What does the last scene of Handmaids Tale mean?

"She has been changed too much," Moss told THR. "Her life is this war on Gilead and that's her purpose in life. There's nothing else that can be done." That closing scene captures "her changing from June as a handmaid in Gilead to June as an avenger with more choices but more responsibility," Miller told Deadline.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on harpersbazaar.com


What does the ending of the Handmaids Tale mean?

The ending of Offred's story emphasizes her passivity. She never takes a stand against the Gileadean regime. She escapes only because Nick, a rebel, needs to protect himself. However, the “Historical Notes” section underlines that despite her passivity, Offred's experience has value.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sparknotes.com


What does it say on the wall in the last episode of Handmaid's Tale?

What does “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” mean? The Latin sprayed on the wall underneath Fred's hanging corpse roughly translates as “Don't let the bastards grind you down,” and is a recurring phrase on The Handmaid's Tale taken from Margaret Atwood's original 1985 novel from which the TV series is adapted.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on denofgeek.com


What was written under Fred's body on the wall?

In a brief flash, Fred's headless body is shown hanging from a wall — like so many Gilead victims at his hand — with the key Handmaid's Tale phrase written in blood below him: “Nolite te bastardes carburondorum.” His ring finger was also mailed to his pregnant wife, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hollywoodreporter.com


Who was hanging at the end of handmaid's Tale?

The dystopian drama ends with two flashing images: June, with blood on her face, cradling her younger daughter; and Fred's headless body hanging above the show's familiar phrase, “Nolite te bastardes carburondorum.”
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hollywoodreporter.com


The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 Ending Explained



What happened to Offred at the end of the book?

Offred's story in The Handmaid's Tale ends with her stepping into a van that will take her “into the darkness, within; or else the light.” In an interview with TIME, Atwood says, “We will learn enough to know that it was more like the light than the darkness.” So in a word, yes. Offred is alive in The Testaments.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on time.com


Does June end up with Nick or Luke in the book?

Elisabeth Moss said June knew in that moment that she was choosing the war over starting over with her family. With this decision comes her renewed commitment to Nick and the likely end of her and Luke's marriage.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


Did Offred find her daughter?

Thanks to Fred Waterford, however, June was briefly reunited with her daughter during season 2, who had a Martha to look after her.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


Is Nick the father of June's baby?

Nichole Holly Osborne, temporarily named Nichole Waterford, is the biological baby daughter of Nick Blaine and June Osborne.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com


Does June get Hannah?

The audience received this gift at just the right time but one question remains: Will June ever truly find peace? "Not until she gets Hannah out of Gilead and home to her father," said Moss, who directed three of the episodes this season, in a recent interview.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on forbes.com


What does Blessed be the fruit mean?

In Margaret Atwood's „The Handmaid's Tale“, „Blessed be the Fruit“ is a form of greeting between the people of the Republic of Gilead. This encourages fertility in a society where women with healthy reproductive system must produce children for the ruling class of men „Commanders“.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hdkv.de


Is Nick really an eye?

Nick was a driver for the Waterfords and an 'eye' for Gilead

Nick's main job throughout season 1 was a driver to his Commander, Fred Waterford, and Serena Joy. As a driver, he helped out around the house. However, he also had a secret job as an “eye” for Gilead.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


Is Nick part of Mayday?

According to Professor Pieixoto, Nick's motivation cannot be understood fully; he reveals that Nick was a member both of the Eyes and of Mayday, and that the men he called were sent to rescue Offred.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com


Will June ever see Nick again?

June and Nick's reunion in Episode 9 is a very tender, intimate scene that makes clear how happy they are together.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on harpersbazaar.com


Is there a happy ending to The Handmaid's Tale?

'The Handmaid's Tale': Luke Actor O-T Fagbenle Doesn't Foresee a Happy Ending for Luke. Luke and June were finally reunited in The Handmaid's Tale Season 4. But that was one of the only glimmers of joy all season. Gilead doesn't let anyone catch a break.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


How long did Gilead last in the book?

Gilead Continues to Rule — But Not for Long

More than 15 years later, Gilead is still very much in existence, but not without protest. The novel hints at activists determined to take down the unlawful regime.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hollywoodreporter.com


Who is the father of Offred's baby?

So ever since Offred, also known as June in the show, discovered she was pregnant at the end of season 1, it's been assumed by many that Fred's driver Nick is the baby's father, as he and Offred/June also slept together.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on womanandhome.com


Is Aunt Lydia Mayday?

Is Aunt Lydia part of Mayday? Lydia will continue to shift in powerful ways throughout the rest of The Handmaid's Tale. This will all lead up to her plot in The Testaments, in which she works with Mayday to bring Gilead down.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


Why do the Econowives not like The Handmaid's?

"They are not handmaids because they committed no crimes and were in legitimate heterosexual marriages pre-Gilead." In the book, there are seemingly hints in the epilogue to econowives being pressured into a handmaid's role, but the show has yet to hint that this might be the case down the line.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bustle.com


Why did Nick not help June?

Nick is aware of the punishment for a failed escape attempt. He cannot help June if he is hanging from the wall. Also, Nick might not want to mess up his position since he could have other plans. If he has no loyalty left for the government, he may use his status as Commander to bring down Gilead.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


What is Nick secret in Handmaids Tale?

June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) and Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) fell for one another in season one of The Handmaid's Tale and they went on to have an affair. June fell pregnant with Nick's child, Nichole, and he did his best to help her get out of Gilead.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on express.co.uk


What did the commander do to the first Handmaid?

It is revealed that this Offred, like her successor, was coerced into an emotional affair with the Commander and that Serena was infuriated when she found out. Shortly after, the Handmaid hanged herself from the chandelier in her room, with her body being discovered by Cora, one of the two Marthas inside the house.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com


What did Mr Waterford do to the first Handmaid?

When viewers met the Waterfords, the first Offred had already died. She had been coerced into an affair with Fred, and it made her life at the Waterford house even more unbearable. This was during the early years of Gilead, when most of the Handmaids had been kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cheatsheet.com


What is an Unbaby in The Handmaid's Tale?

Unbaby, or shredder, is the term used in the Republic of Gilead to describe infants that are suffering from birth defects or physical deformities. These die shortly after birth due to their defects. They are usually taken away to be disposed of.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on the-handmaids-tale.fandom.com


Why do they say under his eye?

“Under His eye”: How Handmaids formally say goodbye to each other in person. By extension, the phrase suggests that someone—a Guardian, a Commander, a fellow Handmaid, God—is always watching.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cosmopolitan.com
Previous question
Why is ramen good for hangovers?