The Handmaid's Tale – Season 6 Episode 10 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

The Review Geek

27-05-2025

The Handmaid's Tale
Episode 10 of The Handmaid's Tale season 6 begins with Boston free from Gilead occupation. By the time the Marines land in Southie, the fighting is actually nearly over. Gilead has pulled out of the city after 19 days of fighting, but the rest of America is still caught in the tyrannical grip of Gilead.
What's the plan to overthrow Gilead?
Each State is going to follow a similar trajectory, with Mayday intending to take each by force, ever-growing in numbers as more States fall, eventually overthrowing the oppressive regime of Gilead once and for all. Eventually they'll make it to Colorado, where June hopes to be reunited with Hannah. But we're a long way off from that just yet.
Gilead are without leaders, given all the High Commanders have been killed, but the rebels certainly have plenty they can lean on. One in particular who's really coming into his own is Luke. He's stepped up as a leader but he's also not sleeping. He has a crazed look in his eye but also one of determination and purpose. He's juiced, working with the Boston engineers to turn the power back on, envisioning Holly and Nichole flying back over, then they'll be hitting New York next.
Mark speaks to June afterwards and reveals that most of the Western District Commanders have been promoted, including Mackenzie. What this means is that Hannah is actually moving closer to where they are, which could given them a lot of hope to get her back home quicker.
What happens to Serena?
Serena is also here too and June thanks her for her part to play in the intel regarding the plane. She does stir the pot a bit when the conversation turns to Nick, bringing up that despite his dishonest life, if Nick really had a choice he would choose to be with June. Serena doesn't really have anywhere to go here, given she's been denied a passport to the EU and the US, so Mark ships her off to a UN refugee camp for the time being. He does promise to find her but the last we see of Serena, she's alone with only Noah for company.
Is Janine returned?
While in Boston, June finds Emily again and the pair are reunited. She was in Bridgeport this whole time, which happens to have been a hotspot of rebellion for a while. She's been fighting back this whole time, just like June has been, but the latter is starting to lose hope that she'll ever get Hannah back.
Emily helps to changer her opinion on matters, as they walk down by the side of the river together. The Guardians have been hung down by the shore while graffiti on the wall next to it shows the bright sparks of liberation, with people writing their names up as a way of expressing freedom.
Mark calls June out in the middle of the night, right over to Millerville, Mass. They're near the old Rhode Island line, which happens to be the new border with Gilead. Two men show and drop Janine off, dumping her on the road where she's reunited with June and the others. Aunt Lydia is here too, alongside Naomi who gives Charlotte back. While Lydia and Naomi head back into Gilead, there's a nice moment of respect between Lydia and June here.
What's the significance of The Handmaid's Tale title?
This opens the flood gates for more children being reunited with their parents, including Nichole and June. Not everyone gets their happy endings though, as Holly sits with her daughter and encourages her to write a book about her escape experience as a way of giving them all hope. This also explains the name of the show too, and how powerful words can be.
Luke manages to get the power back on and he's moving over to the New York border to fight the good fight. As for June, she's going to work with Mark and get Hannah back no matter what. They agree to meet each other later on down the line, and close off with a rousing 'fuck, yeah'.
How does the episode end?
June heads off to check out the old Waterford house, which has been destroyed now and stands as a derelict tombstone over the horrors that took place in the past. Whilst there, she imagines standing with Hannah, before getting a voice recorder out and talking about her experience.
The Episode Review
The finale of Handmaid's Tale works as a somber reflection over everything these women have been through and the open-ended conclusion certainly isn't going to be for everyone. In a way though it makes sense, given this fight is far from over, but it's hard not to shake the feel that we could have squeezed a few more seasons of fighting on the borders out of this story.
There are a lot of nice nods to earlier seasons though and most notably that scene of Emily and June walking by the shore, just like they did earlier in the show. It's a nice bit of symmetry and if there's one thing this series has always done well with, it's the artistic vision.
Serena finally gets her comeuppance too, caught as a refugee with just her son and not really fitting in anywhere as a consequence of her actions. In the end she becomes anonymous and forgotten; the worst punishment for a woman desperate to be somebody.
Luke finally gets some purpose here too after a few seasons of meandering around and not actually doing too much and this leadership role definitely works for him.
There are some good moments here though, like June learning that Mark is a Commander and the good type, not the Gilead oppressive type. This works well to give her character some closure, even if we don't get the rousing finale with a Hannah reunion as many (including myself) would have liked. However, we do get one in the form of Janine and Charlotte though, and it's hard not to get emotional at this.
Ultimately, The Handmaid's Tale finale wraps things up about as well as it could do, given the limited run-time. As a somber reflection over everything that's happened these past 8 years, and serving as a bridge to The Testament series with Aunt Lydia as the protagonist, there's enough in this to make for a decent enough finale.
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