Warning! This article contains mentions of rape.
Like everyone else, I am eagerly awaiting the release of the season 6 finale ofThe Handmaid’s Taleon May 27, and I am convinced that the final episode will feature a story with Janine Lindo (Madeline Brewer) that it can’t do withJune Osborne (Elizabeth Moss). Since the very first episodes ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, June and Janine have been bound together not only by a genuine friendship, but also by their status as Handmaids. And, as Handmaids in Gilead, both women face some truly horrific hardships.
Every woman in Gilead struggles, no matter her social class,but, as Handmaids,June and Janine have no control over their bodies or the children they are forced to bear.Before Gilead,June had a daughter named Hannah (Jordana Blake), and Janine had a son, Caleb, who died in the takeover. As handmaids in Gilead, however, both women had additional daughters who were stolen by the Commanders at birth. While June has had some success freeing her younger child, both Hannah and Janine’s little girl, Angela or Charlotte, are still trapped in Gilead.
Janine Deserves A Happy Ending In The Handmaid’s Tale
A Happy Ending Means Angela
The best possible thing that could happen to Janine in the finale ofThe Handmaid’s Talewould be to see her reunited with Angela, and I truly hope that she gets that happy ending. While it makes sense thatThe Handmaid’s Taleoverall seems to be striving for a more bittersweet ending- as it should - giving Janine in particular some peace at the end would offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise grim show.
Janine still has the strength to rebel against the bastards that have ground her down for years.
Janine was raped even before Gilead, had her eye torn out as a punishment at the Red Center, and spent years experiencing sexual violence first as a Handmaid, then as a Jezebel. Despite it all, Janine still has the strength to rebel against the bastards that have ground her down for years. I want to see her happy in the finale ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, andI don’t see a world where Janine is happy and Angela is still trapped in Gilead.
It Would Be A Good Ending For Both Janine & Naomi
Image via Hulu
The biggest reason that I think Janine will be reunited with her daughter is that ifThe Handmaid’s Talewill give Janine a happy ending, it is impossible without Angela.Also, after the end of season 6 episode 9 “Execution,” baby Angela’s status has never been more uncertain.Naomi Lawrence (Ever Carradine) is once again a widow and is faced with the responsibility of raising Angela alone - a responsibility she never asked for.
Consistently, Naomi has been at her most human when dealing with baby Angela. For Naomi, that combination of humanity and not wanting responsibility for a toddler could lead Naomi to find a way to reunite Angela and Janine. No matter how things turn out, however,I am confident thatThe Handmaid’s Taleis not finished with Naomi, Angela, and Janine’s stories.
Janine Getting Her Daughter Back Makes Sense Because June Can’t Get Hannah
One Of Them Deserves A Happy Ending
But, ultimately, the single most important reason that I think Janine will reunite with Angela is that it is all but guaranteed that June will not be able to reunite with Hannah. Hulu has already announced that they will be doing a sequel TV series based onMargaret Atwood’s 2019 novel,The Testaments,and, inThe Testaments, Hannah is still in Gilead.If Hulu is going to stick with the story that Atwood has laid out, then Hannah has to remain in Gilead.
If Janine is reunited with Angela while June stays separated from Hannah, that would fit with the bittersweet tone that would be ideal for the finale…
Leaving both June and Janine unable to reunite with their daughters seems incredibly depressing, even forThe Handmaid’s Tale. After how much Janine and June have suffered, it would be pretty unbearable for both of them to be alone in the end. On the other hand, however, if Janine is reunited with Angela while June stays separated from Hannah, that would fit with the bittersweet tone that would be ideal for the finale ofThe Handmaid’s Tale.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cast
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
