Commander Waterford may be gone, but he has not been forgotten.
First look photos for season five of The Handmaid's Tale show that the deceased commander (Joseph Fiennes) is still very much a part of the narrative after his murder last season. Specifically, June (Elisabeth Moss), who the commander repeatedly raped throughout the dystopian drama, is seen seething in one close up shot. We're guessing that orchestrating his death didn't provide the closure June was hoping for.
Hulu's description for the show, which returns September 14, even teased, "June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose."
As for Waterford's wife? Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) is spotted in full funeral attire, looking less than heartbroken. In fact, following the death of her husband, the widow is looking to "raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead's influence creeps into Canada," according to Hulu.
That's not all that can be expected from the new season, as an unexpected alliance between Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) arises. And, of course, Moira (Samira Wiley) and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) aren't done helping June fight Gilead from the safety of Canada.
Unfortunately, fans have seen the last of Alexis Bledel's Emily, as the actress announced in May that she was exiting the series.
"I am forever grateful to [creator] Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily," she said in a statement to E! News, "and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support."
Alexis won the 2017 Emmy for Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work as escaped handmaiden Emily/Ofglen. She was nominated in that same category in 2020 and 2021 and also earned an Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series nomination in 2018.
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