Season 6 – The Handmaid's Tale

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C B *Spoilers* As an avid fan of the books, this show had me in a chokehold since day one. The storylines, character developments, the cinematography, the scores, the locations, the sets - they all played a part in this. After an almost three year wait for the final season, I was so ready for S6 and what had been marketed to loyal fans… but what a disappointment it was and quite frankly, a betrayal. S6 was an entire rewrite of what came before. S5 had set up character arcs and storylines perfectly, all of which were abandoned - including characters themselves. There was hardly any consistency between adjacent episodes, let alone compared to previous seasons. The writing overall was disjointed, littered with plot holes and the whole season was contradictory. A show that used to be so detailed in its themes and narratives, parallel to the books, strayed far away from its original foundations and messaging in its final season. Characters that were carefully constructed and had five seasons worth of development with morally complexed and nuanced writing behind them, were in the end, unrecognisable; including the protagonist (predominantly Nick but others also like Luke). Specific lines that were written and actions that were taken did not align at all with what was portrayed in earlier seasons or with what Atwood wrote. A TV adaption should be a reconstruction of an original format in a new art form, with the core story remaining at its centre. It should not be an entire rewrite of key characters and storylines for shock value. The original form was a success for a reason. Nick’s rushed character assassination in particular, did not serve thematically or narratively and undermined the storytelling which came before for him and June, and in turn, the whole show with its inconsistency - this is where the frustration lies. The full circle moment was chef’s kiss as a book fan, but otherwise there was no real gratification or satisfaction after sticking with a show for so long - just discontentment. Changing creative hands and showrunners on a final season for such a prevalent show, was a risk to take and unfortunately one that didn’t pay off. When you rewatch the seasons back to back, it’s evident the difference in writing, character shifts, themes, tone and more, against the rest of the show. That said, Elisabeth Moss is a force to be reckoned with on THT and I’m in complete admiration of how she managed to carry June for all these years. The cinematography and scores in S6 remain as beautiful as ever, along with incredibly strong performances from the entire cast. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the writing, storylines and final character arcs meaning Season 6 fell completely short of its potential and expectation which as a die hard fan, is devastating to be honest. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/08/25 Full Review Andy H What a final season, so different in many ways to the 5 previous series but equally as good. Credit all the actors and writers etc. BRILLIANT Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/22/25 Full Review George J While always well acted, the final season failed to deliver on what could have been a successful ending to a very good series. Elizabeth Moss is excellent as always but the story lets her and the other fine actors down. The final season feels like the writers didn’t know how to end the show and it is a let down after so many good seasons over the years. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/16/25 Full Review Maya A For loyal fans of the book and previous seasons, this finale chapter not only fell flat, but grossly missed the mark on what could have been an impactful and nuanced message. Season six abandoned the carefully constructed character arcs and groundwork laid over nearly a decade in favor of twists and shock value. The writers of the show seem to have doubled down on the cheap facade of “girl power” rather than question totalitarian power structures or illustrate the plethora of ways in which to resist. The cinematography, acting, and visuals were stunning as always. The plot lines and character development, however, were so shoddily constructed as to be absurd. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review Karina S For me, The Handmaid’s Tale ended with season 4. The next two seasons are just scene after scene and repeated conversations. The close-ups of June have become boring, and June forgiving Serena makes no sense at all. Serena and Tuello almost have a romantic scene… ugh, not great. The airport is empty with no guards or security; now everyone comes and goes from Gilead like it’s Times Square. And in the end, Nick becomes the supervillain… It’s such a shame that a series that was once spectacular has been ruined like this. Even Naomi hands Janine over to her daughter, nothing makes sense! The writers have been extremely arrogant; they destroyed everything. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/29/25 Full Review Diego R I couldn't watch the whole season. I just endured 3 chapters. Maybe there's 1 or 2 actually interesting moments per chapter. It's very hard to watch. The whole time slow motion and string ensembles. Characters are underdeveloped. Bad acting, especially June (always doing the same thing). The story itself is basically stastic since season 4. What used to be mission impossible (crossing from Gilead to Canada) now its common pracitce? (Nonsense). Although the show stays true to their original aesthetic, there was no novelty element (up until and including chapter 3). Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/26/25 Full Review Read all reviews

The Handmaid's Tale — Season 6

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