Hold on to your bonnets! If you can believe it, we've already almost reached the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 6. This isn't just a season finale either. It will be the official last episode of the show as well. The dystopian drama has been a part of our lives since 2017 and now eight years later, it's almost time to say goodbye.
When is The Handmaid's Tale series finale?
The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 10, aka the series finale, premieres Tuesday, May 27, 2025 on Hulu. The streaming service releases the episodes at 12 a.m. ET that day, meaning those of you in other time zones get to watch when it drops Monday night for you.
Other than seasons 2 and 3, each season of the show has been 10 episodes. So it's not surprising that the final installment got the same episode count. And honestly, I think it's enough. Check out the release times below:
- East Coast: 12 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 27
- West Coast: 9 p.m. PT on Monday, May 26
- Midwest: 11 p.m. CT on Monday, May 26
- Mountain: 10 p.m. MT on Monday, May 26
No details like the synopsis, promo, or even promotional images are out yet for the finale. The episode will be directed by lead actress Elisabeth Moss. It makes sense as not only has the penultimate episode been released today, but Hulu will want to hang on tight to those details. It's going to be a pivotal episode, and one many of us long-time fans are looking forward to. I'm really not emotionally prepared for what's to come though.
Not only is it going to be hard to say goodbye, even though I do feel like the series has gone on long enough and it's time to wrap it up. The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 9, "Execution," really just has me all up in my feels right now. I'm still trying to recover from those two emotional deaths in the final moments. RIP Commanders Lawrence and Nick. Though painful, the two characters did get a fitting ending based on their previous actions.
The final episode most likely sets up The Testaments
If you didn't know, there's actually a The Handmaid's Tale spin-off currently in the works titled The Testaments. The new series on Hulu is also based on a follow-up book by author Margret Atwood from her Handmaid's Tale novels. We won't go into spoilers here, though if you know what the plot is and what's to come in the new show, then you've probably already noticed some of the seeds being planted.
Throughout season 6, there's certain plot points and choices characters make that will lead into The Testaments. The main person in that is Aunt Lydia, who is featured heavily in the follow-up series and is instrumental in the plot. We've already seen the major shift she made, waking up and realizing Gilead is not as righteous as she wants thought it to be. Her turn on Gilead and now being against the republic sets up her upcoming arc in the new series.
I'm expecting the final episode of The Handmaid's Tale to wrap up the stories of the characters we've been with since the start - like June and Luke, Moira and Janine, Serena and Rita, and more. Though it's already been teased that some threads will remain open-ended due to The Testaments, and I expect there will more than likely be some more plots established to lead us into what comes next.
The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 10, aka the series finale, premieres Tuesday, May 27, 2025 on Hulu.