The gripping saga of The Handmaid's Tale heads into its sixth season, which continues to methodically fan the flames of revolution as Mayday and June Osborne (portrayed by Elisabeth Moss) steel themselves for an uprising against Gilead, reports the Mirror US.
With this year marking the end of the Hulu series, fans can expect season six to deliver a thrilling and resolve-clinching denouement.
In discussing the final instalments of the series, The Handmaid's Tale's former helmsman and executive producer, Bruce Miller, expressed his hopes that audiences would find the culmination "absolutely unpredictable, but inevitable".
Miller clarified that the narrative's focus was cemented on June's journey more than on Gilead, insurgencies, or even The Testaments, Margaret Atwood's follow-up to her original tale.
In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, he urged: "And the other thing I would say is if you read the book, you know the end, just think about it.
"Just think about it a little and you'll know exactly what's going to happen at the end of the show."
Season six is set to run across 10 episodes, maintaining the standard set by most seasons of the show, save for the second and third seasons which each encompassed 13 episodes.
Here is the full list of episode names for The Handmaid's Tale season 6:
Episode 1. Train
Episode 2. Exile
Episode 3. Devotion
Episode 4. Promotion
Episode 5. Janine
Episode 6. Surprise
Episode 7. Shattered
Episode 8. Exodus
Episode 9. Execution
Episode 10. The Handmaid's Tale
For those curious about how The Handmaid's Tale book concludes, that remains a separate topic to explore.
The title of the series finale seems to affirm Miller's commitment to staying true to Margaret Atwood's original novel.
In Atwood's 1985 masterpiece, June/Offred is escorted into a waiting van as Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) urges her to trust him. With limited options, June is left in doubt about whether she is being rescued by Mayday or if she's falling into the hands of Gilead's Eyes as she vanishes into the vehicle, leaving her fate hanging in the balance.
The book concludes with an epilogue set in 2195, featuring a speaker at a historical conference. This male historian discusses June/Offred's narrative of her life in Gilead, which was captured on a series of audio tapes and later transcribed by historians.
The speaker further delves into the challenges of verifying the authenticity of the tapes and June/Offred's account, given the scant remnants from Gilead's era. However, he also conjectures about the outcomes for Offred/June and the other individuals she mentions in her recordings.
While The Handmaid's Tale is drawing to a close, the TV adaptation of The Testaments is already underway, promising viewers a gratifying conclusion that will depict the downfall of Gilead.
Mirroring the book, Ann Dowd will return to portray Aunt Lydia, taking on a more significant role in The Testaments' narrative.
Miller will continue his role as showrunner for The Testaments, ensuring fans that there will be a seamless transition between the two series and that the new drama is in capable hands.
The Testaments, set over 15 years following the events of The Handmaid's Tale, will explore the transformations in Gilead during this period.
Joining Dowd in the cast are fresh face Chase Infiniti as Agnes and Lucy Halliday portraying Daisy, with Rowan Blanchard taking on the role of Shunammite.
Production for The Testaments kicked off in April this year, marked by the cast sharing a snapshot from their initial table read-through.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 airs on Prime Video and Channel 4 on Saturdays in the UK
