The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Teaser: A War Of Two Women

Blessed be the fruit, I guess, because there's a trailer for the fifth season of Hulu's original series "The Handmaid's Tale."

I was pretty stoked when this series started back in 2017 because I was a big fan of Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, but as the series has gone on and our own world has become increasingly dystopian, it's become a little too tough to watch. For folks who have been hanging on and can't wait to get back to the all-too-real dystopian nightmare that is "The Handmaid's Tale," though, a new trailer released today should be pretty exciting. There's plenty of hints as to the season's overall arc in the trailer, and some deeply creepy imagery that's sure to send a chill down the spine of anyone watching. 

The series' protagonist, June (Elisabeth Moss), managed to kill her most heinous captor with the help of the other handmaids at the end of season 4, and it looks like season 5 will follow her as she tries to reconcile with that decision and forge a new life for herself. She managed to escape Gilead and has been reunited with her husband and child in Canada, but they must continue to fight for all of those left behind. On her end, powerful Gilead Wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) is now a widow, and can use that to her advantage to gain the trust and attention of powerful people worldwide. 

Here's the official synopsis:

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 Nick and 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.

Along with Moss and Strahovski, series regulars Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, O-T Fagbenle, Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, and Sam Jaeger are all set to return for the fifth season. The series takes a hard look at the dangers of combining church and state and is sadly a mirror to America's current reproductive hellscape. That's probably going to be a bit too much to bear for some viewers, myself included, but for those who find comfort or catharsis in the misery, there should be plenty to go around. 

Season 5 of "The Handmaid's Tale" premieres Wednesday, September 14, 2022 on Hulu, with new episodes streaming every Wednesday.