Although The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 won’t debut until 2025, anticipation is already building as viewers await how Hulu will bring the acclaimed series to a close. Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, the show takes place in a dystopian, theocratic version of present-day America, where the totalitarian regime of Gilead has overthrown the U.S. government. The East Coast and several other areas have been transformed into a society governed by religious extremism and patriarchal control.

At the center of the story is June (played by Elisabeth Moss), an educated woman forced into servitude as a “Handmaid”—part of Gilead’s brutal system for controlling fertile women amid a global infertility crisis. Assigned to Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), June becomes “Offred” and is made to live in his household alongside his wife, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). Though Serena was instrumental in shaping Gilead’s oppressive ideology, she too falls victim to its restrictions, including laws that prohibit women from reading. Despite Serena’s own mistreatment of June, particularly early on, their lives become deeply intertwined over the course of the show’s first five seasons—forming a complex, often volatile dynamic that continues to evolve.

The Handmaid’s Tale’s Final Season Is June & Serena’s Story

Elisabeth Moss Has Teased The Show’s Direction

In season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale, Serena Joy is introduced as a cold and abusive figure. Not only does she play a direct role in June’s suffering—assisting Commander Waterford in assaults—but she also vents her frustrations on the Handmaid. Believing herself to be infertile, Serena harbors a twisted envy toward June, despite the horrific nature of her life in Gilead. As June repeatedly attempts to escape the regime and rescue her daughter Hannah, Serena often manipulates her by using Hannah—now indoctrinated by Gilead—as emotional blackmail.

Over time, however, Serena Joy begins to show cracks in her loyalty to Gilead’s patriarchal system. Having once lived a life of influence before the collapse of the U.S., she starts to resent the limitations imposed on her as a woman under Gilead’s rule. When it’s revealed that Fred is likely the infertile one, Serena’s disillusionment deepens, and she even goes so far as to help June in key moments. Though the two eventually clash over June’s second child—allegedly fathered by Fred—it becomes increasingly evident that both women are, in different ways, products and victims of Gilead’s oppressive regime.

In a recent interview, Elisabeth Moss affirmed this duality, stating that The Handmaid’s Tale is ultimately their story—emphasizing that the narrative now belongs to both June and Serena more than ever.

Serena Joy Is One Of The Handmaid’s Tale’s Best Characters – But Isn’t In The Testaments

Margaret Atwood’s Sequel Novel Doesn’t Feature Serena Joy

While Serena Joy’s experiences as a victim of Gilead’s systemic abuse don’t absolve her of the harm she’s caused—particularly to June—her character arc remains one of the most captivating in The Handmaid’s Tale. Her so-called redemption is deeply rooted in self-interest. Above all else, Serena wants a child, and she’s long believed that June’s second daughter, Nichole, is rightfully hers. When Serena becomes pregnant herself, her focus on survival and securing a future for her baby intensifies. At times, her goals overlap with June’s, but more often than not, they remain at odds.

“Set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments includes three different point-of-view characters…”

Despite being one of the most complex and discussed figures in the series, Serena Joy doesn’t appear in Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel, The Testaments. Inspired by the massive success of Hulu’s adaptation, Atwood returned to Gilead after a decades-long break, choosing to explore its future through new lenses. The sequel follows three different narrators: Aunt Lydia (played by Ann Dowd in the series), a young woman growing up inside Gilead, and another living across the border in Canada. Because of this narrative shift, The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 has no direct source material from The Testaments to guide or conclude Serena’s story.

The Handmaid’s Tale Needs To Give Serena Joy A Proper Ending Before The Testaments

Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena Joy Has Become A Crucial Character In The Series

Although June doesn’t play a major role in The Testaments, the novel does confirm that she eventually finds safety under Canadian protection—and even reunites with her daughters after years of hardship. Still, it’s possible that Hulu may choose to leave June’s on-screen journey more open-ended. The streamer has already confirmed a spin-off series based on The Testaments, with Ann Dowd set to return as Aunt Lydia. While June is at least referenced in the sequel, Serena Joy isn’t mentioned at all.

“Hulu’s creative teams need to figure out whether Serena Joy will appear in the spin-off series…”

Given that, if Serena isn’t going to be part of the sequel—as she isn’t in Atwood’s original text—then it’s essential that The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 provides her with a clear and meaningful conclusion. While the show has already begun laying the groundwork for The Testaments, Serena’s fate remains a major question mark. Whether or not her story continues, the series owes her a proper send-off to ensure her arc feels fully resolved within the Handmaid’s Tale narrative.

Ending Serena Joy’s Story Isn’t Easy For The Handmaid’s Tale

Hulu’s Show Needs To Find A Satisfying End For Serena Joy’s Arc

Serena Joy remains one of the most layered and morally ambiguous characters in The Handmaid’s Tale, and her ultimate fate is anything but straightforward. The creators behind Hulu’s Emmy-winning series have several directions they could take her story, each offering a different perspective on themes like abuse, survival, and personal transformation. Serena could remain trapped in Gilead, meet a tragic end, or even be granted a full redemption arc. Striking the right balance will be difficult—an overly positive ending could feel unearned, while something too vague may leave viewers unsatisfied. Still, it would also be a disservice to ignore how far she’s come.

“…the spin-off show could also go a different route by continuing Serena’s story.”

While Serena Joy doesn’t appear in Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the door is still open for Hulu to take creative liberties. If the team chooses to extend her narrative beyond The Handmaid’s Tale, it could offer new insights into her character and the world of Gilead from an entirely fresh angle.

Could The Testaments Bring Back Serena Joy After All?

The Show Has Already Changed A Lot From Atwood’s Books

Without The Testaments as a guiding framework, The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 may struggle to craft a definitive and satisfying resolution for Serena Joy. Still, considering how much the show has diverged from Margaret Atwood’s original novel, it has the freedom to take creative liberties with her fate. “The spin-off show could also go a different route by continuing Serena’s story.”

Regardless of whether season 6 marks the end of Serena’s journey, the series must deliver a conclusion that feels both emotionally grounded and narratively earned—especially when it comes to her complex relationship with June. After nearly eight years of tension, betrayal, and uneasy alliance, The Handmaid’s Tale owes both women a final chapter that reflects the depth and nuance of their shared story.