If there’s one thing The Handmaid’s Tale production team has done perfectly, aside from scaring all women with the possibility of such a dystopian future, it’s building a universe in a lot of small details.

While watching the show, you experience the grim atmosphere of Gilead, which makes it even easier to empathize with the women trapped in a reproductive abuse machine. For this reason, many people find The Handmaid’s Tale too difficult to watch and abstain from watching it altogether.

However, those who have managed to get through all 5 seasons of the show already released know that the happiest of all possible endings is finally near for the main character June, as she manages to escape to Canada and reunite with her husband Luke. While all viewers shared their excitement for her, there was also some confusion.

Why didn’t June take off her red ear tag?

When she escaped in a previous season, she cut off the tag, but this time she left it on. Although some viewers suggest that this decision may have something to do with all the trauma she has experienced and how that trauma is now part of her identity even in freedom, others believe that this is June’s call for attention.

Ultimately, June’s goal has always been to show everyone in Canada what Gilead is doing to women and why it is so hurtful. She has already made peace with all the humiliation she has endured, but she still understands how shocking it is to see a woman tagged like cattle, and the tag stays on as a constant reminder.

Some fans believe we’ll see the emotional moment of the tag being removed in an upcoming Season 6 of the show, which would symbolize June’s not only physical but also mental break from Gilead. However, forced to flee again without Luke, but with Serena by her side, June may now be very far from freedom.

Unfortunately, there is no official release date for that as of today. Make sure to stay tuned to not miss any important news and updates. Until then, you can go ahead and stream previous episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.