For as long as the streaming wars have been going on, each provider has had some wildly popular original programming. The book to screen adaptation The Handmaid's Tale is at the top of that list for those with a Hulu subscription, with the sixth and final season officially kicked off. And the cast of the long-running series spoke to CinemaBlend about just how emotional fans have been about June's story and the turmoil of Gilead.
What we know about The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 has been limited, but the stakes feel high since it's going to be the set of episodes. While some folks figure out how to watch The Handmaid's Tale final season, I had the privilege of speaking with the cast ahead of its airing. As you can see in the video above, I asked about how strongly fans have felt about the Emmy-winning series. Naomi Lawrence actress Ever Carradine offered her perspective, saying:
When Roe was overturned and to see women dressed in the Handaid’s uniforms from our show, holding signs and marching. That left me speechless. As an actor, it makes me proud to be a part of something that is the image of resistance. As a woman, it makes me want to continue to use my voice and do everything I can to support women’s autonomy over their bodies.
Shortly after its debut on Hulu, the red garb on the Handmaids has been used as a political symbol in the real world. We've seen plenty of activists wear these costumes in order to protest policies, including the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade in the United States.
Another member of The Handmaid's Tale's cast who spoke to me about the impact of the show is Luke actor O-T Fagbenle (Black Widow, No Good Deed). He shared his perspective, saying:
What is the point of art, really? I think to some extent that people can see their own lives reflected back at them in a way that makes them feel less alone. It doesn’t have to be a literal but it can be emotional. It can be a relationship that people feel or a fear of what could happen to their children. Their fear of politics that there are. To know that people connect, that people maybe feel less alone. That they feel there is hope in the darkness. That is the best, really, of what art can do. And I’m really proud to be in a show that does some of that.
Art is about getting audiences to feel something, whether it's laughing at a comedy or crying at a drama. Given the sensitive nature of The Handmaid's Tale's plot, including stories about sexual assault, and the cast has seen the way the show has emotionally affected fans. Mark Tuello actor Samuel Jaeger told me about his reaction to those stories, saying:
People see this show and they feel seen watching that. And to be some small cog in that is one of the great honors of my life.
Whie he might have started as a small cog, the role of Tuello has gotten bigger and bigger throughout the years. And having seen the first handful of episodes of Season 6, I can say we're going to get even more new sides of Jaeger's character.
After the long wait between seasons, the first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 are streaming now on Hulu as part of the 2025 TV premiere list. We'll have to see how the show ends, and how it sets up the spinoff The Testaments.
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