Hulu’s acclaimed TV series The Handmaid’s Tale is coming to an end after six seasons, but there is one character whose fate audiences may be left wondering about. Throughout its six seasons, The Handmaid’s Tale has followed June and her fellow handmaids in the search for freedom from Gilead’s oppressive rule. While the series initially followed the story of The Handmaid’s Tale novel, it has expanded over the years, allowing audiences to understand the characters’ actions and motives better along with the additional plot points.

This has all come to a head as The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 has already included a few shocking revelations. The Handmaid’s Tale season 5’s ending saw June and Nichole fleeing Toronto and unexpectedly encountering Serena Joy. Since then, June has made her way back across the border to help the handmaids bring down Gilead, as is set up by The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, episode 8. While the final few episodes promise to be very intense and answer some lingering questions, the question of Alexis Bledel’s exit and her character’s fate still remains unanswered.

What Alexis Bledel Said About Leaving The Handmaid’s Tale

Bledel Made The Decision On Her Own

Bledel joined the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale in season 1 and remained a main cast member until season 4, after which she decided to leave the show. Because her character, Emily Malek, was such an important part of the series, it initially came as a bit of a shock that Bledel was not included in the season 5 cast, but the actor herself was responsible for the decision. In 2022, Bledel announced that she had decided to leave The Handmaid’s Tale. The actor shared that she decided to step back “after much thought.“

At the time, Bledel did not go into further detail about her decision, though the series’ creator, Bruce Miller, shared his thoughts on the matter with The Hollywood Reporter. Miller reiterated that the choice to leave was entirely Bledel’s, stating “it was a complicated time, and she let me know.” Furthermore, Miller explained that the character’s decisions within the show would continue to be important and were based on the real emotions of Bledel’s departure.

Since leaving The Handmaid’s Tale, Bledel has made few public appearances and has not spoken about her decision to leave the series. The actor has not starred in any other movies or TV shows since, indicating that she has chosen to take a break from the profession for the time being. However, her IMDb page shows that she is attached to a project called Ponderosa, which is listed as being in post-production, though very little information has been released about the project.

What Happened To Emily In The Handmaid’s Tale?

Emily’s Fate Is Somewhat Uncertain

Custom Image by Cece Montemayor

Because The Handmaid’s Tale‘s creator had planned to keep Emily in the story for season 5, her character being written off was the only way to explain her sudden absence. Emily had previously escaped from Gilead at the beginning of season 3 and was reunited with her wife and child in Canada. Since then, she had also reunited with June, and the two continued to attempt to adapt to a life outside of Gilead.

At the beginning of season 5, it is revealed that rather than remain in Canada, Emily chose to go back to Gilead to continue fighting the regime from the inside.

As the series continued, it became clear that things were not much easier in Canada, and the former handmaids, including Emily, were presented with new challenges. Despite the greater freedom that she had after escaping Gilead, Emily was unable to cope with everything that had happened to her there and in the Colonies. At the beginning of season 5, it is revealed that rather than remain in Canada, Emily chose to go back to Gilead to continue fighting the regime from the inside.

Though Emily’s absence does initially feel strange in The Handmaid’s Tale, Miller’s comments to THR make a lot of sense. Emily’s actions and their motivations play a huge role throughout seasons 5 and 6 as June struggles with some of the same things and decides to return to Gilead to fight. While Emily’s decision to leave did end up being important to the series, it is a bit frustrating that the show has not clarified her whereabouts since then. Thus, going into the final episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, it is still unclear whether Emily is still fighting or has met a worse fate.