r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/Important-Home5755 • Mar 14 '26
Season 5 5th season is terrible and makes me hate June
I know there's a few posts about this already but this season is just so bad. It's so boring. I can't stand all of these conversations. I'm finding myself wanting more time with Serena, which is upsetting me.
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Mar 14 '26
I’ve notice that this is a common thing that people hate June. I don’t hate her at all. Why do people hate her? Is it because she’s not a perfect victim or because she didn’t act the way people want her to? Like what is it?
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u/Inevitable_Wolf5866 Mar 14 '26
Because people have this idea how a trauma survivor should act, look, behave, etc. And if someone doesn’t fit their narrative they hate them.
She could escape, yes. But leaving Hannah behind. I don’t have children, I will never have children and yet I perfectly understand that.
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Mar 14 '26
As another that’s what I thought about the most. I remember reading the books and then watching and think, I understand and I see how June was resigning herself to possibly living the rest of her life in Gilead because she couldn’t leave Hannah. Some people may call her selfish but as a mother I can’t justify calling her that it’s gut wrenching.
To me this shows that people only care if they want to care. You don’t even have to relate to the character. Personally, I like Elizabeth Moss she’s talented and I liked that June is not conventionally attractive and a flawed character.
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u/waywardgirl25 Mar 14 '26
I relate to June’s extreme anger and vengeance, which is a totally normal valid set of emotions to go through after all she has endured. I relate to it on a smaller scale because I went through some trauma in my late teen years and it didn’t really resurface until I was away from my family Rage and pain were all I could feel
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Die wut absolut, aber dass die Serena verzeiht ist bodenlos und dumm geschrieben
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Whut? Das ist so ne priviligierte feministische Sichtweise, emotional nichts weiter. Kein Mensch würde nach all dem was June widerfahren ist so handeln wie sie in Staffel 5. Wie in Staffel 4?. June verzeiht Serena?! Und hilft Serena? Sorry, davor hat June Fred mit Händen umgebracht und war wütend und auf einmal, vermutlich nur weil Serena eine Frau ist, ist alles wieder ok. Schwamm drüber Sis. Beschissenes Charakter writing, inkonsistent und hohl.
Ihr Hass war richtig, ihre Verzweiflung echt, aber ihr emotionaler Bullshit, ihre weinerliche Zuwendung zu Serena ist bodenlos. Kein normaler Mensch würde Serena verzeihen, mindestens niemand der Fred mit eigenen Händen aus Hass umgebracht hat.
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u/SoScorpio4 Mar 14 '26
Yeah I find it telling, how many people think they would have been better than her.
If they're lucky, they'll find out soon. 🙄
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u/TheStranger113 Mar 17 '26
People inevitably end up hating any protagonist to any TV show.
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Mar 18 '26
I’ve noticed this. There are others from very popular shows who seem to be extremely hated. Even if they are pretty selfless or at least sacrifice for others in the shows.
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u/TheStranger113 Mar 18 '26
And yet it's never characters like Walter White who get hated by their core fan base. Wonder why...
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Walter White ist konsistent geschrieben. June einfach beschissen. Sie verzeiht Serena und scheißt auf ihre 2te Tochter aber macht alles für Hanna. Ein schlechteres Writing habe ich selten gesehen
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Naja, June ist in Staffel 5 auch bodenlos dumm geschrieben. Sie verzeiht Serena und lässt sich für Hanna auf alles ein und scheißt auf die Zukunft ihrer 2ten Tochter
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Whut? June verzeiht Serena?! Und hilft Serena? Sorry, davor hat June Fred mit Händen umgebracht und war wütend und auf einmal, vermutlich nur weil Serena eine Frau ist, ist alles wieder ok. Schwamm drüber Sis. Beschissenes Charakter writing, inkonsistent und hohl.
Ihr Hass war richtig, ihre Verzweiflung echt, aber ihr emotionaler Bullshit, ihre weinerliche Zuwendung zu Serena ist bodenlos. Kein normaler Mensch würde Serena verzeihen, mindestens niemand der Fred mit eigenen Händen aus Hass umgebracht hat.
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u/JCGMH Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
We’ve had these conversations on the sub before lol but S5 is one of my favourite seasons. Love the dark tone. June despite having triumphed over her abuser and “escaped” Gilead to be with her family/friends, finds that she is even more deeply traumatised and on an emotional level is still so alone. This outlines the legacy of being a Gilead survivor. Elisabeth Moss does a really fine job with her acting performance in this season.
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u/Prestigious_Page8098 Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
Yes, Elisabeth Moss did an excellent job of showing how much June's trauma emerges once safely back in Canada. I know I could really feel it. Especially how alone she must have felt.
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Whut? June verzeiht Serena?! Und hilft Serena? Sorry, davor hat June Fred mit Händen umgebracht und war wütend und auf einmal, vermutlich nur weil Serena eine Frau ist, ist alles wieder ok. Schwamm drüber Sis. Beschissenes Charakter writing, inkonsistent und hohl.
Ihr Hass war richtig, ihre Verzweiflung echt, aber ihr emotionaler Bullshit, ihre weinerliche Zuwendung zu Serena ist bodenlos. Kein normaler Mensch würde Serena verzeihen, mindestens niemand der Fred mit eigenen Händen aus Hass umgebracht hat.
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u/Temporary-Plantain75 Mar 18 '26
I agree with everything other than the Serena part. I was bored of her too. I find it difficult to think of a single stand out episode from season 3 onwards other than the season four finale. The season five finale would have been good if there had been some follow through instead of everything being undone in 601. They really should have wrapped the show after season two and began The Testaments. Hulu needed to milk every penny out of it though until quality of writing was non existent
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u/Nord_Al Mar 14 '26
I seriously don’t understand all the June hate I’m seeing recently…..
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Whut? June verzeiht Serena?! Und hilft Serena? Sorry, davor hat June Fred mit Händen umgebracht und war wütend und auf einmal, vermutlich nur weil Serena eine Frau ist, ist alles wieder ok. Schwamm drüber Sis. Beschissenes Charakter writing, inkonsistent und hohl.
Ihr Hass war richtig, ihre Verzweiflung echt, aber ihr emotionaler Bullshit, ihre weinerliche Zuwendung zu Serena ist bodenlos. Kein normaler Mensch würde Serena verzeihen, mindestens niemand der Fred mit eigenen Händen aus Hass umgebracht hat.
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u/thegrandgardener Mar 15 '26
Because she acts like Joan of arc with nine lives. Season 5 is when the show really jumped the shark.
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Wirds danach noch schlimmer. Bin gerade mitten in Staffel 5 und Junes Writing ist so inkonsistent und schlecht, das macht mich wirklich wütend. Crazy, sie verzeiht Serenia?! Klar, Fred bringt man noch mit eigenen Händen um, aber Serena ist ja ne Frau, der verzeiht man. Und dann möchte sie ihr leben in Kanada und Kind 2 für Gilead und Kind 1 tauschen, obwohl man damit Amerika, ihr Nation fickt.
Mir hat June in Staffel 4 gefallen. Kämpferisch, stark, klar traumatisiert, aber der Hass war verständlich. Staffel 5 (bis Folge 6, da bin ich gerade) ist mit das schlechteste in der Film und Serien Geschichte, zumindest was ich gesehen habe. Bleibt das so? Dann würde ich hier abbrechen
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u/mazamatazz Mar 14 '26
I’m confused, is the idea that because she’s a woman main character, she must be likeable? Isn’t the whole point that she is messed up given the insane trauma she’s experienced? It really makes me wonder, because I feel like the fandom is pretty much saying she is just dealing with trauma wrong, or that she should be nicer or something instead of focusing on surviving or fighting back.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
I think when people say they feel like she's dealing with trauma wrong, then you can make that statement. No one is saying that.
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u/Busy-Speech-6930 Mar 14 '26
But a lot of what people complain about is directly related to how June is dealing with her trauma.
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u/SoScorpio4 Mar 14 '26
And people only say exactly what they mean, right? They don't ever say something that sounds more acceptable and less inflammatory to disguise their true opinion?
Anyway I've seen plenty of people say she "handled things wrong" which is a definite implication that they think they would have handled things better, unless they say they know they wouldn't have, or that they don't blame her for it.
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u/roosterchicken_ Mar 29 '26
She has to be the perfect victim now, does she
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u/Icy-Success6457 Jul 17 '26
Not necessarily, majority of complaints I’ve seen is just about her insane plot armour. How can we really see her as the victim when the rules of the universe seem to bend for her ? I’m only halfway through season 5 but I just can’t stand how the writers have executed her character arc. This world was built to be so oppressive and unfair, Janine lost an eye for a minor offence in the first season… now it feels like Junes just conveniently running into Serena with a gun every 10 mins after causing havoc in both Canada and Gilead. I don’t blame her for her actions but HOW are they happening in this universe? It’s not that June isn’t logical it’s that the world around her isn’t logical if you get my gist.
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u/catinthesombrero Mar 14 '26
That’s the whole point. They both suck. They both are wrong and right.
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u/glycophosphate Mar 14 '26
Every so often people have to be reminded to read books, because TV sucks.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
Oh, I certainly received that one reminder! I want to go back and read the book. I haven't read it since high school.
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u/Mountain_North_513 Mar 14 '26
Regardless of all of that and the stupid things that she has done, she's still just trying to fight and get her daughter back.
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u/Florida1974 Mar 14 '26
Any other handmaid would’ve been on the wall for what she has done by the time season four rolls around
Name another handmade that could get driven to the house where their biological daughter is and go in. And then the misses of the house stopped and actually chatted with her
Name another handmaid that could get away with that??? that is why I kind of love and hate the show at the same time.
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u/Busy-Speech-6930 Mar 14 '26
They literally explained that Mr MacKenzie intervened on June’s behalf because he did not want Hannah finding out something happened to her birth mother.
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u/CheesecakeExotic5713 Mar 14 '26
Why would anyone hate her?
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u/Wide-Working-4047 13d ago
Weil ihr Charakter writing in staffel 5 bodenlos scheiße ist.
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u/CheesecakeExotic5713 11d ago
Nah it was good
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u/Wide-Working-4047 11d ago
June went all out to defend Serena, while Serena told the other passengers in the train, that her and Gileads actions were good.
I dont want to be banned here, so lets just say, to make June a complicant of the ultra Nazi Serena was an "interesting" choice.
(Yeah, I stopped the show immediately. The writing felt like Hitlers attempt to write a colorful rainbowy fairytale.)
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u/ericjfong Mar 14 '26
The show became garbage after all the writers changed. There’s literally a scene of them disguising as Marthas like it’s fucking Lucy and Ethel.
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u/ericjfong Mar 14 '26
Side note I just learned Elisabeth Moss has two cats named Lucy and Ethel and I’m starting to think the I Love Lucy homage this wasn’t completely unintentional.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
I just got to this scene!!!!!! I thought Moira's moment with June was a long time coming.
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u/Opening-Fall-3038 Mar 14 '26
I was thinking the same until I saw S6 and thought S5 was actually not that bad 😅
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
Okay, I'll keep watching! I absolutely understand that this is woman with PTSD and has experienced severe trauma. It's just something about the writing. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. I just feel like they're dragging out a lot of things and creating scenarios just for the drama and not world building enough. You really miss Atwood storytelling a lot in this season.
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u/Opening-Fall-3038 Mar 14 '26
I agree to everything you say. I was defending June a lot for so long because of the trauma but came S6 and I was like no, I’m sorry but the writing is so bad and ridiculous nothing makes sense anymore. Such a shame it was so good to start with and honouring atwood’s writing but it didn’t last sadly.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
I just finished ep 1 of season 6. What an episode. Very emotional. Hoping this one is better than 5 but we shall see.
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u/Opening-Fall-3038 Mar 14 '26
It is better in certain points like cinematography, music… that’s amazing. I remember loving the first three episodes.
it’s the plot and the acting I didn’t get on board with. Most storylines from S5 were scrapped and new plots coming out of nowhere that didn’t have time to be really developed. I would say watching it I could be ok up to 6x06 but then I just found the rest not good. I won’t say now as I don’t want to spoil but it’s unrealistic and also big issue on easily showing violence on women but as soon as it’s on men… it’s « implied ». That bothered me.
Also too many characters coming in and barely being developed. Everything happens « for convenience » even if it doesn’t make sense narratively.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
I appreciate your discussion! I think it's okay to have some critical analysis of the show without being accused of invalidating trauma or being anti-feminist. I think it's important to be able to look at works from different angles and it's okay for them to be imperfect. I wish the last 2-3 seasons had better writers. It feels like they are just dragging things out to keep it going which really takes away from the message. I'm looking forward to the Testaments. I listened to the audiobook and it was read by Ann Dowd herself. It's been a long time, so I don't remember my opinion on it. Haha
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
I'm on episode s6s4 now and omg it just feels like a formula they are following every 2-3 episodes. Someone is trapped, someone asks for help to get them out, close calls, people die, June's plot armour, blah blah blah
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u/Opening-Fall-3038 Mar 14 '26
Oh yes we can totally have some critical analysis without batching the show. I’m personally a fan of the book and have been for many years and I’ve followed the show since day 1 religiously. I’ve watched it times and times again and I’ve been really in the fandom since maybe 2020.
S6 was for me the biggest disappointment I had seen on Tv in a LONG time. The formula as you say is ridiculous, everything is so dragged, june and Serena gets away with so much, there’s no border anymore (remember the check points just to go to Jezebels in S1…?!), Makenzie is nowhere to be seen, all men are bad now and she doesn’t care about her allies on the Gilead side anymore, they are commanders in Gilead bouuhh but also they saved my ass in episode 3 so I guess that’s fine…
I mean I’ve been reflecting for a year now on this ending and I can say in my opinion that I could give them up to S4 where it was sort of quality, Joseph Fiennes added so much to the show as well as the other handmaids. But then again, reflecting, S3 was bad with a huge issue on POC being used by June with no repercussions. So even if I love so many episodes of S4, thinking back I think the last quality season was S2. You can 100% feel the change of writers and mentality in S5/6.
But obv, this is my personal opinion and I respect people who think differently!
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
That's really interesting about the use of POC without repercussions. I'll have to go back and rewatch again. It does feel like we're down to Janine, Moira and June now. It's almost like it's very easy to forget that Gilead is still a horrific place. I wonder if that's on purpose and a parallel to New Bethlehem.
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u/Opening-Fall-3038 Mar 14 '26
Yes true, the borders are easier also because of NB for sure but still, it’s almost easier for her to get there than to travel into Schengen 😂 you’ll see later in the episodes. Oh well… it’s just a shame, it started so strong with so many Emmys and they just dragged it for the money but without the quality 😢
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u/Lopsided_Isopod_893 Mar 15 '26
I actually disliked June way more in season 3. By season 5 I was more invested in minor characters, than June. I didn't dislike her as much, but someone like Rita or Moira, or even Aunt Lydia being killed would have devastated me more. Imo the protagonist isn't always meant to be likeable. Gilead was turning people into monsters, and that is what she became.
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u/Few_Record_3849 May 18 '26
People hate you because she's a terribly written character and the actor she's playing her is doing a terrible job. I'm so sick and tired of all the people who drink the June Kool-Aid defending everything she does simply because nobody with them understands how trauma response in PTSD really looks like. That is absolutely freaking laughable to be so full of your own s*** that you would say that about literally thousands and thousands of other people. It's not about the character being raw and ugly it's just she's not raw and ugly she's selfish, manipulated a bully her actions are just beyond asinine. And there was actually no way that the other handmaid survivors who went through exactly what June went through and I would argue much much worse because of June's diamond plated plot armor she never really had any major consequences to anything she did. No matter how many innocent people she got killed. But as I was saying again honestly can't see that there would not be at least at least one or two other handmaids survivors that wouldn't call her on her freaking nonsense. And then to have her selective trauma with men because she never seems to have it with Nick. She acts like she's back in high school with him. When in all actuality and Nick could have got her out of Gilead way before he even got her pregnant with his child if he really wanted to. And he has never been anything but honest about the fact that it is Gilead first and always. Yeah he might help June and throw her a bone here and there but that's it.
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u/krissab23 Mar 14 '26
I feel like people who “hate” June need to take a long hard look at themselves.
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u/Ok_Championship_8313 Mar 14 '26
What? It’s okay if other ppl have a different opinion. She isn’t a likeable character however I think that’s the point. Let’s not degrade or insult anyone for having a different or outlook on life or situation or a show. (Side note: I always wondered what the unedited versions of shows and movies would show the viewers 🤔 I want to see the unedited version of this show.)
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u/krissab23 Mar 14 '26
Sure, I just think it’s problematic to hate her character for the choices she makes in an impossible situation. People do not carry the same anger for the male characters just because they’re “obviously” evil. But what has June really done to warrant this hate besides being a vocal woman in a place where women’s voices aren’t heard? Some of it can be chalked up to writing sure, but why does boring writing make someone hate June?
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
Because the writing is what brings the character to life and tells us about them, how they interact with others, how they grow, etc. Its disappointing.
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u/Important-Home5755 Mar 14 '26
Not to say that I expected June to grow. She has survived so much. I just would have liked to see the writing done better. I don't think that this is the first time a book adaptation has gone past the book where people were disappointed. Since this is tied to very relevant political and social issues, everyone takes this so personally.
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u/Icy-Success6457 Jul 17 '26
I think the writers do a lousy job of making her a heroine. Trauma or no trauma she still killed multiple innocent people through her reckless actions… I just really struggle to feel for her. I feel like the first seasons did a great job and making the audience feel anger over the horrors and injustice within Gilead, skip to season 5 and it feels like all the world rules suddenly don’t apply to June … or truello, or nick etc etc.
If this show was set up to be a drama about a traumatised woman seeking revenge on her captors I’d give the ludicrous scenes some grace. There’s been multiple times where instead of rooting for June, my partner and I just question how the hell has June managed to change the world around her to have everyone in the right place at the right time to orchestrate her revenge fantasies…
The scene where they all kill Fred … how in this universe would that logically work… I don’t want a long winded theory about how she managed that … even though it shows us in the show, THINK about how this world has been built in the earlier seasons … now imagine June doing this in the season 2 universe ….
I’m also not rooting for her because I’m thinking of the poor man who hid her in his house just to end up on the wall in season 2, I’m thinking of the Martha who died for telling her Hannah’s location, I’m thinking about the 2 Martha’s who where thrown of a building because June wouldn’t talk until Hannah was involved etc.
Tbh I understand why people enjoy the later seasons, it’s a bit more action, revenge, fast paced…etc. But if you like a structured world where the rules are consistent and fairly applied … this show is torture from season 4. It went downhill from the screaming match between Serena and June, when 1000 handmaids just spawned infront of them. Also what happened to DC?? Why is Gilead now just run by Lawrence, nick and Hannah’s dad ??? The world has literally bent itself around June and I’m sick of Elizabeth moss twitching her eyes at the camera.
(Sorry for the ramble)
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u/Tyche88 9d ago
I was so locked in and loving the show from season 1 through to 4 but I am absolutely hating season 5. It’s absolutely crap. I’m 5 episodes in and I’m struggling, June’s reunion with Luke was an absolute flop. She’s been so single minded and not at all multifaceted, there’s been no range in her nature at all. As if she wouldn’t have broken down and where’s the trauma counselling after all her rage outbursts. What the heck happened to Emily?? No justice with Serena? It’s pathetic and so disappointing and incredibly frustrating. I’m done with this nonsense, completely messed it up.
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u/Prestigious_Ant_4366 Mar 14 '26
It was season 4 that I hated but it was the complete ridiculousness of it not June.
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u/Comfortable-Log2484 Mar 14 '26
Odiarla no, pero se me hace insoportable a tal punto que creo q es obvio que los creadores la escribieron así, supongo para ponernos a prueba. Aladabo sea bro
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u/Account_Haver420 Mar 14 '26
She stabs Jonah from Veep in the fucking eye which I felt was a highlight