The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss opens up about the show's shocking ending 

The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss, who gave life to June Osborne’s character, has spoken up about the way the series was brought to a close after six strong seasons. During promotional events for her new projects, Moss remarked that she felt the finale had resonated with June to a certain emotional level.

She said she had no desire to have a clean, cheerful ending for The Handmaid’s Tale but one that was authentic and closer to the dark, tangled world of the show. Moss says that the creators were able to provide June with a final chapter that remained faithful to her voice and journey.

Moss also talked about how becoming a mother herself altered her perspective on June’s last moments. The lighter, less dramatic choices in the ending felt more significant to her. To the fans who may be wondering whether the story is really over or if it was an open ending, Moss’s thoughts make it clear that The Handmaid’s Tale opted to go with emotion and honesty rather than simple closure.

What did The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss say

At the time the last episode of The Handmaid’s Tale was released, Elisabeth Moss stated that she was relieved and proud of the conclusion. The last scene was her favorite, and she referred to it as a satisfying moment for June, the character she has played over the years.

In her recent conversation with Collider, Elisabeth Moss revealed:

“I’m super glad that it was not my job to write that show, or any show, or anything, frankly. I’m very glad that’s not my job. Other people do it brilliantly. I don’t think ending a show is ever easy. We all know that. It just is what it is. You’re never going to make everybody happy. That’s just how it is….I’m a person who believes that the way the writer or the showrunner wrote it is the way that it should end because it’s their show. That’s just the way it should be. That’s the way they wanted it to end, so that’s the way it ends. I’m a big believer in that.”

Moss’s response was unique since actors are usually very protective of their roles, particularly when a show closes. She told me that the authors did justice to the long and complex path that June was on. Moss also said that the ending was supposed to be somewhat open-ended. It does not explicitly tell what becomes of everybody, nor correct all the ills, but it gives June ownership over what happens to her life, a voice, a choice.

“I was very happy with the way we executed the ending. Everybody did a beautiful job. The whole crew really brought their A-plus game that final season because it was the final one. Everybody knew that they had to really bring it, especially for episodes seven, eight, nine and ten of that season.”

That is what Moss felt the show was supposed to do to the deep moral questions: they are not supposed to be easily resolved. Rather, The Handmaid’s Tale has an ending that makes viewers continue to ruminate about it even after the show is over.

On a personal level, now that Moss has become a mother, she feels that it altered her perceptions of June in her final moments. She felt that experience made her performance more emotional and gentle, less dramatic and more about the quiet force and the love.

What actually happens in The Handmaid’s Tale finale

The ending of The Handmaid's Tale does not resolve all the storylines; some are purposely left open, and this is the reason behind the varied responses of the fans. The last episode depicts how the resistance is able to win some major battles, the power of Gilead begins to weaken, and there are finally those who are able to find shelter. Nevertheless, the show does not act as though all the suffering and endangering has been erased.

June also reunites with some of the characters and rescues them but her much-anticipated reunion with her daughter does not take place on-screen. Rather, she begins to write, as she did in the beginning of the series, as a reminder of how her words and story always mattered.

There are quiet and emotional scenes too: Janine is rescued, Emily returns unexpectedly, and Serana has a moment of personal introspection. Such scenes offer a feeling of closure, without complete answers. On the whole, the finale of The Handmaid’s Tale is both emotional and unsatisfying at the same time, as it provides the viewers with an emotional payoff but also gives them an opportunity to use their imagination, which is why the opinions are divided.

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