In the latest episode of the hit Hulu drama, June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) is closer than she’s ever been to reuniting her and her husband Luke Bankole (OT Fagbenle) with their young daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) thanks to some crucial intel from Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger). Unfortunately, as ever with The Handmaid’s Tale, fans aren’t convinced their latest attempt to rescue her from Gilead will go according to plan.
Fans are convinced Hannah will willingly abandon her own mother despite being rescued in the final two episodes of this season of The Handmaid’s Tale.
With just two episodes of the current season left, June and the resistance still have a long way to go before Gilead is finally taken down.
In episode eight, Motherland, June, Luke and Moira (Samira Wiley) study a short clip of Hannah to try and determine her location.
Nothing more is learned until the final moments, in which Tuello calls up June to confirm they have found the school which looks after her daughter.
The Handmaid’s Tale fans ‘work out’ why Hannah will abandon June in devastating theory (Image: Hulu)
The Handmaid’s Tale: Tuerro and June are planning to raid Hannah’s school (Image: Hulu)
June is elated, and Hannah is shown gardening and looking rather content just before the credits roll.
Tuello confirms a raid is being planned to liberate June’s daughter from the school, but some viewers aren’t sure how willing Hannah will be to leave her life in Gilead behind.
Once the new episode had wrapped up, fans predicted June will have a terrifying revelation and realise her daughter has been brainwashed into believing in Gilead’s oppressive regime.
Rather than saying goodbye to her new family and joining the resistance, Hannah may instead believe a life of servitude to her husband is the best future available to her.
The Handmaid’s Tale: Hannah might be reluctant to go back with her mother (Image: Hulu)
The Handmaid’s Tale: Has Hannah been brainwashed by Gilead? (Image: Hulu)
Redditor Abadobabdo speculated: “Is it just me who thinks Hannah is not gonna like Canada and is somehow so brainwashed by Gilead she’s gonna miss it?”
Many fans agreed with the theory, and have even suggested the next season of The Handmaid’s Tale could go one step further.
“They’re gonna have their hands full when they get her back. She’s gonna feel like she’s been kidnapped,” Willow_weeping85 agreed.
“They told her horrible things about her mother and the trashy people like her that brought down the world etc. It’s NOT going to be a happy reunion.”
Fatfrost commented: “I think it’ll be worse. She will WANT to get married and be p**sed that her ‘old’ mommy and daddy prevented it.
“People anticipating a joyful reunion are gonna be terribly disappointed. I hate it but totally see it coming whether it’s in New Bethlehem or in Canada.”
And SarcasticAzaleaRose added: “Like you, I’m doubting any reunion between June, Luke, and Hannah will be a happy one.
“Not only has Hannah been brainwashed, who knows what the Gilead government and her Gilead parents have told her about her mother.
“Any reunion is probably going to end in heartbreak no matter where it is.” (sic)
During her previous reunions with her daughter, Hannah has been reluctant to accept June as her real mother and may not be willing to go with a group of relative strangers into unknown territory.
Although some viewers are still keeping their fingers crossed for a happy ending, The Handmaid’s Tale’s sixth and final season could find June more devastated than ever as she tries to come to terms with her lost daughter.
