The Handmaid's Tale's Elisabeth Moss says June 'isn't done' despite show ending

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Elisabeth Moss says June Osborne's battle continues
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from The Handmaid's Tale series finale
Elisabeth Moss, the leading lady of The Handmaid's Tale, has revealed that her character June Osborne is not yet ready to stop fighting Gilead's oppressive regime despite the show wrapping up, reports the Mirror US.
‌
Since 2017, Moss has portrayed the resilient June, vowing to keep up the fight against the harsh rulers in a bid to rescue her daughter Hannah Bankole (played by Jordana Blake).
‌
In a recent chat, the star of Mad Men and Top of the Lake hinted: "It just doesn't feel like she's done yet."
Echoing the ambiguous ending of Margaret Atwood's 1985 book, the TV adaptation aimed to leave viewers with an "incredibly vague cliffhanger ending that was infuriating".
The final episode edged June closer to reuniting with Hannah, but the teenager remains caught in the clutches of Gilead.
‌
Moss reflected on her character's determination, stating: "I don't think she has a choice, and I think that's what she comes to realize: If she wants there to be a place for her daughters to be free, this is what she has to do".
‌
Speaking to Gold Derby, she added: "It's not preferred. It's not like she thinks this is a great idea. It's very, very complicated."
While June's struggle appears far from over, The Handmaid's Tale itself has concluded, passing the torch to the follow-up series The Testaments.
The programme is set to follow Atwood's 2019 sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, but it will take place five years after the series finale, not 15 as in the book.
‌
The book features three main characters: Aunt Lydia (portrayed by Ann Dowd), Daisy (Lucy Halliday) and Agnes (Chase Infiniti), whose lives are interconnected.
June doesn't feature in The Testaments, however, the show might deviate and include a cameo from the character.
Furthermore, there are likely to be allusions to June's ongoing struggle to reclaim her daughter, echoing Moss' sentiments about the continuous fight against Gilead.
‌
In a recent chat with Variety, The Testaments showrunner Bruce Miller stated that Nick and June will "certainly" be mentioned more in the show than in the book.
He commented: "But I think where we are and what we're doing with the story, with a few slight differences, they are thinking more in the front of their minds, but characters are thinking more about the particular people who made the changes in the end of the last series. So I think that June is much more present."
‌
Moss will act as an executive producer on The Testaments, but it's still unknown if she'll reprise her role as June.
However, Miller hinted that characters from The Handmaid's Tale could make appearances in The Testaments.
"The first set of characters matter hugely to the second set of characters. So these stories are very tied together, and it's very much a continuation of this 'Handmaid's Tale' that we've seen. You're just following the daughter instead of the mother."