Why June and Hannah’s Heartbreaking Reunion Was Cut from The Handmaid’s Tale Finale

by

The creators of The Handmaid’s Tale, Yahlin Chang and Eric Tuchman, discuss why June (Elisabeth Moss) and Hannah (Jordana Blake), her daughter, don’t reunite in the series finale. In the season 6 finale, Boston is liberated from Gilead’s control as a result of June and other Handmaids murdering the city’s Commanders. The final scene shows June returning to the destroyed Waterford house to record her story. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t show their reunion because June’s struggle to save Hannah from Gilead continues when the series ends.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Chang and Tuchman revealed that the reunion between June and Hannah in “The Handmaid’s Tale” was unable to occur due to the events of “The Testaments.” They shared their difficulties in resolving this plot point, as there had been significant anticipation for it, but also expressed how this decision allowed for a deeper exploration of June’s resilience in the face of losing someone she cared deeply about. Here’s what Chang and Tuchman discussed further below:

In a difficult situation due to constraints related to “The Testaments,” unfortunately, we couldn’t reunite June and Hannah. This was something that caused us great struggle, particularly me – speaking for myself. The thought of June sharing her story with Hannah, emotionally compelling as it was, was something I found extremely captivating despite not delivering what people or I wanted.

In a sad turn of events, we realized that June and Hannah couldn’t be reunited. This was disheartening because we recognized the strong desire our audience had for this reunion throughout the series. It appeared to be the driving force behind June’s actions. However, once we discovered it wasn’t feasible due to certain boundaries, I must admit that it changed the emotional core of her journey: What does it mean to persevere when you don’t get what you want and what you are hoping for, and what if that might never come true? Reflecting on it now, I believe this message is incredibly powerful – keep going; never stop loving, hoping, wishing, dreaming, and striving, regardless of the challenges that may arise, especially as a parent, you will do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.

What June & Hannah Not Getting Reunited Means For The Handmaid’s Tale

The Testaments Will Continue Hannah’s Story

The main cause of June and Hannah not meeting again is that Hannah’s narrative will continue in the forthcoming adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel sequel, The Testaments, titled Chase Infiniti. In this continuation, Chase plays Agnes, a character who is adopted by the MacKenzie family, creating an independent storyline for her that prevents a reunion with her mother, as their stories would not align logically within the original series context.

The explanation provided by Chang and Tuchman indicates that June is relentless in her efforts to reunite with her daughter, no matter how bleak the prospects may seem after numerous unsuccessful attempts. It’s unclear if the sequel, “The Testaments”, will delve back into June’s continuous quest since Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) is the only character confirmed to return from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

Our Take On June & Hannah Not Reuniting In The Handmaid’s Tale

A Disappointing Yet Understandable Direction

It’s a bit sad that June and Hannah didn’t manage to meet again at the end of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” considering how determined the protagonist has been in her efforts to reclaim her daughter. Yet, it was logical for them not to reunite, as their reunion would have prevented the events of “The Testaments” from unfolding. Even though this ending leaves a somewhat melancholic tone for the series, there’s still room for exploration of this relationship in the sequel, especially if it delves deeper into the storyline, similar to how the original TV show expanded upon the book.

Read More

2025-05-27 16:07