The Handmaid's Tale season five trailer from Hulu
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Hulu’s dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale made its eagerly awaited return to screens with an emotional double-episode premiere. While the main characters made their comeback, it was revealed Emily Malek (played by Alexis Bledel) had returned to Gilead.
Emily was first introduced to viewers during the pilot episode of The Handmaid’s Tale which first aired in 2017.
She and June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) met in Gilead where they were held captive and abused as handmaids.
Although she had escaped and found freedom in Canada during season three, Emily was nowhere to be seen during the recent premiere of season five.
Viewers soon learned the shocking news she had gone back to Gilead to presumably seek her own revenge.
June heard the heart-wrenching news after killing her captor Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes).
She arrived at Emily’s home in a panic and after frantically knocking she was prepared to leave when Emily’s wife Sylvia answered the door and said: “She’s gone.”
Sylvia added she had gone without saying goodbye to their son and understood she would likely never see her wife again.
While this was a shock to fans, showrunner Bruce Miller revealed he was also taken aback.
Bruce shared: “It was a surprise to us that Alexis had conversations with her people and she made a very kind of careful decision.
“But I didn’t know we were going to lose her this season so I had planned on having her in the season.
“Because she’s such an important part of the show, she certainly played an essential role, so we had to pivot to move her out of the show in a way that made sense to the character.
“And then I think the way we’ve tried to treat her is very much how they treat people who are still in Gilead or lost in Gilead. June doesn’t talk about Janine ever because you can’t picture Janine, any picture is awful.”
Bruce explained: “So I think it’s like a black hole for their memory, and I think for us, it’s almost like they go over an event horizon, there’s no way to get any information back so why worry because there’s no way to know.
“That’s where they are in terms of Emily,” he told TV Insider.
Alexis first announced her departure from the show in May, explaining: “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,” she said in a statement to Variety.
Following Emily’s freedom, it was made clear she struggled to return to normal life after the trauma she experienced in Gilead.
Emily faced severe punishment after she was caught having a sexual relationship with a Martha and was arrested by the sons of Jacobs for “gender treachery”.
As Emily was recovering in an eerie hospital and it was soon revealed she had been mutilated as punishment.
As a result, when she eventually reached Canada, Emily struggled to reconnect with her wife and son who had been desperately awaiting her safe return.
The Handmaid’s Tale continues weekly on Hulu in the US. A UK release date has yet to be announced.
Source: Read Full Article
