It’s been too long — years, in fact, since audiences saw June Osbourne (Elisabeth Moss) as she fought to free the women of Gilead. The fourth season drops on Hulu April 28, and it’s time to catch up.
When last we were in Gilead, audiences saw a bloodied but not broken June suffering from a gunshot wound after successfully secreting more than 50 of the restrictive republic’s children onto a plane for transport to safety in Canada. Carried to safety by her fellow handmaids, June recites Exodus 3: 7-8 to herself, which speaks of the Lord seeing the suffering of his people and delivering them to a land of milk and honey.
This upcoming fourth season will return the series to a leaner and tighter narrative, with just 10 episodes, three of which will be available to stream at launch and the others coming weekly. Watch the video below for more insight of what awaits viewers at the start of Season 4:
Video by Creative Producer Leonardo Adrian Garcia.
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A Different Style This Season
Image Credit: Sophie Giraud/Hulu Based on appearances by the likes of Bradley Whitford’s Commander Joseph Lawrence and Ann Dowd’s Aunt Lydia this new season looks to have enough fire, anger, and revolution to be timely. As Aunt Lydia says, June is “beyond redemption” and it’ll be interesting to see whether she finds the character eventually finds some sort of peace.
Showrunner Bruce Miller told IndieWire told earlier this year it’s impossible to guess where the show goes: “Don’t try to guess what happens,” Miller said. “That’s a fool’s errand. You will not be able to know what happens. That’s the beauty of the show.”
Compared to previous seasons, which clocked in at 13 episodes, this new season will be returning to the 10-episode structure of Season 1. “Some storylines just seem to shake out as a 10-episode story, in my eyes,” said Miller. It was a decision both Hulu and MGM supported.
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Elisabeth Moss Directs
Image Credit: Hulu/Screenshot The teaser trailer features June taking an active role in the rebellion, which serves as a departure for the character whose previous focus was decidedly insular, determined only to preserve her own safety as well as the safety of her children. But this is not a new and improved, entirely altruistic June. Still her rage fires her and her equivalent quests for both justice and revenge threaten not only to consume her, but also to destroy her connections to the people she holds most dear.
As if transforming June into a freedom fighter wasn’t enough, Moss is also stepping behind the camera for the first time in her career, directing three of the season’s 10 episodes. During Thursday’s Television Critics Association Winter 2021 Press Tour presentation, the star reflected on the one aspect of directing that left her a little spooked before diving into the new challenge.
“The thing I was most nervous about was directing the actors. I was just nervous I wouldn’t know what to say and I wouldn’t say it right,” Moss said, explaining that when performing, it’s a cardinal sin to try and give notes to other actors. “And then that ended up becoming my favorite part of the whole experience.”
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The War Is Upon Us
Image Credit: Hulu June Osborne wants justice and it looks like the country of Gilead is prepping for an all-out war. Hulu released the first full trailer for the fourth season of the popular Emmy-winning series.
When audiences last left Gilead, June (Elisabeth Moss) embraced her inner freedom fighter after secreting 50 of the republic’s children into Canada. As the trailer shows, this information becoming known could lead to a large battle — though June and the other handmaids are seen bringing the fight to their doorstep.
June’s own attempts to bring Gilead down result in her testifying to an unknown group about the justice she’s seeking. In addition, her ongoing relationship with Nick Blaine (Max Minghella) is featured, as he might be coming to the realization that “some women don’t want to be saved.” We’re also heading towards a showdown between June and Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski).
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 4 drops on Hulu April 28.
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