'Handmaid's Tale' Season 4: 4 Questions We Need Answered After Season 3
Will June ever leave Gilead?
by Mae AbdulbakiSpoilers ahead for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 finale.
The Season 3 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale served as a satisfying end to an imbalanced season. June may have been shot, but she succeeded in executing a very dangerous plan. Though there will surely be consequences, she can rest easy knowing that all hope is not lost.
Still, we can’t help but wonder what’s in store for next season. Now that Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is confirmed and the show’s writers back in the writers’ room. What’s next for June and the others? Will the rebellion be more out in the open? What kinds of consequences will Lawrence face? Will we see more of Emily, Luke, and Moira?
With so many mysteries still left unanswered, here are four questions that need to be answered in Handmaid’s Season 4.
June really should have escaped with the children.
4. Will June Ever Escape From Gilead?
While June proved that she can be a leader, formulating and executing a high-stakes plan to get 52 children out of Gilead, the show’s insistence that she remain in Gilead has hindered her growth as a character. Plus, all of her actions have become more dangerous, though she no longer faces the same threats and consequences like she did back in Season 1. So the best option is for her to escape to Canada. As a refugee, The Handmaid’s Tale would be able to explore June’s trauma instead of continuing to pile on more.
She’s changed a lot since the first season, so there are a lot of fascinating storytelling paths to take. Just look at some of the great story beats Emily and Moira have gotten (from the little they’ve shown). June’s growth would be far more interesting outside the confines of her open-air prison, and with the structures of Gilead on shaky grounds, her escape isn’t as hard to imagine anymore. Plus, if it happened, we’d also be able to get more time with Luke, Moira, and Emily.
Serena and Fred continue manipulating each other.
3. Will Fred and Serena Answer for Their Crimes?
After dragging out their storyline in Handmaid’s Tale Season 3, it’s clear that Serena and Fred Waterford’s place on the show is losing steam. Having them arrested and held as war criminals in Canada is probably the best things that’s happened for them in a while, plot-wise.
With Serena’s deal with the Canadian government now off the table, she and Fred should face trial and then be locked away. They’re already backed into a corner and the only way to continue justifying their presence in a more meaningful way is if they provide enough information that would help Canada and other world governments infiltrate Gilead. They can’t continue backstabbing each other forever, right?
Nick might have more secrets than we thought.
2. What’s the Deal With Nick?
Nick Blaine’s absence since Episode 6 has been one of the strangest aspects of Season 3. After a huge plot twist was introduced out of nowhere he vanished for the remainder of the season.
So what’s next for Nick? Well, it’s safe to say that his storyline is on its last legs. This is especially true now that June can no longer trust him and he isn’t an active part of her life anymore. Unless The Handmaid’s Tale is willing to visit the war in Chicago or have Nick help June escape Gilead as one last favor, it’s best to have June confront him in Season 4 before he leaves for good.
June, Luke, and Hannah deserve some happiness. A reunion would be a breath of fresh air.
1. Wil Hannah Be Reunited With Her Parents?
June hasn’t interacted with her daughter Hannah since the end of Season 2, but she got really close to finding her in Season 3, Episode 7, “Under His Eye.” After putting herself in constant danger to try and get to her, June seemed to give up after Hannah’s Gilead family moved further away. However, it’s been three seasons now with little forward movement.
With June’s focus shifting to help other Gilead children escape to Canada, it’s hard not to think that Hannah should have been one of them. Luke’s hope that his daughter might be on the plane only to be disappointed drove that point home. If nothing else, Season 4 needs to at least give June’s family a break, and a reunion would offer them some solace.
They’ve suffered enough.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 finale is streaming now on Hulu.
