Some spoilers ahead.
After an explosive fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale, the trailer for the upcoming fifth instalment is finally here, and we can hardly wait.
The series, which is based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, is set in Gilead, a dystopian American near-future, where fertile women – handmaids – are raped and forced to give their children to their wealthy overlords.
When we last saw June (Elisabeth Moss), she had escaped Gilead, but not before murdering her former master Fred (Joseph Fiennes). In the trailer, which features an eerie cover of Christina Aguilera’s Fighter, it appears Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) is hellbent on revenge.
As it opens, June is literally washing the blood off her hands, as she says, “I want her to know that it was me.” The camera then cuts to a grieving Serna as she attends Fred’s funeral.
Then, despite being in the safety of Canada, June admits that she feels Gilead “pulling” her back, much to the dismay of her husband Luke (O. T. Fagbenle).
Throughout the trailer, we see the fury of Gilead as they reckon with June’s crime, and it appears that the country is not going to let it slide. Later, we see June and Serena finally come face to face, as June says, “You want to fight? Let’s fight.”
While fans of the show are eagerly awaiting its return, many were sad to learn that one character, Dr Emily Malek, would not be returning. This is due to the fact that actress Alexis Bledel announced her departure from the series earlier this year.
In a statement, she said: “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time.
“I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”
The Handmaid’s Tale returns to our screens on 14 September.
