You've been watching June Osborne stare down a camera lens with that "I’m going to burn this whole place to the ground" look for years now. The one question that keeps everyone glued to the screen—and honestly, the one that makes the show almost unbearable to watch sometimes—is whether June ever actually gets her daughter back. Does Hannah make it out of Gilead? The short answer is complicated. If you’re looking for a scene where June and Luke snatch Hannah from a "wife school" and share a tearful group hug in Toronto, I’ve got some bad news. It doesn't happen like that.
The Brutal Reality of the Season 6 Finale
By the time the credits rolled on the final season of The Handmaid's Tale TV show, the map of North America looked a lot different. The U.S. military and Mayday finally managed to claw back some territory, specifically taking back Boston after a massive strike. But Gilead is a big place, and Hannah wasn't in Boston.
In the final episodes, we find out Hannah (who the regime calls Agnes MacKenzie) had been moved from Colorado to Washington, D.C. While the distance was technically shorter, the security was tighter. June and Luke end the series apart, both still fighting. They haven't given up, but they haven't won yet, either.
June ends the show in a state of "almost." She sees a vision of Hannah, a symbolic hand-off to the future. It’s a bit of a gut-punch for fans who wanted a clean resolution, but the showrunners’ hands were tied. Why? Because of The Testaments.
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Why The Testaments Changes Everything
Margaret Atwood wrote a sequel novel called The Testaments in 2019, and Hulu is already turning it into a spin-off series. Because that book exists, the TV show couldn't let Hannah escape as a child. If she got out at age 12, the entire plot of the next show would vanish.
In the lore established by Atwood—which the TV universe has to respect—Hannah’s escape is a long game. She doesn't get out because her parents save her. She gets out because she saves herself.
How Hannah eventually leaves
If you follow the "true" ending from the source material, here is how it actually goes down:
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- She becomes an Aunt: To avoid being married off to an older Commander (a guy named Judd), Hannah—known as Agnes—enters Ardua Hall. She trains to become an Aunt, which is the only way for a woman in Gilead to learn how to read and write.
- The Inside Job: She isn't just a loyal soldier. Under the guidance of a much older, much more "double agent" version of Aunt Lydia, Hannah starts working to dismantle the system from the inside.
- The Reunion: It takes roughly fifteen years after the events of the original story. Hannah and her half-sister, Nichole (who goes by Daisy in Canada), eventually reunite and smuggle out the "Geneva Files"—incriminating evidence that causes Gilead to finally collapse.
Common Misconceptions About Hannah’s Fate
People often think Hannah has been totally brainwashed. We saw that heartbreaking scene where she didn't recognize June in the glass cage. It was brutal.
But The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 gave us a tiny spark of hope. We saw Hannah at her school, secretly writing her real name on a piece of paper. She knows who she is. She hasn't forgotten her mother, even if she has to pretend she has to survive.
Another big myth is that Nick or Commander Lawrence will just "hand her over." Lawrence has made it clear: Hannah is a high-value asset. She's the daughter of a high-ranking Commander (her adoptive father, MacKenzie). She isn't just a kid; she's a political pawn.
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The Verdict on Hannah’s Freedom
So, does Hannah make it out of Gilead? Yes. She does. But you won’t see it in the main Handmaid’s Tale series.
She survives the regime, she grows up, and she eventually makes it to Canada to see her mother again. It just happens when she’s a woman in her twenties, not a little girl. It's a bittersweet ending. June misses out on her daughter's entire childhood, which is perhaps the cruelest thing Gilead ever did.
If you’re feeling unsatisfied with the TV ending, your best bet is to pick up a copy of The Testaments or wait for the new Hulu series. It’s the only place you’ll get to see the actual moment Hannah steps across the border.
Next Steps for Fans:
Keep an eye out for casting news regarding the Testaments TV series, as the actor playing the adult Agnes/Hannah will be the new lead of the franchise. You might also want to re-watch the Season 5 finale to spot the specific hints about Hannah’s "Wife School" training, as those details directly set up her future as a Supplicant in the next chapter of the story.