We stan Rita in this house.
Every streaming service has a number of hit TV shows, and The Handmaid’s Tale is surely on that list for those with a Hulu subscription. The book to screen adaptation recently ended its tenure on the air, and all of our favorite characters got involved in rebelling against Gilead. That includes former Martha Rita, with actress Amanda Brugel reflecting on her character’s ending (and possibly returning for The Testaments).
What we know about The Testaments is limited, and fans are curious about what familiar faces we might see in the spinoff. The fandom is recovering from The Handmaid’s Tale series finale, which saw the return of beloved characters like Emily. In the penultimate episode Rita got physically involved in Mayday’s rebellion, using a gun to help save June’s life. When speaking with THR about the way her story ended, Brugel shared:
So thankful. I love her so much. And because the audience doesn’t know much about her and I’ve filled in her blanks, I felt vindicated. I felt that she was finally going to be seen and have the well-deserved moments of triumph that this character deserves. My ego got invested for her because I love her so much. But I also loved it for audience members.
Rita started off as a tertiary presence in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1, mostly quipping from the kitchen while serving the Waterfords. But the layers of her character were slowly peeled back through six seasons, with Brugel bringing both her ferocity and vulnerability to the forefront. And that ultimately ended with Rita working with Mayday at both Serena’s wedding and Boston’s liberation.
While Rita secretly poisoning Serena’s wedding cake was an on-brand way for her to join the fight against Gilead, fans like me were shocked when she joined Luke and Mayday to stop June’s execution. Seeing her brandish a gun and take out a Gilead soldier was a huge payoff, and one that Brugel seemed thrilled about. As she shared:
Yahlin and Eric always said they think of Rita as the person who’s closest to the audience, not necessarily a person who’s going to arm themselves but someone who wants to keep themselves safe; keep their families safe and not make wild crazy choices. Keep your head under the radar, just the normal average person. And while I can get down with that and I love that, she’s got so much more rebellion in her. So finally to be able to see her actively rebel and for so many episodes, not just one moment, it’s the best end to me for her.
In this interview, Brugel revealed that Rita was on the list of characters that Margaret Atwood said the show may not kill off. But fans didn’t know that, and I was worried for Rita in New Bethlehem. And in the end she got to reunite with her family and help Mayday at the same time.
Rita wasn’t present in the finale of The Handmaid’s Tale, except for June’s fantasy karaoke scene. The character wasn’t included in the novel of The Testaments, something pointed out by THR during its interview with Brugel. She teased her possible return to her signature character, offering:
No. She’s not. But that doesn’t mean you might not see her.
Well, I’m intrigued. While this isn’t an official confirmation, it seems like Amanda Brugel would be happy to play Rita again in The Testaments. We’ll just have to wait as that spinoff series is brought together, and if she’s confirmed to be a character in the next series set in Gilead.
The Handmaid’s Tale is streaming in its entirety on Hulu now, with the final season part of the 2025 TV premiere list. Hopefully we get information about the spinoff sooner rather than later.
