The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 review was something we’ve been anxious to get to as it does feel as though it’s time to close this chapter on the tales of Gilead.
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The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 picks up in what appears to be just minutes after the conclusion of season 5. June (Elisabeth Moss) and Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) are on the westward-bound train full of Gilead refugees, but it doesn’t take long for all of that to fall apart and for everyone to return to familiar story beats.
The Handmaid’s Tale has had a problem with returning to familiar stomping grounds season after season, and this time around is no different. There is no problem in this world that June can’t find a way to insert herself into.
The biggest change this year is Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), who, finally, is beginning to realize Gilead is not everything she thought it was. Specifically, when it comes to the circumstances, she finds Janine (Madeline Brewer) in this time around.
Perhaps there is hope
The Testaments, a sequel series based on the book of the same name, has already been announced, and it feels as though a lot of what is happening here is more about setting up that series than serving the story that brought all of us here. The days of watching Offred head to the grocery store feels a million miles away.
I have only seen the eight episodes provided–there will be a total of 10–but I left those episodes thinking if it had ended there, I would have been fine with how we’re left as there is some ambiguity in what is to come.
The acting is still excellent, and the visual look of the series is still top-notch. The writing this season, however, feels afraid. Where season 5 took some chances, season 6 feels very safe and constantly runs back to things we have seen before.
If you’ve enjoyed previous seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale, you’ll enjoy this. If you were on the fence about returning, I would say give it a shot as some things will definitely catch your attention, but just don’t expect any new ground to be broken.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 premieres on Hulu on April 8.
SCORE: 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: Hulu provided us with eight of the 10 episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 for this review. We watched all of the episodes in their entirety before beginning this review.
