Obviously, this is pure speculation on Serena’s part and not in keeping with the writing of the show. Instead, it’s likely that Fred’s medical turnaround was simply a coincidence. Either way, this pregnancy would grow to become a massive plot point in the series, which changes the lives of Fred, Serena and others.
Does June ever get Hannah back?
Unfortunately, June is not able to reunite with Hannah at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale. Still, her motivation to rescue Hannah is a major plot point throughout the series finale and serves as one of the only loose threads in the show. Luckily, we’ll soon have more answers regarding Hannah’s fate with the release of The Testaments. For now, Hulu has offered no official release date for the spin-off, though the streamer has confirmed that the show is in active production.
