June Osborne is back! The Handmaid’s Tale dropped the first two episodes of Season 5 at midnight Wednesday (September 14) and fans wasted no time in watching the first two episodes. After “getting rid” of Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), June (Elisabeth Moss) continues her fight to find her daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake), as Gilead’s influence expands in Canada. June struggles to redefine her purpose and identity, facing consequences for killing Commander Waterford while the widowed Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) tries to raise her profile in Toronto.
Most of the main cast have returned, but fans noticed right away in the season opener that Emily/Ofglen, played by Alexis Bledel, was nowhere to be found. Bledel, 40, said in a statement to Newsweek: “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time. I am forever grateful to (show creator) Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”
In the first episode of Season 5, we continue where we left off in the immediate aftermath of June killing Commander Waterford. June is celebrating her revenge with her fellow handmaids when she realizes that her close companion Emily is nowhere to be seen. In an effort to find her, June visits Emily’s wife, Sylvia (Clea DuVall), who tells June that Emily has returned to Gilead. Emily being alive leaves the door open for Bledel to return for the show’s sixth and final season or the confirmed The Testaments spin-off.
As we earlier reported the Season 4 finale ended with June luring Commander Waterford, who’d ritually raped her for years, into the demilitarized zone between Gilead and Canada. With the help of her fellow former handmaids, they chased him through the woods and murdered him. June returned home only to say goodbye to her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and baby daughter whom she shares with Nick (Max Minghella). At a detention center, Serena opened a mysterious package and found her husband’s finger and wedding ring inside.
The Handmaid’s Tale first hit television screens in 2017. New episodes will drop on Hulu every Wednesday.
See below what viewers thought of the opening episodes of Season 5 below:
