After a fourth season that garnered 11 Emmy Awards nominations, Hulu “The Handmaid’s Tale” is back for a fifth season. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood,“ The Handmaid’s Tale” — in case you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know the premise—finds the United States torn apart by civil war, paving the road to power for Gilead, a totalitarian Christian theocratic government. Due to low fertility rates in Gilead, those women who can reproduce are reduced to child-bearing servitude, and they are referred to as “Handmaids.” The show features a cast headed by Elizabeth Moss playing June Osford, a Handmaid for the powerful turned rebel, alongside Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, and Alexis Bledel, among others.
Here’s the official synopsis for season five:
In Season 5, June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke, and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.
The current cast of the series also features Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugela, and Sam Jaeger. Moss is directing a lot of the show herself and told The Playlist in a recent interview she’s directing the first two eps of season five and the coveted finale slot.
Season five of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is set to premiere on Hulu on September 14, with two episodes. New subsequent episodes will stream every Wednesday. “The Handmaid’s Tale” has always been a little too close to home and with Roe. V. Wade overturned; it’ll be interesting to see if the show’s fury ends up overlapping with where we are in the horrible world right now. Until then, watch the new trailer below.