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​Everything We Know About 'The Handmaid’s Tale' Season 4

​Everything We Know About 'The Handmaid’s Tale' Season 4

Under his eye.

Lauren Bell

Lauren Bell

*This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale Season 3*

Like many avid fans of the TV show, we've been waiting desperately for The Handmaid's Tale season 4 to return.

The sinister dystopian drama left us frantically worrying what would become of June Osborne after she risked her own life to rescue the children of Gilead, and ended up gravely wounded in the process.

But now we finally know we don't have long to wait, as it has been revealed that the fourth instalment of the Hula drama is making a comeback this year.

Here's everything we know so far...

When will The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 air?

The twisted drama has no set release date just yet, but we can expect it to land on our screens in autumn this year and if past seasons are anything to go by, it will no doubt have us glued to our TV screens once more.

The Handmaid's Tale executive producer Warren Littlefield said at the Television Critics Association winter press tour: "We'll start with principal photography March 2, and we'll be on in the fall."

We expect season 4 to land on Channel 4 in autumn (
Channel 4)

Which cast members will return for The Handmaid's Tale Season 4?

Whilst there has been no official confirmation, we feel we can safely confirm June, played by Elisabeth Moss will return - after all, the show centres around her character and plays out through her eyes from her perspective. It'd be wrong without her.

Naturally, we did see her hurt at the end of Season 3, but she was far from dead.

And in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, show creator Bruce Miller said: "It'll always stay June's story.

"The show is all from June's point of view - all of it, including scenes with other people.

"Those are scenes where either she knows those people well enough to piece together what would have happened, or at some point afterwards, someone who was there told her what happened."

The show is set to remain from June's point of view, so Elisabeth Moss is almost definitely returning (
Channel 4)

He added: "My intention is that the show will always be in June's point of view. Part of what makes the show so scary is that limited perspective."

And since they survived Season 3, we also expect and hope to see more of Alexis Bledel as Emily/Ofglen, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy, Samira Wiley as Moira, Joseph Fiennes as Fred, Madeline Brewer as Janine/Ofwarren/Ofdaniel, O-T Fagbenle as Luke, Max Minghella as Nick, Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, Amanda Brugel as Rita, Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence and Clea DuVall as Sylvia.

What can we expect to see in The Handmaid's Tale Season 4?

At the end of Season 3, we see Serena Joy arrested in Canada. Despite her helping June in the resistance in return for immunity, the immunity doesn't cover her forcing June to have sex with Nick in order for her to bear her a child of her own.

It's still rape Serena and you need to be punished - so we fully expect to see her stand trial in season 4.

Serena Joy is set for trouble from her own people as well as the resistance in Canada (
Channel 4)

June is once again left behind in Gilead, but we expect to see her head over to Canada in time for the trial of the Waterfords.

But if June doesn't make it to testify, Rita, who served the Waterfords (but that also joined the resistance to help June) has just landed in Canada, so we imagine she can bring all the evidence needed.

However, whether Gilead's spies will end up putting a stop to the trial is another question altogether.

We don't know much about the season ahead, but since Maragret Atwood has recently finished The Testaments, a follow up book set 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale, the show creators at least have something to draw from and an aim of where the show should ideally end up.

Rita has just escaped Gilead and will likely stand against the Waterfords in court (
Channel 4)

We are hopeful that one day Luke will finally be reunited with his daughter, Hannah - it was heartbreaking to see him crestfallen again when Hannah didn't return with the other children from Gilead.

We do know however that Gilead still hasn't fallen in Margaret's book set 15 years later, but the resistance is much stronger and June is hiding out in Canada.

Plus, at the end of original fiction The Handmaid's Tale, there is an academic discussion that jumps 200 years forwards - so there's plenty for the writers to take inspiration from.

Bruce Miller said he wants the show to stay close to the source material, telling Hollywood Reporter: "People talk about how we're beyond the book, but we're not really.

"The book starts, then jumps 200 years with an academic discussion at the end of it, about what's happened in those intervening 200 years.

We may see Fred and Serena Waterford stand trial in Canada in Season 4 (
Channel 4)

"It's maybe handled in an outline, but it's still there in Margaret's novel. We're not going beyond the novel; we're just covering territory she covered quickly, a bit more slowly."

We're definitely set to see the show shift to cover more of what's going on in Canada too, with Bruce telling TVGuide: "The people in Toronto are as much a part of the story as the people in Gilead."

He also explained in the interview they'd previously hoped to delve more into Nick and his relationship with June but haven't managed yet due to time restrictions, so we imagine we'll delve further into this in Season 4.

But as to whether June will still want him since the revelations of his role in the uprising of Gilead, is another question entirely.

Will June ever be able to ever forgive Nick for his role in Gilead's inception? (
Channel 4)

Will there be a Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale?

Although no confirmation yet, we imagine it's almost a given.

The show has been so popular, with Season 2's premiere attracting double the number of viewers than Season 1's.

And people certainly seem to sound positive about its future.

Hulu chief executive Randy Freer told Variety: "Shows can take a natural progression, they can live for as long as they should live or they can end... I hope, as success goes, there's 10 seasons of The Handmaid's Tale."

Warren Littlefield Speaking at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, also said: "We have not planned season four to be the end, but we also look to Margaret [Atwood]'s book The Testaments and know that that story takes us 15 years into the future."

We expect to see Aunt Lydia played by Ann Dowd return for Season 4 (
Channel 4)

"We don't see ending it in [Season 4], and I can honestly say to you, we don't have a definitive out."

Where will The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 air?

If the show follows the past three seasons, it will once again be shown on Channel 4 in the UK, which will air a few days after the US premiere date.

Here's to seeing more of badass June and hearing quotes from her like: "Men. F***ing pathological. You are not in charge. I am."

Blessed be the fruit.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 4

Topics: TV and Film, TV Entertainment, Channel 4

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