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The Handmaid’s Tale ended its six-season run on May 27 with a finale that delivered not only closure but also heartfelt surprises. Three original cast members returned for emotional final appearances: Alexis Bledel as Emily, Nina Kiri as Alma, and Bahia Watson as Brianna—characters who helped shape June’s journey from the very beginning.
Alexis Bledel’s return as Emily was especially significant. After her character exited at the end of Season 4, fans were left wondering about her fate. In the series finale, it was revealed that Emily had become a Martha for a sympathetic Commander, allowing her to keep in touch with her wife Sylvia and their son while continuing her quiet resistance from within Gilead. She appeared in a poignant moment, standing beside June on the streets of a now-liberated Boston. Bledel told The Hollywood Reporter that this brief return was about “closure” and praised the still-intact original crew for making the experience meaningful.
Nina Kiri and Bahia Watson also made touching returns as Alma and Brianna, two of June’s closest handmaid friends. Their appearance came in a dream sequence—June’s imagined version of a Boston untouched by Gilead. In the dream, the women gathered for a karaoke night, laughing and singing, free and unharmed. It was a glimpse into a world that could have been, and a nod to the sisterhood they once shared.
Creator Bruce Miller explained that the scene was meant as a tribute to the emotional bonds between the characters. While Gilead was a place of immense suffering, he wanted to highlight that deep relationships—like June’s with Janine—also grew out of that trauma. The karaoke scene, he said, was emotional to shoot, with many cast and crew members in tears during filming.
As the curtain closes on The Handmaid’s Tale, the story of Gilead is far from over. The Testaments, a sequel series based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel, is already in the works, set 15 years after the events of the original series. While June’s chapter ends here, the legacy of those who resisted will carry forward in new stories and characters.