What time to watch new episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 (release schedule)

Finally, after two long years spent dangling in the air from The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 cliffhanger finale, the award-winning dystopian saga is back with season 6, also known as the final season. Hulu debuted the last part of June’s (Elisabeth Moss) fight to rescue her daughter and put a stop to Gilead on Tuesday, April 8 with a three-episode premiere that saw our plot move forward after reaching its most critical stage yet.

Season 5 saw some major turning points riddled with deeply personal stakes, betrayal, and changing power dynamics. Tensions between Gilead and the U.S. government intensified after an American military operation to rescue children failed horribly and resulted in numerous deaths. Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) created a more liberal province within Gilead called New Bethlehem, where there are no handmaids, hangings, or abuse. June and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) ventured into No Man’s Land only to get captured and separated.

June then found herself at the mercy of Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), but that scenario changed when Serena went into labor in the middle of nowhere, with no one around to help her… except June. After that, June and Luke were reunited. In the finale, after being deliberately run over by a car bearing the Gilead symbol, June, Nichole, and Luke left to board a train heading west. However, with Canadian authorities hot on their trail to arrest Luke for murdering the man who ran over June, Luke sacrificed himself and surrendered so June and Nichole could escape. They did, but they weren’t alone: Serena and her baby were also on the train, and their reunion was one chill-inducing cliffhanger.

With the arrival of season 6, you might be wondering what time new episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale will be released on Hulu, but don’t worry. You know we here at Show Snob have you covered. Following the three-episode premiere on April 8, Hulu will release one episode weekly on Tuesdays at 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT on Mondays.

Here’s a closer look at when each episode will be released in the table below:

What to expect from The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 on Hulu

Hey look, I hear you: I also hate waiting a week between episodes. I much prefer a full season drop, but Hulu is bound and determined to keep us waiting on the edge of our seats for this big finish, and I’m okay with that; it builds anticipation and excitement. With Luke arrested in Canada, Hannah (Jordana Blake) stuck in Gilead, and New Bethlehem taking in Gilead refugees, June and Serena share a train bound for the west coast. The season 6 premiere episodes set us up nicely for these critical stakes to resolve themselves but not without struggling through some thick drama first, and not without a time jump.

June and Serena aren’t friends, but they’re allies on some level after everything they’ve experienced, and unfortunately, this train ride from Toronto to Alaska only holds more of those experiences for Serena, so buckle up. Additionally, June reunites with Holly (Cherry Jones) and we see just how much of a reality Stockholm Syndrome really is, while Moira (Samira Wiley) works to free Luke back in Toronto, Nick (Max Minghella) chooses Gilead over New Bethlehem, Serena realizes she’s lost her path creates a shocking new one, Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) finally discovers what’s been happening to her girls, and June struggles with life in Alaska. However, after learning that Moira and Luke are missing in No Man’s Land and the resistance needs her, she leaves Nichole with Holly and returns to the resistance.

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the best dystopian thrillers out there, and I don’t know about you, but it will be bittersweet to see June’s journey end. Although the show in its final season, I have no doubt it will do author Margaret Atwood’s work justice and set us up to experience its prequel, The Testaments.

The Handmaid’s Tale premiere episodes are available on Hulu, with new episodes dropping weekly through May 27.