Elisabeth Moss On June’s New Fight In Season 5

The breathtaking fifth season of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale has already seen June Osborne face consequences for savagely killing Commander Waterford. Though she doesn’t face legal repercussions, she does have an enemy in a now-widowed, very pregnant and extremely enraged Serena.

Though each continuously tries to destroy the other, they share a common understanding that no one else will ever fully comprehend. Simply put, there is no June without Serena, and vice versa. Can they find a way to work together and put their tormented history aside to ensure survival?

In a recent interview, Elisabeth Moss talked about the themes of the 10-episode fifth season, and she broke them down into two: June versus Gilead and June versus Serena. The latter, however, is incredibly complex.

“To break that down a little bit, it’s really June versus Offred and Serena versus Mrs. Waterford. So, make of that what you will,” she explained. Though the women are in a battle with one another, they quickly realize they have a much bigger enemy to contend with: Gilead.

“Gilead has not gotten any weaker. Gilead is getting stronger but also smarter. It’s figuring out ways to make itself known and accepted internationally,” Moss added. “This is very dangerous and very problematic for both June and Serena.”

In an interview last season, Moss explained that no one really escapes Gilead. Season four, she said at the time, represented how Gilead changes people. “You can’t ever really go back to who you were before. I don’t think it’s possible to have gone through what June has, to see what she’s seen, and to do what she’s done and not be changed forever. I think she tries to assimilate into a more normal world, but I don’t think she can. I think overall, that’s what it’s about for June. As for the rest of the Handmaids, well, it depends on who you are.”

June’s actions this season are acutely focused on necessity, practicality and survival. Emotions, for the time being, must be put aside. June is forced to find a way to navigate the ever-changing power dynamics while simultaneously working alongside Luke and Moira to save Hannah. She and Serena will also have to find a way to work together.

For Serena, she’s trying desperately to raise her profile in Toronto, but she’s losing power as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. She realizes June might be the only person who can help her navigate these treacherous waters, but she’ll have to help June get what she wants to get what she needs.

At the time of our interview, Moss wasn’t at liberty to tell me that the show had been picked up for a sixth and final season. So, when I asked where she’d like to see June end up should the story continue, Moss explained that this is a new June, one who has real agency over her life and choices for the first time.

“I think that June is finding the person that she’s going to be for the rest of her life, and I think that June is finding that the fight is something that she’s never going to give up. She’s never going to stop trying to get her daughter out, but at the same time, it’s certainly not going to be just about her daughter. It’s also about the future generation and providing a better world for them, which is becoming more and more her fight.”