The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 returns on April 8, and while we eagerly await the final season of one of the best Hulu shows, there’s plenty to talk about. Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel of the same name, the dystopian tale of totalitarian society, Gilead, has been told over five thrilling and haunting seasons on one of the best streaming services.

Fertile women have been forced to become surrogates for the rich and privileged, but it's finally time to take a stand. Led by Offred/June (Elisabeth Moss), the sixth and final season will depict the uprising of the Handmaids and a rebellion that aims to change everything. Here's everything we know from release date, plot, confirmed cast, news, rumors, and more.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 release date

In March, an official Instagram post from Elisabeth Moss revealed that The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will be released on April 8. Exciting news, considering it’s been nearly three years since season 5 debuted on Hulu.

While the previous seasons came out in consecutive years, there was a delay for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Fortunately, with resolution, the long-awaited sixth season will finally bring the dystopian tale to a close.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 trailer

The Handmaid's Tale | Final Season Trailer | Hulu - YouTube

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The official trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 was released on March 19. Full of tension-building scenes and rebellion rising, June (Elisabeth Moss) can be heard saying: "For years, we've been afraid of them. Now, it's time for them to be afraid of us."

And it appears June is rallying the Handmaids for battle with Luke and Moira joining alongside her to finally, and hopefully, take down Gilead. Though, there's hints of what Serena Joy has planned next to protect it alongside new character, Josh Charles, who is seemingly her new partner. There's also scenes of Janine, Aunt Lydia and Nick all returning to reprise their roles.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6: confirmed cast

Potential spoilers follow for The Handmaid's Tale season 6.

First look images of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 officially confirmed the return of most of the main cast – though we imagine any not featured will still be back for the sixth and final season:

• Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
• O-T Fagbenle as Luke
• Max Minghella as Nick
• Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
• Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
• Samara Wiley as Moira
• Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence
• Amanda Brugel as Rita
• Madeline Brewer as Janine
• Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
• Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
• Josh Charles as TBC
• Timothy Simons as TBC

While the main cast are reprising their roles, there's also two new characters that have been cast - though details on their roles are being kept firmly under wraps.

Firstly, in July 2024, Deadline revealed that The Veil and The Good Wife star, Josh Charles, would be joining season 6: "in a series regular capacity."

Then, in September 2024, as per Variety, a new role for Veep and Nobody Wants This star, Timothy Simons, was unveiled. Simons has reportedly been cast in a guest role, but as mentioned, we have no further intel than that right now.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6: story synopsis and rumors

Full spoilers follow for The Handmaid’s Tale seasons 1 to 5.

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is the final season of the show. So, there's a lot to tie up, especially considering how season 5 ended. June found herself on a train with her former captor, Serena, and their babies in tow. They're not exactly on good terms, so the situation as they escape to Canada will certainly be interesting to watch unfold.

Though June wasn't meant to be alone with the escape plan always meaning to involve Luke. Unfortunately, after June was almost murdered by a man instructed by Gilead, Luke killed him and ultimately handed himself over to the police, letting June leave without him.

For June's role in season 6 then, Elisabeth Moss spoke to Elle: "I think that it's going to be a season where June is going to figure out who she is and who she's going to be for the rest of her life."

She added: "The fight is not just about one individual; it's much larger than that. And I think she is, in season five, getting to that place where she's realizing that. And then season six is going to be very much about that, and then about all the characters figuring out whose side they're on and what their next move is."

There's also Nick's successful escape to Canada after his wife, Rose, left him. As well as Janine being pulled away by The Eyes and Aunt Lydia showing some real emotion around the situation. Plus, Commander Lawrence's hopes and dreams for New Bethlehem seem entirely more likely after the death of Commander Putnam.

But, there's a big change when it comes to who's running the show as Bruce Miller stepped down to focus on his next project - the screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood's sequel, "The Testaments," as reported by Deadline. Great news for the spin-off, but he's left The Handmaid's Tale season 6 in the hands of Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang. Who, both worked on the show before this move.

Before he left though, Miller spoke to Entertainment Weekly regarding the final season: “We are ending our show on our own creative terms. Hulu and MGM have been uniquely remarkable and generous in that way. So I think the good thing is, I’m able to do it the way that I want to do it. So if you hate it, it actually was on purpose. It wasn’t a mistake. I didn’t stumble.”

The cast and crew are clearly dedicated to delivering a season six that impresses. Producer Warren Littlefield revealed to Deadline that when it comes to the final season: "A lot of people won't make it to the end of Handmaid's Tale. It's pretty chilling, but also exciting." Adding: "And I think we will satisfy those who have been with us through six seasons, I think they're feel powerfully rewarded."

And, as seen in the final season's trailer, there's a rebellion happening as the Handmaids gather for a fight for their freedom. Speaking to Variety, Madeline Brewer (Janine) said: "It goes a little wild there toward the end, and I think it’s what the fans have been waiting six seasons for — they’ve been waiting for revolution. We had a long resistance, we had a lot of building and building and really a slow burn to what is an outrageous revolution, truly, in the end.”

Will there be more seasons of The Handmaid's Tale?

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 will be the show's last. Though, in early April, it was revealed that Hulu has ordered, The Testaments, an official sequel to The Handmaid's Tale.

So while The Handmaid's Tale may be coming to an end, the story of the Republic of Gilead will live on through an adaptation of Atwood's follow-up novel.

The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale – narrated by Aunt Lydia, Agnes (Chase Infiniti), a woman living in Gilead, and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a woman living in Canada. Without giving anymore away for those who haven't read the book, there's plenty of story left to tell around the lives of these young women who have never known life before Gilead.

And creator Bruce Miller told The Hollywood Reporter, when it comes to The Testaments, it's a unique tale: "We tried not to make the same show — it’s got younger voices, it’s got a completely different feel and a completely different vibe but it’s still Gilead, so I hope that the continuing threads continue to interest people while the new stuff is exciting.”

For more Hulu-based coverage, read our guides on Only Murders in the Building season 5, Shōgun season 2, Alien: Earth, and The Bear season 4.