If you’ve spent the last few years biting your nails over June Osborne’s fate, you aren’t alone. We’ve been waiting a long time. Gilead has a way of making time feel like a flat, miserable circle, doesn't it? But here we are. The end is actually here. Honestly, the most common question I'm getting right now from fellow fans is pretty straightforward: how many episodes in season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale are we actually getting before the curtain closes?
Let’s get the hard numbers out of the way so you can plan your watch parties (or your solo "staring at the wall in emotional exhaustion" sessions).
The Official Count: How Many Episodes in Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale?
Hulu decided to keep things lean for the grand finale. There are exactly 10 episodes in the sixth and final season.
It’s a bit of a shift if you remember the middle of the series. Seasons 2 and 3 felt massive with 13 episodes each. It felt like June was stuck in a loop of almost-escaping for ages. Then, starting with Season 4, the showrunners tightened things up to a 10-episode format. They’ve stuck with that for the finish line.
Honestly, it's probably for the best.
A tighter episode count usually means less filler and more "holy crap" moments. When you're trying to wrap up a revolution, a war in Canada, and the weirdest frenemy relationship in TV history (June and Serena, obviously), you don't have time to mess around.
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The Release Schedule Breakdown
Hulu didn't just dump these all at once. They know we like to suffer one week at a time. The season kicked off with a three-episode premiere on April 8, 2025. If you missed the initial wave, here is how the rollout looked:
- Episode 1 ("Train"): April 8, 2025
- Episode 2 ("Exile"): April 8, 2025
- Episode 3 ("Devotion"): April 8, 2025
- Episode 4 ("Promotion"): April 15, 2025
- Episode 5 ("Janine"): April 22, 2025
- Episode 6 ("Surprise"): April 29, 2025
- Episode 7 ("Shattered"): May 6, 2025
- Episode 8 ("Exodus"): May 13, 2025
- Episode 9 ("Execution"): May 20, 2025
- Episode 10 ("The Handmaid's Tale"): May 27, 2025
It’s interesting that the very last episode is titled just like the show itself. It feels very full circle. Like they're finally closing the book Margaret Atwood started back in the 80s.
Why 10 Episodes is the Sweet Spot for the Finale
Some fans were kinda bummed. They wanted 15 episodes. They wanted 20. But if you look at how TV is made now, 10 is the gold standard for prestige drama.
Showrunner Bruce Miller—who handed the day-to-day reins to Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang for this final run—has always been big on "quality over quantity." Every single one of these 10 episodes had a massive budget. We're talking feature-film level cinematography. You can't maintain that level of visual intensity over 13 or 15 episodes without the story starting to sag in the middle.
Also, let's talk about the emotional toll.
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Watching The Handmaid’s Tale is exhausting. It's brilliant, but it’s heavy. Ten episodes is just enough to put us through the wringer without making us feel completely hopeless.
What Actually Happens in These Episodes?
Without giving away every single spoiler (because you really should experience the "Train" episode for yourself), the season picks up right where the Season 5 cliffhanger left us. June and Serena are on a train heading west. They are both mothers. Both refugees. Both deeply dangerous to one another.
The season spends its 10-episode arc focusing on a few core themes:
- New Bethlehem: Is it a trap or a real chance at home?
- Hannah: The search for June’s daughter finally reaches a boiling point.
- The Fall of Gilead: We start to see the cracks in the foundation, especially with Commander Lawrence playing his weird, long-game chess match.
Does the Series Finale Actually End the Story?
This is where it gets tricky. Yes, Season 6 is the end of this show. But it's not the end of this world.
Hulu has already confirmed they are working on The Testaments. This is based on Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel, which takes place about 15 years after the first book. Since we know The Testaments exists, some fans were worried that Season 6 wouldn't give us a "real" ending.
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Elisabeth Moss actually addressed this in an interview with TVLine. She basically said that this season was made "for the fans." They wanted to give June a conclusion that felt earned. Even if the world of Gilead continues in a spin-off, June Osborne’s specific journey as the "Handmaid" of the title concludes here.
The Production Journey
It wasn't easy getting these 10 episodes to our screens. Filming was delayed significantly by the 2023 strikes. Production didn't actually get rolling until September 2024 in Toronto.
The cast stayed incredibly tight-knit through the whole thing. If you follow O-T Fagbenle (Luke) or Amanda Brugel (Rita) on Instagram, you saw the "wrap" posts in February 2025. It was super emotional. These people have been in the trenches together since 2017.
Final Thoughts on the Episode Count
Knowing there are only 10 episodes in season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale makes every minute feel more precious. There’s no time for those long, lingering close-ups of June’s face that lasted five minutes in Season 3. Every scene has to move the needle.
By the time you hit episode 10, titled "The Handmaid's Tale," the show has effectively bridged the gap between the original series and what's coming next in the franchise.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check your local listings: If you are in the UK, remember that Channel 4 and Prime Video usually trail a few weeks behind the US Hulu release.
- Re-watch the Season 5 finale: Seriously. The train scene is the only way to understand why Season 6 starts the way it does.
- Read "The Testaments": If you want clues about which characters might survive into the next series, Margaret Atwood's sequel book is basically a roadmap.
The journey is over, but the impact of these 66 total episodes is going to be talked about for a long, long time.