No other character has defined the career of Elisabeth Moss more than June Osborne in The Handmaid’s Tale, so it’s not surprising to learn the series finale leaves open a possibility for her to continue. Although her role in the series ends on a triumphant note, the mystery of what happened to June’s daughter remains unresolved and will be covered in The Testaments, the new spin-off series currently being filmed. Right now, we have a good idea of who will and will not return, but the show’s creators have been noticeably silent about the prospect of including June, either in a large role or a cameo. Not doing so would be a missed opportunity, however, by depriving longtime viewers of the perfect reunion, and it feels only natural that June would show up in one form or another.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Finishes June’s Story, but It Also Leaves an Opening for Her To Return
By the finale of The Handmaid’s Tale, it seems like June has actually triumphed against Gilead in almost every way one could measure. Thanks to a few tragic sacrifices by the resistance, the local Commanders have been wiped out and Boston has been liberated by American fighters and planes. June herself also finds peace on a more personal level, forgiving several of the other women who harmed her and made mistakes at her expense. Those who don’t perish in the fighting generally earn their happy ending after enduring so much trauma over the years, and June embraces her victory as much as she can. She even decides to write about her journey in a book, one that becomes the narration for the series, and it essentially brings her storyline full circle, with one major exception. Everything June did was for Hannah, now named Agnes, and reports suggest that she has been moved to Washington, DC by the Commanders. By deciding to keep on fighting, June reinforces the crucial message that the fight for justice never ends, but also that one should be sure to embrace victory on the rare chance it arises.
As one might expect, the astonishing success of The Handmaid’s Tale as an adaptation convinced Margaret Atwood to write a sequel, The Testaments, set fifteen years after June disappears into the red van to an unknown destination. Of course, the series expanded beyond this cliffhanger at the end of Season 1, but it effectively meant the ending was largely set in stone. We now know that Atwood, who served as a consultant for both shows, provided a short list of the characters who needed to live for the sequel series. June was one of them, and the fact that Hannah served as one of the main protagonists in the novel raises the possibility of a reunion.
Which Cast Members Are Returning for ‘The Testaments’ Spin-Off?
At the time of writing, major casting announcements have only just begun for The Testaments, so there’s no full picture yet in terms of which actors might reprise their roles for the new series. One character we know for sure will return is Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, who is one of the main point of view characters in the book. Last time we saw her, Lydia had grown alienated from the men at the top of Gilead, and it’s almost certain the sequel series will continue exploring her evolution. Other big names, though, remain much less certain at the moment.
Although casting choices are uncertain, there are two characters whose absence has now been confirmed. When asked at the premiere, Samira Wiley explicitly shot down any hopes of playing Moira again. Despite her gratitude for the part, she delivered a blunt response when asked about the possibility of continuing:
“I’m not gonna tease and say maybe or nothing. Nope. I am done with it. I am done with the trauma. I am. I mean it. Margaret Atwood, the way she writes these characters, the depth to all of it, I feel like I have played my part and my story is done.”
Similarly, series creator Bruce Miller has openly said Yvonne Strahovski is unlikely to reprise her role as Serena, given where her story ends. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he confirmed that Serena has now completed her goal as a character: “Serena’s story really feels like the end of Serena’s story, that she is someone who’s never going to admit that she did wrong, but you can see [in her final scene] how holding onto the illusion that she did right is getting very, very difficult.”
So, where does all of this leave June? Well, Miller and Atwood have neither confirmed nor denied any appearance by Elisabeth Moss, but we know that she will serve as an executive producer on The Testaments, like she did for the original series. This means her influence will still remain both on the screen and behind the camera, even if she’s not physically present. With that level of involvement, though, it’s possible that June could make some kind of cameo in the series premiere to help tie the two shows together, but nothing has been confirmed.
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June Returning for ‘The Testaments’ Would Fit the Spin-off’s Storyline
In all honesty, it’s easy to imagine why Elisabeth Moss might not want to go back to playing June Osborne again. After all, she initially turned down the part due to fears of a long commitment so soon after Mad Men ended, so it’s more likely this would be a cameo or a supporting role at best. Still, if Hannah is the main character, it would be a lot stranger to not have June make some kind of appearance, likely a flashback sequence. Whether Hannah admits it or not, June is still a major influence on her life, and the sequel series should not be afraid to reflect that.
Aside from it feeling natural, June also made a firm promise to her family, the viewers, and herself that she would find Hannah someday. In a series that often struggles to raise the stakes, this is one area where the show has created an expectation for the audience, one that has yet to pay off. Regardless of when it happens, that reunion must come for the story of Gilead to have a satisfying conclusion. For now, though, all that we and Hannah can do is sit back and wait for that event, however long it takes.