Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 9 and The Testaments!

One storyline has been slowly progressing in The Handmaid’s Tale for eight years, and the season 6 finale needs to finally settle it. The Handmaid’s Tale has covered a lot of stories throughout its six seasons, with it becoming a much larger-scale story about international conflict after June’s original escape from Gilead. While this has been enjoyable, it has forced the series to lose focus on one of its original storylines. While it did get some development in season 5, it has barely been mentioned in season 6, and this is an issue that The Handmaid’s Tale needs to fix.

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 9 is finally here, with it setting all the pieces in place for the series finale. The episode takes place in the aftermath of June’s plan for Serena and Commander Wharton’s wedding, with the Handmaids attempting to escape Gilead. Unfortunately, they are apprehended, forcing Mayday to rescue them from execution. After doing so, Mayday has to find a way to stop the Commanders before they make their next move, with the episode ending as a plane containing Nick, Wharton, and Lawrence explodes.

Hannah Has Helped Define The Handmaid’s Tale Since Season 1

She Is At The Center Of June’s Arc

Since the very beginning of The Handmaid’s Tale, June’s arc has been defined by one thing: Hannah. While June wanted to escape Gilead and reunite with Luke, her biggest goal has been to save her daughter. Once she finally escaped Gilead, she immediately began working to get Hannah back. The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 saw Mayday do a risky mission in an attempt to get planes to Hannah’s school and rescue her, something that was foiled when Commander Lawrence had the planes shot down.

Despite Hannah’s importance to June, she has been barely mentioned in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. Most of the final season has had her focused on killing the Commanders and rescuing the Handmaids, which is a much larger goal. While this is important, it unfortunately makes it seem as if June has forgotten about Hannah. June should be more actively attempting to rescue Hannah, especially because the instability in Gilead could make her even harder to find.

Hannah Needs To Appear In The Season 6 Finale

After Not Appearing In Season 6’s Other Episodes

For The Handmaid’s Tale finale to work, Hannah has to appear. She is the most important character who hasn’t yet appeared in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, and it will be a massive mistake if the final season completely excludes her. The desire to get Hannah back has been a driving force for June and Luke throughout the show, and continuing to not mention her will make the ending feel unsatisfying after years of build up.

On top of that, it will be hard to conclude June’s character arc without another attempt to rescue Hannah. If June successfully brings down Gilead, her happiness won’t feel earned, as she still hasn’t been reunited with Hannah. Even if June tries and fails to save Hannah, this is OK, as it could end her character arc on a downer note. However, refusing to show Hannah at all means that June’s arc cannot be complete, seriously hurting the end of the series.

What Happens To Hannah In The Books & Will The Show Do The Same Thing?

Could The Testaments Change Her Story?

Although the finale isn’t out yet, we can already tell what is going to happen to Hannah thanks to the books. The Testaments is the 2019 sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale novel, and Hulu has already announced that it will be adapting this book into a series. In the book, Hannah is still in Gilead, but she is much older. This means that June failed to rescue her, forcing her to grow into adulthood in Gilead.

For The Testaments to work as a show, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale will have to end without Hannah being rescued. While this is a tragic ending, the sequel story can’t work without her in Gilead. She has to have been separated from June for so long that she forgets who her mother is, meaning that she can’t be rescued and recaptured by Gilead. There is no way that June and Hannah will be reunited before The Testaments, meaning that The Handmaid’s Tale will probably end on a downer.

The Handmaid’s Tale

7/10

Release Date

2017 – 2025-00-00

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Bruce Miller

Directors

Mike Barker, Kari Skogland, Daina Reid, Reed Morano, Floria Sigismondi, Jeremy Podeswa, Kate Dennis, Richard Shepard, Amma Asante, Christina Choe, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Bradley Whitford, Dearbhla Walsh, Liz Garbus

Writers

Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, John Herrera, Jacey Heldrich, Dorothy Fortenberry, Marissa Jo Cerar, Lynn Renee Maxcy

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  Elisabeth Moss

  June Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph

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