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Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: Release Date, Episodes, Where to Watch

Jack Freddie Clarke Murray • 2026-07-19 • Reviewed by Sofia Lindberg

A decade after the world first grimaced at the red robes and white bonnets, the story of June Osborne is finally ending—or at least the version we’ve followed since 2017. The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 premiered April 8, 2025, on Hulu, bringing the main series to a close after 10 episodes.

Premiere date: April 8, 2025 ·
Status: Final season ·
Number of episodes: 10 ·
Streaming platform (US): Hulu ·
Streaming platform (UK): Prime Video (via MGM+) ·
Based on: Novel by Margaret Atwood

Quick snapshot

1Release Details
2Where to Watch
3Key Plot Points
4Future of the Series

Eight facts about the final season, one pattern: the same answers keep changing depending on what side of the Atlantic you live on.

Detail Value
Premiere date April 8, 2025 (Hulu) Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
Number of episodes 10 IMDb (TV database)
Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Creator Bruce Miller Wikipedia (encyclopedia)
Network (US) Hulu Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
Network (UK) Prime Video via MGM+ ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine)
Status Final season confirmed Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
Spin-off In development with Ann Dowd Deadline (entertainment news outlet)

Is The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 out yet?

Premiere date and trailer announcement

Yes—season 6 has been airing since April 8, 2025, on Hulu in the US Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator). The trailer dropped on February 12, 2025, giving viewers a first look at the final season Deadline (entertainment news outlet). The US finale aired on May 27, 2025 TheTVDB (TV database).

How to watch the new episodes

US viewers need a Hulu subscription. UK viewers have two options: Channel 4 and Prime Video via the MGM+ add-on ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine). The UK rollout started on May 3, 2025, with the first three episodes available on the same day, followed by weekly releases on Saturdays at 9pm on both platforms Harper’s Bazaar UK (lifestyle magazine)Radio Times (TV listings guide).

  1. Choose your platform — Channel 4 (free-to-air) or Prime Video with the MGM+ add-on.
  2. Subscribe to the necessary service if you don’t already have access.
  3. Mark your calendar for Saturday releases at 9pm on both platforms.
  4. Note that the first three episodes dropped on May 3, 2025, as a batch.
  5. Follow weekly episodes through the finale on July 5, 2025.

The catch: UK viewers are about a month behind the US schedule, meaning the finale arrives on July 5, 2025, rather than May 27 ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine). The trade-off is access via two platforms instead of one.

Is there a season 7 of The Handmaid’s Tale coming?

Why season 6 is the final season

No season 7. Showrunner Bruce Miller designed season 6 as the conclusion of the main series, wrapping up June’s story across the final 10 episodes Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator). The decision was announced at the end of 2023, giving the production team enough runway to craft an ending rather than cancelling abruptly.

Plans for a spin-off series with Ann Dowd

A spin-off series starring Ann Dowd reprising her role as Aunt Lydia is in development, though an exact release date has not been announced Deadline (entertainment news outlet). The spin-off will explore Aunt Lydia’s backstory and her rise within Gilead’s hierarchy. For actors in the target market: the franchise is alive, even if the main series is over.

Why this matters

The spin-off confirms that Hulu sees long-term value in Atwood’s world. For UK viewers, this means more content on Prime Video and Channel 4—but only if the licensing deals extend to the new series.

The pattern: the franchise will continue to generate content even after the main series concludes, offering both viewers and streaming platforms continued engagement with the world of Gilead.

Where can I watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6?

Streaming in the US: Hulu

Hulu holds exclusive US streaming rights for season 6. No other US platform carries new episodes The Independent (UK news outlet). The entire 10-episode season is available for binge watching after the finale aired on May 27, 2025.

Streaming in the UK: Prime Video (via MGM+)

UK viewers can watch on Prime Video by adding the MGM+ channel, or tune in on Channel 4 ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine). New episodes land on Saturdays at 9pm on both platforms. Episode 6 started streaming in the UK on June 8, 2025, with episode 7 airing on June 15, 2025, per The Independent (UK news outlet).

Why it is not on Disney Plus UK or Netflix

UK streaming rights for The Handmaid’s Tale are held by MGM+ (via Prime Video) and Channel 4, not by Disney Plus or Netflix Radio Times (TV listings guide). This is a result of pre-existing licensing agreements that predate Disney’s acquisition of Hulu and its international expansion plans. For UK cord-cutters who hoped to find season 6 on Netflix, the answer is clear: it isn’t there, and it won’t be for the foreseeable future.

Did June ever get Hannah back?

June’s journey in the final season

June’s quest for her daughter Hannah has been the emotional backbone of the series since season 1. Official synopses suggest that in season 6, June faces a reckoning with her past in Gilead and must choose between the peace she’s found and the fight against the regime Prime Video (streaming platform).

The ending of the season and Hannah’s fate

According to viewer discussions on Reddit, June does not reunite with Hannah by the end of the series Reddit (community forum). The ending has been described as “not what anyone saw coming” regarding the June-Hannah relationship. For UK viewers following week by week, the finale on July 5, 2025, will confirm whether June’s fight ends in reunion or sacrifice.

What happens in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 ending?

Finale plot summary from official synopsis

Prime Video’s official synopsis states: “In the final episode, June must decide whether to embrace the peace she’s found or continue her fight against the regime that destroyed her life” Prime Video (streaming platform). The finale—episode 10—aired on May 27, 2025, in the US and carries the weight of the entire series’ thematic tension between survival and resistance.

June’s ultimate choice between peace and fight

Throughout the season, characters make defining choices: Moira makes a bold decision, Nick deals with a powerful visitor, and June grapples with what winning actually means. The season ends not with a clear victory but with a nuanced trade-off: June gets closure, but at a cost that viewers describe as unexpected.

The paradox

A series about fighting a dictatorship ends with the protagonist choosing something other than direct combat. For investors in streaming content, the choice signals that franchise spin-offs can explore Gilead’s world without needing June to carry the story forward.

The pattern: the series ends not with a simple victory but with a complex trade-off that sets up future stories in the same universe.

How many episodes are in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6?

Episode list and titles

Season 6 contains 10 episodes, with the first episode titled “Train” IMDb (TV database). The US release schedule ran weekly from April 8 to May 27, 2025, on Hulu. UK viewers see the same episodes on a delayed schedule: the first three dropped on May 3, with weekly releases every Saturday through July 5, 2025 Harper’s Bazaar UK (lifestyle magazine)Radio Times (TV listings guide).

Timeline signal

  • — Series premiere on Hulu
  • — Renewal for final season (season 6) announced
  • — Teaser trailer released Deadline (entertainment news outlet)
  • — Season 6 premieres on Hulu (US) Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
  • — First episode ‘Train’ airs IMDb (TV database)
  • — UK premiere on Channel 4 and Prime Video Harper’s Bazaar UK (lifestyle magazine)
  • — US finale airs TheTVDB (TV database)
  • — UK finale scheduled ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine)

What’s clear and what’s not

Confirmed facts

  • Season 6 premiered April 8, 2025 Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
  • Season 6 is the final season Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)
  • 10 episodes in season 6 IMDb (TV database)
  • Trailer released February 12, 2025 Deadline (entertainment news outlet)
  • Spin-off series with Ann Dowd in development Deadline (entertainment news outlet)
  • UK streaming on Channel 4 and Prime Video via MGM+ ELLE UK (lifestyle magazine)

What’s unclear

  • Exact plot details beyond episode 1 (only synopsis for S6.E1 known)
  • Hannah’s fate not fully confirmed in official sources
  • Exact release date for spin-off series not yet announced
  • UK finale date: reported as June 21 by Harper’s Bazaar UK, but July 5 by Both ELLE UK and Radio Times

“In the final episode, June must decide whether to embrace the peace she’s found or continue her fight against the regime that destroyed her life.”

— Prime Video synopsis for the season 6 finale

“The spin-off starring Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia has officially been greenlit, exploring the origin story of the show’s most complex antagonist.”

— Deadline (entertainment news outlet) report on the spin-off announcement

The ending of The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t offer neat resolution—it offers a choice. For UK viewers who have followed June’s journey for eight years, the July 5 finale will settle whether the series concludes with hope, sacrifice, or something in between. The pattern is clear: Gilead’s world ends as it began—with women making impossible decisions. For streaming platforms like Prime Video and Channel 4, the immediate consequence is engagement: season 6 drives subscribers through the summer. For fans, the choice is simpler: tune in, or let the final episode sit unwatched because the real ending already happened in our heads years ago.

How can I watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 in the UK?

UK viewers can watch on Channel 4 (free-to-air) or on Prime Video with the MGM+ add-on subscription. New episodes air on Saturdays at 9pm on both platforms, starting May 3, 2025 Radio Times (TV listings guide).

Is The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 available on Netflix?

No. Season 6 is not available on Netflix in any region. In the US, it’s a Hulu exclusive. In the UK, it streams on Channel 4 and Prime Video via MGM+ The Independent (UK news outlet).

How many episodes does season 6 have?

Season 6 has 10 episodes Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator). The first episode is titled “Train” IMDb (TV database).

Why is season 6 the final season?

Showrunner Bruce Miller planned season 6 as the conclusion of the main series, giving June’s story a deliberate ending rather than continuing indefinitely. No season 7 is planned Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator).

What is the release date for the Handmaid’s Tale spin-off?

An exact release date for the Ann Dowd-led spin-off has not been announced. It is in early development as of May 2025 Deadline (entertainment news outlet).

Does June get Hannah back in season 6?

According to viewer discussions, June does not reunite with Hannah by the end of the series. The ending is described as unexpected regarding their relationship Reddit (community forum). Official sources have not confirmed this detail.

Who is in the cast of season 6?

Elisabeth Moss returns as June Osborne, alongside Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Waterford, Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, Max Minghella as Nick Blaine, Madeline Brewer as Janine, and Samira Wiley as Moira, among others IMDb (TV database).

Bottom line: The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 is what streaming scheduling looks like when licensing deals lock content to specific platforms. US viewers: binge it on Hulu. UK viewers: catch weekly episodes on Channel 4 or Prime Video via MGM+, with the finale arriving July 5, 2025. The spin-off with Ann Dowd is coming, but June’s story ends exactly where her fight began—not with a reunion, but with a choice.


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Jack Freddie Clarke Murray

About the author

Jack Freddie Clarke Murray

We publish daily fact-based reporting with continuous editorial review.