The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5: Everything you need to know about the fifth season.
- In 2020, ahead of the fourth season’s premiere, the series was renewed for a fifth season.
- The fifth season of The Handmaid’s Tale premieres on Sep 14, 2022.
The Handmaid’s Tale is an American dystopian television series which is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The show is created by Bruce Miller.
The show first aired on April 26, 2017, and ever since it has been everything people talk about. The Handmaid’s Tale has managed to win eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 13 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. It is the first show produced by Hulu to win a major award as well as the first series on a streaming service to win an Emmy for Outstanding Series.
The show also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. The title actress Elisabeth Moss was also awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Release Date
The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 premieres on September 14 at 12:00 am ET on Hulu in the US. Like the previous season, this one also has 10 episodes. Two episodes will be out on the premiere followed by a new episode every Wednesday. The season finale will be out on Hulu on Nov 9, 2022.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Plot
The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian tale following the Second American Civil War wherein a theonomic, totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called “Handmaids”, to child-bearing slavery.
Season 4 of the show ended with June and other Gilead survivors beating Commander Fred Waterford to death in the woods, a dramatic ending that will witness serious consequences.
This season is speculated to follow Atwood’s second novel The Testaments, which is the follow-up from the original The Handmaid’s Tale story. The production platform, Hulu described the season 5 plot as:
“In season 5, June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada.
“Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke, and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.”
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Cast
The Handmaid’s Tale will see the return of the usual cast, led by Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne. However, Alexis Bledel will be exiting the series and won’t be back as Emily/Ofglen.
Moss will be joined by Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford, the wife of Commander Fred Waterford. She is currently pregnant and in detention in Canada.
Joseph Fiennes may return as Commander Fred Waterford again despite the character’s death in the finale.
- O. T. Fagbenle as Luke Bankole, June’s husband
- Samira Wiley as Moira Strand, June’s best friend
- Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine, the Waterfords’ former driver and June’s lover
- Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence, a high-ranking Gilead official and June’s last commander
- Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements, a woman who oversees the handmaid
- Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo, a recaptured handmaid who has one eye
- Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue, the Waterfords’ former Martha now living in Canada
- Sam Jaeger as Mark Trello, U.S. government official in Canada
- Jordana Blake as Hannah Bankole, June and Luke’s daughter
Some new faces will appear in The Handmaid’s Tale season 5, including Christine Ko (Upload) as Lily, a Gilead refugee who is a resistance leader in Canada. A former Martha, Lily is gritty and resourceful. Once her trust is earned, she is a fierce ally. Genevieve Angelson (The Afterparty) is playing Mrs Wheeler, an affluent Canadian who idolizes Serena and is involved in the rise of Gilead in Toronto.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Trailer
You can watch the trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 here.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5: Where to watch?
Like the previous four seasons, the fifth season will be released exclusively on Hulu. Viewers in the US can stream the previous four seasons of Hulu.
In Australia, new episodes will be broadcast live on SBS. Viewers can also view new episodes on SBS on Demand.
In the UK, The Handmaid’s Tale will once again find its home on the free-to-air channel, Channel 4. However. once again the viewers have to wait as the release date is not out yet. In the UK, viewers can watch the previous four seasons on Amazon Prime Video.
