The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 is not coming in January 2023

Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is not coming in January 2023
Credit: Hulu

“We will never ever forget about her, but we cannot help her if we are dead. It’s changing, Luke. This country is changing.” – June

If you recall the quote above from the previous season, which aired a few weeks ago. Since then, the viewers have been anticipating whether the new season will return in 2023 or not. As the reception of the season speaks for itself on Rotten Tomatoes, it has earned positive reviews from 81% of 21 critics, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “The Handmaid’s Tale has lost its urgency after spreading its once-arresting premise thin in a season focused on vengeance’s consequences, but the women of Gilead are still played with compelling exactitude.” 

On Metacritic, it has received an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 7 reviews, indicating “generally positive reviews.” So, if you are one of those waiting for more details on the new season, then you’ve come to the right spot! We’ve compiled a list of all the things you should look forward to for the time being while you recap the previous seasons, which are available to watch on the streaming platform. Here is everything we know relating to when Hulu will release The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6.

Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is not coming in January 2023

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: Will it premiere in January 2023 or not?

The fans will need to be patient for a little bit longer because new episodes won’t be available on Hulu until January 2023. However, it is undeniable that preparations for the new season are well underway, so you might not have to wait as long as you think! 

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 will definitely return to your screen, but it will take some time as the fifth season just ended a few weeks ago, and the filming of the episodes is still underway; it doesn’t seem like the production status has been revealed yet. Hence, it seems unlikely that the show will return this month, to say the least. Additionally, the exact release date of the final season has not been disclosed. 

If we were to guess, we suspect Hulu is setting up The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 for the fall release of 2023 at the time slot of midnight ET and 3 am PT, considering the fifth season came out in September last year. Of course, this is just speculation, and the fans should wait and keep a closer eye on the social media handles of the show to know about all the latest details and updates.

“It has been a true honor to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and the chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season,” said Miller said in a statement. “We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.”

Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: What to expect?

When questioned about how they intend to wrap up their story, Bruce Miller, stated, “Well, I’m working on The Testaments while I’m working on Season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s so lovely to have another book to go to. I think the people who watch the TV show have to be comfortable with the fact that just like Handmaids didn’t follow the book, The Testaments is a sequel to this TV show. So I’m not necessarily shooting for those things the way that they are in The Testaments but everybody is growing in those directions. Margaret [Atwood] and I had lots of conversations about the character [of June]. She watched some of the show before she even started to write The Testaments. I think that the characters have a lot of similarities, which is wonderful and they are definitely falling into place for The Testaments. “

“But for June, I don’t feel an allegiance to wrap her up the way she’s wrapped up in The Testaments novel. I just want to follow the story and make sure it makes sense. But the thing that you should remember is that all the voiceover we’re hearing, this story is June’s story. It’s not called Gilead, it’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I certainly have been thinking of the show as a memoir of part of June’s life, not the part where she would consider herself a handmaid. I think that in the end, just like before we started the show, they had lives. She’s gonna go on and continue on in whatever way she continues on and we’re not going to see it. And because we got to see this part so intimately, I feel like you care about what happens to her next, but that’s not this tale.”

Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is not coming in January 2023

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: Who will return for the final season?

The main cast members of the series who are expected to reprise their roles are as follows: Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred / Ofjoseph, Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford, Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo, Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia ClementsBefore Gilead, O. T. Fagbenle as Luke Bankole, Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine, Samira Wiley as Moira Strand, Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue, Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence, and Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello.

Additionally, back in May 2022, Alexis Bledel who portrays Dr. Emily Malek departed the series ahead of the fifth season, and stated, “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale”. The show is produced by MGM Television and executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Rachel Shukert, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, Steve Stark, and Kim Todd. The series is internationally distributed by MGM. 

Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is not coming in January 2023

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episodes and Streaming Option

We’d also like to point out that, as of  January 7, 2022, the exact titles and numbers for the episodes of the finale season cannot be confirmed. It is speculated to have at least 10 to 13 episodes with a runtime of 41 to 65 minutes. As the network will publish those details when the episodes are due to air on the streaming service. So, we advise fans to be patient while waiting for these updates, which will be issued in the coming weeks. In the meantime, catch up with the prior episodes of the fifth season, which are listed below:

Episode 1: Morning: In the powerful Season 5 premiere, June struggles as she considers her next move after killing Commander Waterford. Meanwhile, Serena Joy is left reeling after the death of her husband.

Episode 2: Ballet: June and Luke attend a ballet, and Serena says goodbye to Fred. Meanwhile, Janine and Esther accompany Aunt Lydia to a gathering at the Putnam house.

Episode 3: Border: June and Moira journey to the border to send a message. Serena attends a dinner party at the Lawrence house, and Aunt Lydia prays for Janine’s recovery.

Episode 4: Dear Offred: June works to overcome her violent instincts. Meanwhile, Serena settles into her new role in Toronto, and Aunt Lydia helps Janine with her recovery.

Episode 5: Fairytale: June and Luke venture into unfamiliar territory in search of information. Meanwhile, Serena Joy continues to settle into her new role and gets to know her new hosts.

Episode 6: Together: June teaches Luke the basics of survival. Meanwhile, Serena Joy tests the hospitality of The Wheelers, and Aunt Lydia makes a surprising discovery.

Episode 7: No Man’s Land: Alone and isolated, June and Serena find that they must labor together in order for both of them to survive.

Episode 8: Motherland: June receives an extremely tempting offer from a surprise visitor. Meanwhile, Serena Joy finally hits rock bottom and desperately searches for allies… any allies.

Episode 9: Allegiance: In the penultimate episode of Season 5, June and Luke prepare for a rescue mission. Meanwhile, Serena Joy experiments with new tactics in an attempt to have it all.

Episode 10: Safe: In the powerful season finale, June (Elisabeth Moss) finds herself under threat and must find some way to keep herself and her family safe from Gilead and its zealous supporters in Toronto.

Right now you can watch The Handmaid’s Tale exclusively on Hulu and Hulu Plus with a selection of membership tiers from which viewers can pick according to their preferences. The first four seasons are also available on Hulu in the United States. It costs $6.99 per month and is cancelable at any time. For international audiences, the series can also be streamed by renting or purchasing on Vudu, Google Play, iTunes, and Amazon Instant Video based on the location of the viewer. 

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: Is there any new teaser or trailer?

Hulu has not released any new teasers or trailers for the upcoming season. So, we recommend fans start streaming the prior episodes and be up-to-date with the story and arcs before entering the new chapter as The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 showcases  June facing consequences for her past actions, Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto, Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia to reform Gilead, and June, Luke, and Moira fight Gilead and continue their mission to save Hannah, which needs to explore all the subplots to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Take a look at the trailer below: 

The Handmaid’s Tale | Season 5 | Trailer

Catch up on the previous episodes before The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 premieres on Hulu.

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