The Handmaid’s Tale star explains meaning behind new episode’s surprise reunion

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 episode 1 spoilers follow.

In a recent conversation, actress Elisabeth Moss, who plays a key role in The Handmaid’s Tale, shed light on the reason for the unexpected encounter at the start of season six. She noted that this moment is connected to the conclusion of the storyline.

Making its UK debut slightly late compared to the US, the initial episode of the last season of The Handmaid’s Tale featured an unexpected return of a particular character on Saturday.

During their journey, June Osborne (played by Moss) met up with Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) on a refugee train departing from Gilead.

Or:

While escaping Gilead, June Osborne ran into Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski) on a train transporting refugees.

Both sentences convey the same information but with slightly different tones and structures to make them sound natural and easy to read.

At the close of the episode, June along with her infant wound up at a refugee camp situated in Alaska. Upon arrival, she was warmly welcomed by her mother Holly, who served as part of the camp’s healthcare team.

In the TV series Succession, Cherry Jones portrays Holly, an activist for women’s rights. So far, she has only appeared in scenes set during June’s flashbacks. In season two, it was revealed that Holly had been assigned to work in Gilead’s Colonies, a fate typically equating to death for most individuals.

Instead, let me rephrase that in a more conversational tone: In season six, it was shown that June had managed to survive and flee from Gilead. The episode concluded with Holly, who was reading off a list of arrivals, spotting June’s name and exclaiming, “June Osborne? My dear?” Upon hearing her mother, June and Holly shared a heartfelt hug.

Speaking about the emotional mother-daughter reunion, Moss explained that it centers around the conclusion of their journey and where they are headed in the final season.

As a devoted fan, I shared my thoughts with TVLine, expressing that the heart of the series lies in June’s journey as a mother. However, to truly delve deep into this narrative and provide a complete picture, it seemed crucial to me to introduce June’s own mother into the storyline.

Upon learning that Jones might return to the series, Moss found it an obvious decision to bring her back for this last season.

Season 1-5 of The Handmaid’s Tale are available to stream now on Prime Video.

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will air on Prime Video and Channel 4 in the UK.

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2025-05-05 20:49