The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Trailer: War Is Coming

It's been five years since "The Handmaid's Tale" first aired and held a mirror to America with its dystopian tale of a post-apocalyptic world where a totalitarian theocracy ravaged the United States, forcing fertile women to work as natal slaves for the ruling class. After years with a relatively small scope focusing on a single woman named June (Elisabeth Moss) trying to escape her unimaginable situation as a Handmaid, last season ended with June finally escaping Gilead, and participating in the brutal killing of her abuser, commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes).

With the status quo blown wide open, we are entering new territory for "The Handmaid's Tale." The show was praised from the very beginning for its adaptation of Margaret Atwood's source material of the same name, and its unsettling allegory of the political climate in the United States. With how much reality has started to mirror elements of the show in terms of reproductive rights, "The Handmaid's Tale" has never been more relevant.

Showrunner Bruce Miller said after the season 1 finale that the plan was to follow a 10-season plan. Whether that continues to be the case or not remains to be seen, but Miller doesn't rule out continuing the story even if it's with other characters, including the sinister Aunt Lydia, played by the fantastic Ann Dowd.

In the meantime, here is our first proper look at season 5.

"I killed him, and I loved it so much," we hear June tell her husband, Luke (played by O-T Fagbenle) about the murder of the Commander. But as happy as June is, there is a war brewing. Turns out, fascism can easily cross borders, and a new Gilead is starting to rise in Toronto, which is a slap in the face to viewers who spent four seasons watching June escape one Gilead only to wind up back in another. Also in Canada and looking to start a war is Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), the Commander's very pregnant widow who is leading the charge of expanding Gilead up north. 

"The Handmaid's Tale" premieres on September 14, 2022, on Hulu.

Here's the synopsis for the new season:

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.