The Handmaid's Tale season 4 comes to an end on Wednesday, June 16, and fans of the Hulu series have many questions and theories about what will happen in the finale. Every previous season of the show has ended on a dramatic and shocking note, from June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) being carted off by the Eyes in season 1, her decision to hand Nichole over to Emily Malek and remain in Gilead in season 2, and the arrival of 86 Gilead children in Canada in season 3. After such a water-cooler-worthy season 4, expectations are high that the finale will be a game-changer.
Initially, The Handmaid's Tale season 4 promised to cover familiar territory with June stuck in Gilead, determined to wreak chaos while trying to get her daughter Hannah Bankole back. June escaped again only to be captured, resulting in one of the dystopian drama's most violent episodes. Frustration among viewers and critics alike mounted at the prospect of June's storyline continuing to be mired in outlandish plot twists and a cycle of gratuitous brutality. However, episode 4, "Milk," marked a turning point with June making it to Chicago, one of the areas of America not fully under Gilead's control. In episode 6, "Vows," the unthinkable occurred: June finally escaped Gilead. Recent episodes have spent little time in Gilead, focused instead on June's struggles to adapt to her freedom while plagued with guilt over the child she left behind. Viewers relished watching June confront her captors, who were finally going to answer for their crimes.
Even before season 4 premiered, viewers dissected the promo trailer searching for clues about what lay ahead. Theories surrounding the central characters have swirled throughout the season, covering everything from Janine's whereabouts following the Chicago bombing to June's future with Nick Blaine to the Waterfords' possible exoneration to how Serena got pregnant and the identity of the father. Going into the finale, the fates of June, her family, friends, and enemies remain up in the air, raising many questions about their futures and triggering intense speculation about how season 4 will end. These are the biggest questions and theories going into the finale of The Handmaid's Tale season 4.
After Nick's touching reunion with June, he pulled a wedding ring out of his pocket and slipped it on his finger. It's not surprising that Nick, who is now a Commander, would be expected to uphold Gilead's traditional family values by getting married. Fans who have been rooting for Nick and June's relationship took to Twitter to express their displeasure over Nick's new relationship status and, perhaps more importantly, the identity of his wife. Is she someone who has already appeared on the show or an entirely new character? It's unlikely fans will meet her until season 5, if at all.
Commander Joseph Lawrence is arguably The Handmaid's Tale's most enigmatic character, and his actions throughout season 4 have viewers genuinely confounded. Lawrence is a man who thought he was creating a better world, and it blew up in his face, costing him what he cared about most. It's no secret he has plans for Gilead, but nobody can figure out they are, although it's difficult to imagine things getting worse. There's a well-thought-out motive behind everything Lawrence does, including giving Janine to Aunt Lydia. Lawrence is no hero, but he is a man with sins to atone for. Viewers know so little about the power structure of Gilead or of the political climate in the small-screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood's world that it's impossible to know how Lawrence will achieve his goal, but the finale may offer some further affirmation that there's more to him than meets the eye.
Mark Tuello has been trying since season 3 to get Fred to agree to feed him information about the inner workings of Gilead, and he finally succeeded. All Tuello had to do was wait for Gilead to refuse to help the Waterfords and sell out June and Fred's other victims in the process. Fred may no longer be facing incarceration, but that doesn't mean he'll get off scot-free. June's verbal takedown of Serena was cathartic for both June and viewers, and Joseph Fiennes, who plays Commander Waterford, told TVLine there would be a similar scene between his character and his former Handmaid. He also admitted that the scene ranks as one of, if not his favorite of the season. Given how unhinged June looks in the promo trailer for episode 10, it doesn't seem likely June's thirst for vengeance against Fred will be quenched by verbally sparring with the man who destroyed her life.
Although June killing Fred (the prevailing theory among fans) would be a satisfying outcome, The Handmaid's Tale has proven time and again that there are fates worse than death. Practically speaking, June can't go around murdering people and not face repercussions as she did in Gilead. Episode 10 is titled "The Wilderness," and it looks as if June and Fred's confrontation will occur in an isolated area: possibly very close to Gilead's border, meaning someone from Gilead could execute Fred, leaving June free and clear (could Nick fulfill this role?). More interestingly, Gilead could take Fred prisoner since he's now officially a traitor. All those men clad in black with flashlights look a lot like Guardians, and June has more powerful connections in Gilead than Tuello.
Serena is in a very precarious position going into the finale, and having Fred as her only ally doesn't bode well for her. Moreover, it's unclear if her legal issues have been resolved. Presumably, when Fred struck his deal with Tuello, he bargained for his wife's freedom as well, but that hasn't been confirmed.
The show has addressed many of the prevailing fan theories about Serena's future, specifically the possibility of Serena becoming a Handmaid and the uncertainty of her baby's future. Amanda Brugel, who plays Rita Blue, revealed to Elle that she hopes Serena's son gets taken away and she gets to raise him. "Gilead took my son away—we find that out in season 2. So, an eye for an eye," she said. Motherhood doesn't appear to be in the cards for Serena. Showrunner Bruce Miller had this to say about Serena during an April interview with Variety, "She clearly doesn’t deserve to be happy, but maybe there’s a world where she deserves to have a child and have it be taken away from her."
Margaret Atwood's sequel The Testaments has viewers preparing for Aunt Lydia to betray Gilead and switch sides, and season 4 hints that big changes are in store for her next season. She revealed to Commander Lawrence that she possesses intel about many of Gilead's high-ranking officials, confirming that corruption is rampant among the country's governing body. Lydia has shown uncharacteristic empathy towards Janine and Esther Keyes. Although it occurs in the aftermath of her cruel and unjust punishment of another Handmaid, her actions appear sincere and not just a ruse to keep her job. The big question about Aunt Lydia going into the finale is: Will she remain a slightly kinder, gentler version of herself or revert to her old ways?
According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, the theory that Nick dies saving Hannah was pieced together by fans based on a trailer for the second half of season 4 released on The Handmaid's Tale's Twitter account. Scenes spliced together led to speculation that Nick dies in front of June after he hands Hannah off to her and Luke. Of course, trailers can be intentionally misleading, and in this case, events that have occurred since the trailer's release have put those scenes into context. Amidst the speculation, the show's Twitter account issued a reply to one viewer questioning Nick's possible role in reuniting June with her daughter that features a video of Nick and the ominous sentence, "Time to see where his allegiance lies." However, it appears this tweet is a misdirect and an effective way to keep fans guessing.
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June 14, 2021 at 12:14AM
