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The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, the dystopian drama series' final installment, is almost halfway through on Hulu. Scheduled to conclude on May 27, 2025, the series has already set the stage for its upcoming spinoff, The Testaments, whose cast was announced via Instagram on April 1, 2025. Here's how the finale of season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale could tie with the upcoming spinoff series.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
In The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, Commander Lawrence, Serena, and the others have already convinced several people of New Bethlehem's effectiveness. The place that promises to be free of Gilead's repressive ideologies and offers residence to willful candidates, including immigrants, is not an offer anyone is willing to reject.
However, the recent developments in the season highlight that the New Bethlehem project could take a dark turn. In episode 5 of the show, when Commander Lawrence peeked out from a hole in a room at Jezebel's, he heard the other commanders speaking about him.
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Commander Bell and the others joked about how Lawrence deserves a place on the wall and how his New Bethlehem strategy was a sham.
They continued the conversation and spoke about how they would later sideline Lawrence and his New Bethlehem project and do what they please. These comments insinuated that they would likely remove Lawrence and reinstate Gilead once people settle in New Bethlehem.
This could pave the way for The Testaments, which is set in Gilead.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 could pave the path for The Testaments
As previously mentioned, the recent episode of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 has already hinted at the trajectory the show's storyline would take in the coming episodes.
If Commander Bell and the other Commanders' discussion at Jezebel's is true, Lawrence's dream of creating a violence-free and liberal New Bethlehem would remain unfulfilled. Even worse, New Bethlehem could be used as a ploy to lure people into it and then force them into Gilead later.
Another development in season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale that could effectively set the stage for The Testaments is Aunt Lydia's character trajectory. Since the beginning of the season, she has been on a journey of discovery.
She has come to realize, following Janine's posting at Jezebel's, that Gilead's practices may not be as forward-thinking as she believes.
This thought process marks a swift deviation from the type of character Aunt Lydia has been for the show's five seasons. Her arc makes sense even more when placed against the developments in The Testaments, Margaret Atwood's novel on which the upcoming series will be based.
For the uninitiated, Aunt Lydia plays a crucial role in Atwood's novel. She joins forces with Mayday and helps in providing valuable intel about Gilead that could overthrow it.
When will the next episode of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 arrive?
The sixth episode of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will arrive on April 29, 2025. Episode 5 of the show ended with June and Moira in Commander Lawrence's car trunk. Although Lawrence volunteered to help them, before June could tell him where they would like to be dropped, the episode ended.
Episode 6 of the show will be a make-or-break as it will show the true nature of Lawrence's character. Whether he chooses to drop June and Moira where they desire or does the complete opposite will determine if he prioritizes his morality over his duties towards Gilead.
The first five episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 are currently streaming on Hulu.
