Buckle up, fandom — it would appear things in Gilead may get even bumpier. Per executive producer Warren Littlefield, season three of The Handmaid’s Tale will end in a cliffhanger, much like season two did. Judging by Littlefield’s comments, though, the upcoming finale for this season may leave our heroic handmaids and Marthas in an even more precarious position than ever before.
It’s been an exciting week for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale. Not only did this week’s episode intensify interactions in Gilead (like, whoa), but news also broke that the Hulu series has been renewed for another season. Then, Littlefield hinted at what’s to come while speaking to reporters at the Television Critics Association summer press tour this week — touching on just how big of a jump the show will be making in terms of drama and viewership. “I hope you’ll feel shocked at what we accomplish and where we leave our key characters. I think it’s quite a cliffhanger that we’ll leave you with. And I feel quite confident that if we had a 40 percent leap [in viewership] from Year 2 to Year 3, I’m looking forward to what that leap will be in Year 4,” Littlefield teased.
Littlefield also circled around to the progress being made by June and her budding rebellion of Marthas.
“What we’re seeing is that June no longer considers herself an other. She may still wear the robe of a handmaid, but she’s asserting herself. What you’ll see between now and the end of the season is her being less obedient to authority, being more assertive, and she co-opts Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) into her vision and her plan and that’s just starting to unfold, but it’s a snowball rolling down a mountain. It’s just getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Littlefield explained, calling the culmination of that evolution “a tipping point and a turning point” in June’s relationship with Commander Lawrence. “I’m excited about what we’re about to present.”
Fans are undoubtedly looking forward to what’s in store, too. With only three more episodes left in season three and much left to be resolved, it stands to reason these final few episodes will be total nail-biters. Will June succeed in her new mission to liberate the children of Gilead? Will Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and Fred (Joseph Fiennes) get their hands on baby Nichole? While we’ll hopefully find out those things — and more — as season three comes to a close, a cliffhanger means at least one arc will still be up in the air after this season’s final episode ends.
