[Spoiler] Makes a Long-Awaited Return in <i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i>’s Series Finale

Spoilers below.

The Handmaid’s Tale has put us through the wringer throughout its final season (and the whole series, really), but luckily, not all of the surprises have been brutal. In this week’s season 6 finale—the show’s final episode—June (Elisabeth Moss) and viewers at home were treated to Emily’s (Alexis Bledel) shocking but welcome return.

The character, who was introduced in the show’s first season, was written off after season 4 when Bledel stepped away from the series. In season 5, Emily’s wife, Sylvia (Clea DuVall), tells June that Emily returned to Gilead on a personal mission to seek revenge and find Aunt Lydia. Since then, she’s been missing in action, until this week’s finale scene, where Emily and June reunite and take a walk together in a freed Boston.

“It was an immediate yes,” Bledel told The Hollywood Reporter of returning to Handmaid’s for the finale. “It felt right to bring closure to Emily’s journey and offer the audience a sense of completion. Bruce put together such a kind and talented group, and so many of the original crew were still there in season six. The production runs like a well-oiled machine — everyone brings their best. I’m excited to see what they create in [sequel series] The Testaments.”

Bledel added, “I hope viewers take away to keep hope alive when things seem impossible. Even if it seems like seeds you plant couldn’t possibly grow, plant seeds of hope anyway. You never know; they might find a way.”

The actress announced her departure from The Handmaid’s Tale in May 2022, ahead of the season 5 premiere. “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ at this time,” she told Variety in a statement. “I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”

At the time, Moss told Entertainment Tonight that Bledel’s exit “wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to handle, I’ll be honest with you, because she’s such a great, fantastic part of the show. But I do think that it was handled in a really good way.”

Years later, the star, director, and executive producer opened up about bringing Bledel—and Emily—back to Handmaid’s for its emotional conclusion. “Bruce talked to me about bringing her back a while ago, before there was even an outline or script,” Moss told THR. “I think I said to him at the time, ‘You realize now that you’ve told me that, we have to do it.’ It’s not the easiest thing in the world to call an actor and be like, ‘Can you come back for this one episode?’ They’re busy. But I was like, ‘She has to do it.’ I get very passionate about these things! And she wanted to do it from the beginning. She didn’t need convincing at all. My first official scene on day one [on set] was with Alexis. So it meant a lot to get to work with her again.”

That surprise cameo meant a lot to fans, too.