Elizabeth Moss's June Osborne Might Not Be Done Yet As The Handmaid's Tale Concludes Its Powerful Run

The sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale picked up right where it left off, on a train moving away from Gilead. June (Elisabeth Moss) was on board heading for Alaska. Her former tormentor, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), was also there. Serena's luck in Gilead had turned bad after her husband Fred (Joseph Fiennes) died. Both women, each with a child, were looking for safety. But neither would keep it once they found it. This setup for the final season immediately pulled me in, setting the stage for what was to come.

Knowing season 6 would start just hours after the last season ended, cinematographer Nicola Daley thought about how to spend 45 minutes of the first episode on a train. She and the crew began talking about the episode six months before they even started preparing. Moss suggested using an LED wall outside the train car. This allowed the day to slowly change over the episode. It also helped the actors feel the train shaking. Daley said this looked much better because it gave a beautiful reflection off the LED wall. The shiny surfaces inside the train reflected the light as if it were real. Daley also added lights that connected the set and the LED wall. This helped join the two layers of depth together.

The trip to Alaska was long. Outside the train, a peaceful daylight changed to dusk. Inside the train other passengers realized who Serena was. A crowd formed. Daley said they used Train to Busan as a reference. She explained that even though they did not have zombies Lizzie always said the crowd was zombie-like. The crowd attacked. June pulled the emergency brake. Daley wanted the scene to get even more chaotic at that moment. The actors in the crowd pushed on the camera operator. Daley put in flickering lights and a red emergency brake light. This sent the lighting from one extreme to another. It was 45 minutes all in one train car so it needed visual interest. It also needed that building tension through the camera work and lighting. I love that episode because you think it will go one way with Serena and June talking. Then it takes a sharp turn and gets violent. It ends with June pushing Serena off the train.

The Handmaid's Tale Finale Shows A Quiet Reflection of Trauma Rather Than Explosive Action

Bruce Miller Explains The Creative Decisions Behind The Series' Emotional Conclusion

Serena and her baby found land in Canaan. June made it to her mother in Alaska. Their stories could have ended there. But both ended up going back to Gilead. Serena went back to rule. June went back to fight. June's journey back took her to Mayday headquarters, the rebellion's base. They filmed this in an old ski lodge. Daley said it was perfect because it had a big room with a massive triangular window. When Moss and Daley talked about episode two, when June first came to Mayday, Moss said it felt like a fairy tale. It was like June went down a rabbit hole. Daley mixed warm yellow lights and natural daylight. When June came out to the waiting crowd, it almost felt like entering a church.

Meanwhile, in New Bethlehem, Serena was also holding court. Daley filmed her from below as she ruled. The Gilead wives at her bridal shower, unusually, questioned her. The similar paths of the women are on purpose. Back in season five, Moss often said Serena and June were like "Juliet and Juliet." Even with June fighting for what is right and Serena only for herself, the women are always linked. New Bethlehem, a milder version of Gilead where Serena starts to get back to the top, is a very pretty place on the water. Daley used sunsets and blue colors there. With The Truman Show as a reference, New Bethlehem looks like the real world. But everything is a bit too similar and too neat. In reality, it is Canada. The outdoor shots were done in Crystal Beach, two hours from Toronto.

The creator of The Handmaid’s Tale, Bruce Miller, talked about why the series finale was so much calmer than the tense episodes before it. He wanted to think of it as the last episode of a series, not just a finale. He wanted to finish the series in a way that truly fit the audience's experience. He also felt that the most memorable parts of the show were often when June was sitting quietly, thinking about something. These were often the saddest or most moving moments. So, he felt like he was going back to June’s point of view. He wanted to get her thoughts on what they had seen, but also to show the end of that story. What happened after the big fight?

Miller added that he was not trying to write a comparison. He was trying to write an interesting episode of television. He knows there are many bad finales. So he was also thinking, "First do no harm." He tried not to undo things in the show by changing them. He had talked about this ending with Elisabeth Moss even before she signed up for the show. Things like June being free in Boston and her being able to record her story were not what they were aiming towards. They were what they had already gone past. This shows a real thoughtful approach to ending such an impactful show.

Elisabeth Moss Might Reprise Her Role As June Osborne In The Upcoming Testaments Series

The Actress Expresses Her Love For The Character And The Possibility Of Her Return

The Popverse reported that June Osborne's story is over for now after the recent Handmaid's Tale season 6 finale. However, the actress who plays her might not be done yet. Elisabeth Moss hinted she is open to returning as June Osborne in the upcoming The Testaments series. The final episode wrapped up a hit story that has been on many watch lists since 2017. Moss said what she loves most about the finale is that June’s story is not over. She did not confirm her return, but she said she loves that she does not have to say goodbye to that world and that character. She has finished shows before and felt like that was it. But she loves that June is not done. She loves playing that character so much, and she says it is probably her favorite she has ever played. So, of course, she does not want that to end.

It is important to remember this is not a solid promise from Moss about returning as June Osborne. Moss has a busy schedule ahead. She has a role as real-life congresswoman Katie Hill and other projects coming up. We also do not have a release date for The Testaments season 1 yet. This means we are left with a big question mark about Moss’s future in the franchise. Despite this, the idea of her return is exciting for many fans. The connection she has with the character is very clear.

The Testaments is based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name. It is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale in the books. The TV show will take place about five years later. This is because it covers Hannah when she is around 14, 15, or 16 years old. So it is about three or four years after The Handmaid’s Tale. The timeline changes were needed because the ages of the characters did not fit. Nichole is not going to high school, for example. So they had to make changes for that.

New Characters And Familiar Faces Expected In The Testaments Spin-Off Series

Ann Dowd Will Return As Aunt Lydia Alongside New Actors In This Highly Anticipated Show

Hulu and MGM Television quickly got the rights to Atwood’s sequel before it even came out. Bruce Miller has been working on The Testaments for several years. He will lead The Testaments as showrunner. He stepped down as showrunner for The Handmaid’s Tale before its sixth season to focus on this new series. This opened the door for Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang to take over the final season of Handmaid’s.

Ann Dowd will return to her Handmaid’s role as Aunt Lydia. Chase Infiniti will play Agnes, who is June and Luke’s daughter Hannah. Lucy Halliday will play Daisy, who is June and Nick’s daughter Nichole. Rowan Blanchard will play Shunammite, a pampered teen from a well-known Gilead family. Her status gives her a certain level of respect among her peers. Other cast members announced so far include Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien. This diverse cast promises a fresh feel for the new series.

Miller has also said that June and even Nick will be mentioned in The Testaments. He said they will certainly reference them and make it clearer than it was in the book. He hopes June shows up. He says she is still doing her job, still doing what she was doing in The Handmaid’s Tale. Luke and Moira are still out there somewhere, trying to get Hannah back. He believes the beauty of having watched The Handmaid’s Tale is that you know there is a huge operation of people who care and are risking themselves to reunite with their children. This gives a background for the new show that viewers who watched the original will appreciate.

The final episode of The Handmaid’s Tale aired recently. It finished the series with a thoughtful ending. It was less action-packed than the rest of its sixth season. Even though The Handmaid’s Tale has ended, the bigger story it told is not over. It was reported earlier this year that Lucy Halliday was cast as Daisy in The Testaments. This upcoming show will be based on Atwood’s 2019 novel. The novel tells the stories of three women: Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy. Daisy becomes interested in what is happening in Gilead from Canada, where her Handmaid mother smuggled her to before the book's events. This new series promises to expand the world we know and give us more of the story.