The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 had only just begun filming when Hollywood-wide shutdowns suspended all TV and movie productions in March. The Hulu series was in limbo for quite some time after that. And, after a bit of waiting on a status update regarding Season 4, a minute-and-a-half long teaser trailer was released. Rejoice!
The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 teaser was like watching a slow burn buildup. Elisabeth Moss’ June seems more determined than ever to take down Gilead, promising viewers that she’s “just getting started.” The teaser was accompanied by the confirmation that the show wouldn’t premiere on Hulu until next year. However, the good news is that the teaser, which was mostly made up of scenes from Season 3, also revealed some brand new footage from Season 4. With that in mind, here are five major questions we have after watching the recent teaser.
Major Handmaid's Tale Season 3 spoilers ahead!
Are The Handmaids Hiding Out Somewhere?
June risked everything to ensure that the children were able to safely board the plane to Canada in the Season 3 finale of The Handmaid's Tale. However, June herself wasn't able to escape and was shot and left bleeding out on the snowy ground as the plane took off. While many fans were left wondering whether June was ok or dying, the Season 4 teaser confirms that she was carried to safety by the other Handmaids.
A quick flash of what appears to be a large, secluded house at the 15-second mark seems to indicate that the Handmaids may not have had to carry June very far at all. It's either that or June eventually finds her way to a Mayday safehouse. The house looks like it's in the middle of the woods, surrounded by snow and trees. Is this where June recovers from her wounds and plans for another rescue mission? She is limping up to the house in the scene, so it’s possible. It's unclear where this hideout is located within Gilead or how far she is from home.
What Is June Burning?
The biggest takeaway from watching The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 teaser is June's rightfully simmering anger with Gilead. At the 49-second mark, June is shown lighting a match, tossing it into what looks like a furnace of some sort. Her hair is pulled back and the only light in the room comes from the window behind her. Most noticeably, however, is that June isn’t wearing the red Handmaid’s dress that we’ve grown accustomed to. Nor is she wearing the black version of the uniform either.
June's shirt straps are reminiscent of a tank top or undergarment of some sort. However, given the bit of evidence in the scene, I'd wager that June is probably burning her Handmaid's clothing. It might mean that she won't be assigned to another household at all and June will be leading the resistance somewhere off the grid, full time. If that's the case, then it makes sense for her to burn the clothes that were symbolic of Gilead's oppressive and fascist regime.
Is Nick Back From The War?
Nick Blaine has always been a big part of June's story. Painted as a good guy in the first two seasons, Nick's story took a turn in The Handmaid's Tale Season 3 when, after being made commander and sent to fight the ongoing war against rebels in Chicago, it was revealed that he had served as a Gilead war general. June was shocked to hear the news, but she never got the chance to confront him about it before he up and left. The teaser revealed that Nick may be back from the frontlines in Season 4.
However, whether or not he's back permanently remains unclear. It looks like Nick may also be visiting with Commander Lawrence. In the brief glimpse from the teaser, it looks a lot like they’re speaking to each other while discussing June’s legacy and how she’s changed them both (for the better, I hope). It's hard to tell why they're together or if the scene is edited to look like they’re speaking to one another. That said, it’s very possible that the two are formally planning to join the resistance in Season 4. Nick's presumed return may actually help get things moving.
Who Is Luke Holding Onto?
While June has been in the throes of Gilead's fascist system, Luke has had to fight from outside the country's borders. All throughout Season 3, Luke made sure to keep Nichole, June's daughter with Nick, away from Fred and Serena Waterford and has been working alongside Moira to help acclimate refugees to their new lives in Canada.
In The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 teaser, there's a quick glimpse of Luke at the one minute and 11-second mark. It's so brief that multiple pauses and closeups still don't answer any questions as to what he's up to. That said, he's very obviously holding onto a distraught woman. The woman is dressed in an all-black ensemble and Luke seems to be holding her back from something as she flails her arms. Who she might be in relation to Luke and what he might be up to in this moment is a big mystery for now.
Is Commander Lawrence Under Arrest?
Commander Lawrence may have reluctantly helped June before bowing out, but he'll be back in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4. Nearer to the end of the teaser trailer, Lawrence is walking down a dark hallway, wearing a white dress shirt and suspenders. Is he returning from his wife's funeral? Maybe.
He's flanked on both sides by two men who look like they could be guards or soldiers and it looks like they could be walking underground. My two cents is that Commander Lawrence was possibly arrested after someone discovered he helped June smuggle the children out of Gilead. Or maybe he was just being brought in for questioning. Why else would he suddenly have two guards walking behind him? Lawrence was a man of renown, respected by the upper echelons of Gilead’s governing body. It’s possible that assisting June, even if it was to turn a blind eye to her plans, was the last straw.
The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 is set to premiere at some point in 2021. No official date has been scheduled, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. For now, you can binge watch all three seasons of the dystopian drama on Hulu. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.
