While The Handmaid's Tale still has a few episodes to go on Channel 4, fans from across the pond in the US have already been discussing the season three finale (with the episode having aired on Wednesday). While we will be discussing just what went down in the dramatic last episode, and where it leaves some of our favourite characters, the main question we have is about the future of the series, and if there will be a season four. Find out here…
Will there be a season four of The Handmaid's Tale?
Luckily for fans of the dystopian drama, the production company MGM have confirmed that the series will indeed return for a fourth series. The exciting news was announced before the season three finale, with the official Twitter account writing: "You did this, Resistors. Praise be. Season 4 of The #HandmaidsTale is happening!" Since a new series of the show has come out every year since it began in 2017, it stands to reason that we will be seeing more of Gilead in 2020. If you find yourself missing Gilead in the meantime, the author of the novel behind the adaptation, Margaret Atwood, has released a sequel, which will be released in September 2019.
© Photo: Channel 4Season four is on the way
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD FROM HERE…
What happened in the season three finale?
In the somewhat bittersweet final episode of season three, June's plan to rescue as many children from Gilead as she can, by smuggling them to Canada on a plane, finally goes underway. Marthas begin to arrive at Commander Lawrence's home with their young charges, but when one mother reports her child missing, Lawrence attempts to pull the plug.
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© Photo: Channel 4June hatches a plan to save children from Gilead
However, June insists that the dangerous plan needs to go ahead. Sacrificing herself, she distracts the guards chasing them down and is shot – but sees the plane flying overhead and realises that the children have successfully managed to make it out. After the plane arrives in Canada, Moira, Luke and Emily are shocked to see a plane full of young children, and Rita (who also manages to escape with the children), tells them all that it was June who was behind the plan. The episode ends with June, badly wounded, being helped out of the forest by a group of fellow handmaids. Meanwhile, Fred informs the Canadian government that Serena also committed serious crimes while in Gilead, having her arrested.
© Photo: Channel 4Fred betrayed his wife in the finale
What will happen in The Handmaid's Tale season four?
One of the criticisms of season three was that the danger that loomed over the first two seasons seemed to have alleviated, as June managed to get away with sneakily seeing her daughter, publicly yelling at Serena and attacking a fellow handmaid with very little or no consequences. Now, June has more or less singlehandedly smuggled Gilead's most treasured possessions out of the country, she has been badly wounded, and she has killed a guard. Should she, by some miracle, get away with it, Aunt Lydia hinted that she will be placed with another commander quite unlike Commander Lawrence. Will she be placed back in the position of a repressed woman, after finally managing to break out in her own way? It looks like we'll have to wait until next year to find out.
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© Photo: Channel 4
