Alexis Bledel returns in jaw-dropping Handmaid's Tale series finale
In a surprise that left audiences both shocked and tearful, Alexis Bledel had a strong comeback to The Handmaid's Tale in the series finale, serving as a full-circle experience for one of TV's most adored characters.
The 43-year-old star, who played Emily Malek (née Ofglen), came back to Gilead on the May 27 finale after leaving the Hulu show before season 5. Her surprise return provided much-needed closure to her character's storyline and a poignant reunion with Elisabeth Moss's June Osborne.
It was the right thing to do to close the chapter on Emily's story and give the audience a feeling of completion," Bledel explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "Bruce [Miller] assembled such a generous and talented team, and so many of the original crew members were still with us in season six. The production is like a well-oiled machine — everybody brings their A-game.
Bledel, Emmy winner for her chilling acting as Emily, replied it was an "immediate yes" when she was approached to return for the series finale — a feeling that was shared by Moss, 42, who was an early proponent of the idea.
"I told [Miller] back then, 'You see now that you've shared that with me, we have to do it?'" Moss explained. "And she wanted to do it all along. She didn't require convincing whatsoever. My first scripted scene on day one was with Alexis. So it was important to get to work with her once again."
In the season finale , Emily's backstory is revealed as she informs that she had been secretly collaborating with the rebellion against Gilead during her time away from the show. She also informs that, with the assistance of a sympathetic Commander, she was able to maintain contact with her wife Sylvia (played by Clea DuVall) and their child — a moment of ultimate reward for fans who had been cheering for her character's family reunion for so long.
Bledel's return lent emotional depth to the conclusion of The Handmaid's Tale, which has been praised for its consideration of resistance, identity, and survival in a dystopian society. Her return contributed not just a sense of narrative resolution, but also an acknowledgement of the lasting influence of her character.
Now that the series has wrapped, Emily's return is one of the most bittersweet and fulfilling surprises in the history of the show — a last, optimistic nod to strength and those bonds which remain even in the bleakest of situations.
The 43-year-old star, who played Emily Malek (née Ofglen), came back to Gilead on the May 27 finale after leaving the Hulu show before season 5. Her surprise return provided much-needed closure to her character's storyline and a poignant reunion with Elisabeth Moss's June Osborne.
It was the right thing to do to close the chapter on Emily's story and give the audience a feeling of completion," Bledel explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "Bruce [Miller] assembled such a generous and talented team, and so many of the original crew members were still with us in season six. The production is like a well-oiled machine — everybody brings their A-game.
Bledel, Emmy winner for her chilling acting as Emily, replied it was an "immediate yes" when she was approached to return for the series finale — a feeling that was shared by Moss, 42, who was an early proponent of the idea.
"I told [Miller] back then, 'You see now that you've shared that with me, we have to do it?'" Moss explained. "And she wanted to do it all along. She didn't require convincing whatsoever. My first scripted scene on day one was with Alexis. So it was important to get to work with her once again."
In the season finale , Emily's backstory is revealed as she informs that she had been secretly collaborating with the rebellion against Gilead during her time away from the show. She also informs that, with the assistance of a sympathetic Commander, she was able to maintain contact with her wife Sylvia (played by Clea DuVall) and their child — a moment of ultimate reward for fans who had been cheering for her character's family reunion for so long.
Bledel's return lent emotional depth to the conclusion of The Handmaid's Tale, which has been praised for its consideration of resistance, identity, and survival in a dystopian society. Her return contributed not just a sense of narrative resolution, but also an acknowledgement of the lasting influence of her character.
Now that the series has wrapped, Emily's return is one of the most bittersweet and fulfilling surprises in the history of the show — a last, optimistic nod to strength and those bonds which remain even in the bleakest of situations.
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