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[Thisstorycontainsmajorspoilersfrom[ThisstorycontainsMAJORspoilersfromCovenants Season 1 finale, “Secateurs.”]
Elisabeth Moss knows how to keep a secret.
when The Handmaid’s Tale sequel Series, CovenantsThis was announced, as everyone wanted to know if she would be reprising her heroic character, John Osborn. And viewers didn’t even get the answer Covenants Premiered, resistance fighter Mayday makes her epic return. But now Moss can finally speak freely, she says June will always be in the sequel.
“The most important thing is the general idea of how to do it maid Ended nested in Covenants “It makes sense,” says Moss, executive producer on both series (and lead director). Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve been saying this since the first season of maid -But June’s story never ends until she’s sure Hannah is safe. That’s it. This is the end of the matter. a period.”
Hannah is the daughter that Gilead has been stealing since June to launch this TV franchise. June and Hannah did not meet again at the end The Handmaid’s Tale – And now with the release of the finale on Wednesday, viewers can see that they, too, will not be reuniting at the end of Season 1 of Covenants. Moss expects fans’ reaction to be: “I get it.” “I would love for them to get back together too. But I think there’s a way to get there where, if we want to do it, we do it the right way.”
But the follow-up series’ first season finale reveals to Hannah — renamed Agnes in Gilead — who her mother really is. Agnes, played by Chase Infinity, is told by her friend Daisy (Lucy Halliday), June’s Resistance spy, about her real mother, beginning an awakening that will see Agnes join the fight with her friends and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) as the show continues. Exactly what that will look like is what creator Bruce Miller and his writers are currently figuring out, as they’re now in the writers’ room for an already renewed second season of the hit Hulu series, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel of the same name.
Below, Moss reveals the biggest burning questions from the Season 1 finale, “Secateurs,” written by Miller, along with Maya Goldsmith and Gianna Sobol, and directed by recurring franchise director Mike Parker. Did Moss have any hesitation about returning in June, and would June influence the story of Season 2? What did June really know about Hannah’s whereabouts in Gilead, and was she working in collaboration with Aunt Lydia? Does Moss hope? Commandments It works as long as maidWhat will Hannah’s awakening look like in Season 2? Moss talks about all that and more below, making one thing abundantly clear: “As long as Gilead exists, it will never stop fighting.”
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when Covenants I spoke with creator Bruce Miller about the June remake, and he basically said there was absolutely none the Commandments Without John and Lizzie Moss. Since June has not retired from the resistance movement or the fight to get her daughter back, it is certain that she will always be apart of this show. But your on-screen role was a well-kept secret until the show premiered, so any time you’ve been cast The Handmaid’s Tale Has it become a reality that you will be reprising June?
So, I was originally supposed to direct the beginning of the film CovenantsBut that was back when the idea first came up. When I got the job to direct the first two and last two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale With my new baby, it became clear that it wouldn’t necessarily be the greatest idea for me to also try to direct three episodes of the series. Covenants. (He laughs.) We all decided, “Let’s focus on maid“And we brought in the lovely Mike Parker[to direct]. [todirectCommandments]. He was somewhere in that time period [that we decided I would return as June].
This show is so close to the bone for me, both professionally and personally, that sometimes it’s very difficult to distinguish between moments in time. I was so immersed in maid 365 days a year, between preparation, production and publication. We always knew June would be in it. That wasn’t a question. When and how? I think this was decided a few months before we filmed it, when we got the scripts and knew exactly what the show was going to be.
Your hands all June. You are a close collaborator with Bruce. What is most important to you about June’s return? She had this superhero-like revelation in the premiere and remained a mentor to Daisy (Lucy Halliday) throughout the season. How did you figure out how much June we’ll see, and what role will she play in this new era of Gilead?
The most important thing became how maid Done, and how does that fit in with June Covenantsbecause they really go hand in hand. We didn’t officially know how maid He would finish Bruce’s room and book even while we were shooting the final season.
But there was an idea. I’ve known for years from Bruce that June wouldn’t[eventually]take Hannah out [attheendofThe Handmaid’s Tale]. I knew this was what would happen. Then Margaret Atwood wrote the second part [novel]And Hannah didn’t come out. We were like, “Okay, cool. That’s for sure.” So I knew for a while that it wasn’t going to happen. It was always so funny when people would say, “Is Hannah going to come out in the end?” maid“And I said to myself, ‘Guys, I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but there’s another book written by Margaret Atwood, and it’s in there.’ I’m not being careful. You can go read it if you want!”
The way this show ended directly affected how we were able to bring June CovenantsSo the most important thing for me is that the two things go together – that we can finish it maid In a way that makes sense for this show, but also makes sense vows, It is a wonderful gift and a challenge with the audience.
For a very long time, as I said, we kept this secret shockingly well. I actually don’t even know how. Of course, there were things that fell into place. We were very careful about what was on the call sheets. But she didn’t come out. And it was hard sometimes not being able to tell fans, “Guys, it’s okay. June’s story isn’t over yet.” the maid The ending isn’t really an ending.” It was hard not to be able to share that, but I knew and Bruce knew that June’s story wasn’t going to continue in a way that just being in one scene[of[of Covenants]. We knew that I would have multiple episodes, and that there would be a bigger arc and plan for June with Covenants.
Bruce didn’t tell me your code name in the script, are you allowed to tell me what was in it Covenants? He said you were “Rocket Woman.” maid.
That was one season, and it wasn’t my favorite season. (He laughs.) We had a different nickname each season. Why was that? Covenants? I’m hesitant to tell you, because if I tell you, I won’t be able to use it again! So I’m glad he didn’t tell you. (He laughs.) But let me say that I tend to go very old school, like classic films or actors or characters where you would have cinematic knowledge to be able to absorb. I’m not sure many people did that!
When you filmed the June premiere, reveal where we first see you again, how long it’s been since you finished the film maid the end?
About two months. I think we’re wrapped maid Mid-February and I was shooting that in April.
What was it like to play it again? CovenantsBecause it’s different?
you think? Tell me. I’m curious.
She is knowledgeable and wise. She knows so much more than anyone else on the show, and that felt different.
That’s really great to hear. I’m glad it felt different. I think it felt different [playing her again]. I felt this combination of Being able to wear the most comfortable pair of your favorite sweatpants, just how homey and cozy it feels. This is like playing June again, even after only a short while. There’s no point in doing that unless we’re able to further develop her story and develop her as a character, although I don’t think there’s anything wrong with playing your own hit songs.[[The Handmaid’s Tale The Star]Bradley Whitford and I talked about that a lot. How wonderful sometimes it is just to play hit songs! Sometimes that’s what works. But we wanted to make sure that June had a purpose for being there and that it wasn’t just a stunt. I also help redirect the show.
It also felt different in the sense that half the crew was different. It got weird very quickly after that maidwhere you’re with a crew that you’ve worked with for many years, you come back and you play the same character where some of the people are the same and you have that consistency, but then there are new faces. This took some getting used to, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Sometimes a simple change can be helpful in bringing out something that may be a little different in you.
In this finale, we get this scene between June and Daisy where June hears the name Agnes (Chase Infinity) and realizes, for the first time, that Daisy has been with her daughter the whole time. One of the big questions I had on this show was: Does John know that Agnes is in Gilead with Daisy? And does June know Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) there too? Is June working with Lydia?
right.
You guys kept this very close to the vest and we’re still not sure what you know about Lydia. What were your conversations with Bruce about how you wanted to handle these questions, and what did you want viewers to think in terms of what June knows about who’s on the other end of her resistance plan with Daisy?
I’ve spoken with Bruce extensively about Agnes’ role, and whether or not she knows Hannah exists – I can’t say ‘Agnes’, it goes against everything I believe in! You can call her Agnes, but I’m not allowed to. (He laughs.) But we’ve been back and forth on this issue a lot, frankly. I was like, “I don’t know. I feel like she should know. Why doesn’t she know? She knows everything.” As I said, she knows everything, and she is the most powerful person in the resistance. How could she not know that? He made a very convincing argument, and he was 100% right.
In my opinion, one of the best written moments in this scene is the moment where you can see June hearing her. It’s always better to see on camera if something has happened to a character, or if they’ve realized something. We can see her realizing and discovering Agnes’s exact whereabouts on camera era. If we had gone with her being a complete know-it-all, we would have been robbed at that moment. It was a very poignant moment when she realized this, and dropped her tough exterior. She loses her composure, and you see her only as a mother. She’s suddenly just a mother, not a resistance fighter. June is a mother who wants to take her daughter to safety.
So I think Bruce did absolutely the right thing. What we have determined is that she knows that Hannah Gilad’s name is Agnes McKenzie. She had an idea where she was, but I don’t think she knew exactly where she was. She doesn’t necessarily know that Daisy knows her and is her friend. In my opinion, she just has her doubts. I think we have room to add or subtract how much she knows, but she hasn’t confirmed it 100 percent [until that moment].
What about Lydia? Do you think John knows, or is thinking now, that Hannah might be with Lydia? Are they in cooperation yet how The Handmaid’s Tale Ended between June and Lydia?
This one, I can’t answer!
I like that you can’t answer, because I think I’m on the right track with the question.
I think there’s room there too. To be honest, I don’t think it has been 100% decided on the exact amount and whether or not they will talk. I don’t have answers for [yet]but judging by how maid The final moment between June and Lydia is over, I love Ann Dowd’s reaction when she chases down [as Agnes] He tells her [about June]. You see this panic for a moment when Lydia thinks: “Why bring up June, why do you know her? And what does she think?” Then Chase does this amazing feat of immediately saying, “No, no, this is great.” They’re kind of talking in code and you’re like, “What’s the code? What does it cover? What’s going on?!” There’s a very purposeful ambiguity there.
I mentioned this before, and how viewers wanted June and Hannah to eventually meet The Handmaid’s TaleAnd he didn’t get it. We are now at the end of the first season of Covenants And we still haven’t seen their reunion. But the ending flashes back to the time we saw Agnes writing her name (“Hannah”), and now she is waking up to the truth about her mother. This is a great callback, but it’s not a reunion. Are you ready for the fan reaction?
I expect people will, of course, have that reaction. I want them too. And like I said, it will never stop. So yes, 100%, I understand that. I understand that this is what we want. I would like that too. I don’t disagree! (He laughs.) I would like them to get back together. But I think there’s a way to get there where, if we want to do it, we do it the right way.
You also watch how the characters develop and how the actors develop their characters, and that tells us what’s going to happen. Chase and Lucy bring their characters where they go, “I want to see more of that. I want to see more of them together.” This all comes into the conversation as well. but [Mike] Parker really wanted to show Hannah’s writing. That was something he really responded to, and he really wanted to make sure we got that in the end. This callback was very important. So Bruce put it in, but I remember that was something Parker really wanted.
What about your on-screen role in season two? Will it be similar to or less like the first season?
i don’t know yet. We’re still getting scripts and figuring it out, so there’s a lot that’s yet to be discovered. This is the honest truth, because it is very early days. We just got our pick up [for season two]so everything is still being explored. But if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to tell you anyway!
Of course you can’t! (He laughs.) Are you able to speak to the larger vision of the show? The Handmaid’s Tale It was long lasting, which we don’t see very often these days. Do you hope? Covenants Works as long?
This is always the dream and hope. You want to keep telling these stories. You want to keep playing with these actors, directors, and writers. I feel very close to June. The essence of who she is as a woman, as a mother, and as a friend, I feel very close to her. I will never want to stop playing with her. For me, yes. As long as Gilead exists, it will never stop fighting. There should be a lot of stories that we can explore, and it’s so great that we now have this next generation of actors to explore them with. He gives her this new life and energy. As a woman who’s under 25, it’s so exciting and wonderful to be able to watch, play with, and get inspired by these younger actors.
Are you planning to direct the second season?
I was supposed to direct the first season, but that was absolutely out of the question because the first season ended maid And then it started Incomplete women to Apple in May, which I couldn’t push, so I couldn’t get the first season out. It seems so strange to me that I couldn’t get it out, because I’m so close to that world. And I don’t just mean the world on screen, but also behind the scenes with the crew. This whole way of doing the show in Toronto with the amazing crew that I’ve worked with for over a decade…it was very strange not directing the first season. So you can take that and apply it to how I would feel about Season 2, where I would probably be available as well.
The final scene of the season was just like You – with Agnes, Daisy, and Shaw (Rowan Blanchard) enabling the walk to Alt J’s “Pine Hunger,” marking the start of the next generation of resistance fighters for season two. So it sounds like you and Mike Parker are in sync.
Mike and Dana Reed and Jane Campion, OG, are the directors who made me want to be a director. Anytime I work with any of them it’s very symbiotic. So you can do this [June and Daisy finale] The scene on that sidewalk was a magical and enchanting night. It was truly a very special and beautiful sight. Thank you, Bruce!
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Covenants The entire first season is now streaming on Hulu, and will return for season two. He reads THRCover the show here.
