Extra From Our Manufacturers

SPOILER ALERT: This story incorporates spoilers for the collection finale of “The Handmaid’s Story,” now streaming on Hulu.

“The Handmaid’s Story” ends because it started — and Elisabeth Moss couldn’t be happier with the selection.

Within the last scene of its first episode, in 2017, the Handmaid often known as Offred sits within the quarters offered to her by her captors, observing the issues round her in an inside monologue: “A chair. A desk. A lamp. And a window with white curtains.” The voiceover, delivered by Moss, concludes with a shock: “My title is June.” It’s a reputation that Offred is now not allowed to make use of below Gilead’s theocracy — and one which she nonetheless makes use of to maintain some important a part of herself complete.

Within the collection finale, June — now free to make use of her title — returns to the home the place she’d been stored prisoner. It’s now in ruins, and June, seeing its destruction, can start the work of writing her memoir: the e book that shall be often known as “The Handmaid’s Story.” The recording she makes within the collection’ last moments begins: “A chair. A desk. A lamp…” Her title, she tells us, is Offred. By recollecting her life as Offred, June Osborne is making a doc of the life she led, and a historical past that, she will be able to solely hope, received’t repeat itself.

Talking on the Fox lot for a profile for considered one of Selection‘s Emmys further editions — on the manufacturing workplace for her subsequent present, “Imperfect Ladies” — Moss explains that what we’re listening to in that last scene is definitely a mix: A newly carried out model of the monologue overlaid with the model recorded virtually a decade in the past. Creating the unconscious cue to the pilot required precision, a problem as Moss had delay making ready for the scene till about 10 minutes earlier than. (Fortunately, the Hulu app on her cellphone let her remind herself of the cadence.)

This scene additionally options, in what could also be a disappointment to many viewers, an imagined glimpse of Hannah, June’s daughter. The mom and daughter have been separated earlier than the motion of the present begins, and the collection ends with out their reunion. June’s quest to save lots of Hannah has been the narrative throughline of the present, however the 2019 publication of Margaret Atwood’s “The Testaments,” a sequel to the TV collection’ supply materials during which Hannah options as a personality, closed off that risk. (An adaptation of “The Testaments,” with Moss as government producer, is deliberate for Hulu; it’s being created by Bruce Miller, who created “The Handmaid’s Story” and wrote the finale, which Moss directed.) “I wish to say to each single one who says to me ‘Please inform me she will get her daughter again,’” Moss says, “like, I get what you’re feeling, however that doesn’t occur in Margaret’s sequel.“

“The Handmaid’s Story” ends in an intriguingly ambivalent place: Gilead has not been toppled, however has been critically weakened, and June vows to proceed combating, and to talk out. She elements methods together with her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), however not essentially eternally; she bids her former tormentor, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), farewell by providing her forgiveness.

However it’s the callback to the present’s first season that may keep on with viewers, not least due to an eerie real-world resonance. “The Handmaid’s Story,” primarily based although it was on Atwood’s novel from 1985 and echoing abuses towards ladies all through historical past, drew untold volumes of juice in its first season from streaming within the early months of the primary Trump presidency. It was the present for the rageful, righteous months between the Ladies’s March and the #MeToo motion, and it drafted off the political vitality within the air. In its first season, the present received greatest drama on the Emmys and Moss received greatest actress; touchdown now, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Trump restoration, the present’s circling again to its origins as soon as once more proves the facility of its timing.

And the ending represents a serious transition for Moss, who’s — having adopted up her function on “Mad Males” with an award-winning, long-running and long-struggling efficiency — one of many defining TV stars of the streaming age. Right here, she addresses all the complexities and decisions in Gilead’s endgame.

I wish to speak concerning the tie again to the pilot within the last scene, with June narrating what she sees round her in what’s now the ruined residence of the Waterfords. Had that at all times been the plan?

I don’t know when Bruce got here up with it — I haven’t requested him, which is form of humorous. I don’t suppose it was there from the very starting. However I like this ending. As somebody who has lived telling this story for 9 years, I can’t think about it ending another method. When she begins to say “A chair, a desk, a lamp”… That second, for the viewers, is one thing I crave. “Is that the unique voiceover? Is that the best way the e book begins?” For me, that’s tv gold. I’d by no means have stated sure to something that I didn’t really feel was precisely the best way that collection ought to finish. 

I’m positive that’s true.

It’s. This complete collection has at all times been about the identical factor. It’s the identical factor that I fell in love with within the first episode, and the rationale I stated sure to it, and it’s the identical story we’re telling within the last scene. It’s about how this lady won’t ever, ever hand over combating for her youngsters. And she is going to by no means hand over combating for the following era, and the era to come back. That has been her story from the start, and it’s her story within the last scene. The truth that what she begins with is what she ends with, to me, is so fucking genius. And I can say that, as a result of it’s not my concept. To me, there isn’t a higher approach to say what the present is than her telling her story.

It’s actually arduous to finish a present. “Mad Males” did it completely—

Did you just like the “Mad Males” ending?

After all!

Me too.

I didn’t suppose that was controversial; I simply thought it was beloved.

[pause] Good! [laughs]

Was it unusual being again in that room? 

It was a really good day, as a result of we constructed it to make it possible for it was a really good day. Initially, on the schedule, we have been doing greater than that scene that day. And the DP cleared the rest off that day. That’s the one scene we’re capturing that day. Initially, it was later within the schedule, and we moved it up within the week, as a result of I used to be like “I don’t wish to be doing that on the final day. Oh, God, I’d fairly kill myself.” 

I additionally closed the set. That was me as a director defending myself as an actor. As a result of I knew that, finally, although I’m directing that scene, an important job I’ve that day is to play June and be within the second and really feel secure — not really feel like there’s a bunch of people that got here down from the manufacturing workplace to look as a result of it’s super-exciting to observe somebody movie the final scene of a collection. I completely get that, however I used to be like, I can’t have that. 

So it didn’t really feel surreal, as a result of it felt very calm, and it felt very pure. Everybody, I might inform, was working so arduous. The dolly grip was ensuring it was one of the best shot. Everybody was super-precious concerning the lighting and the set — being very specific about every thing. It didn’t really feel surreal to be within the house. It simply felt like I can’t imagine we’re doing this proper now. However you possibly can’t suppose like that.

Since you really must be enjoying June, not “Elisabeth, who’s excited.”

Precisely. The opposite factor I’ll inform you is that 10 minutes earlier than we shot it, I noticed that I needed to memorize the speech, which I hadn’t performed but. Then I additionally realized I needed to memorize it within the cadence of the unique voiceover. And if I wish to put the unique voiceover from episode one in my mouth in publish, I’ve to say it the best way I stated it. 

In any other case, there can be a spot…

…and it might not match. So I obtained Hulu up on my cellphone — okay, $17.99, no advertisements — shit, it’s getting actually dear over there. And I pulled Episode 1, went to the top, and simply listened to it again and again for 10 minutes, memorized the cadence, and fortunately, obtained it proper. There’s one second we needed to finesse with ADR. However I believe you are feeling it subconsciously — the meta nature of it, you simply form of really feel. Particularly when she says “My title is Offred”: That one’s creepy.

I discovered it oddly heartening that Gilead doesn’t as soon as and for all burn to the bottom on this episode — that June is dedicated to a struggle that may put on on throughout varied fronts. It felt much less fantastical and extra a gesture towards how political change actually occurs over lengthy intervals of time.

It will be unrealistic if in some way June, in a single episode, was capable of topple this evil empire. The very fact is that this conflict is received battle by battle, e book by e book, protest by protest. That’s the reality. And so it provides us hope for our future. 

I’ll admit that a part of me actually did anticipate a reunion between June and Hannah.

Discuss to Margaret Atwood. It undoubtedly is one thing we’ve carried with us since “The Testaments” got here out, realizing that wasn’t going to be an ending. That was a selection that Margaret made that we, after all, adopted, and I don’t know if we’d have performed it if she hadn’t written “The Testaments.” I actually don’t know, however I can’t think about it another method. I believe if there was no “Testaments,” this could be a really totally different expertise for me. 

Our problem was to be loyal to what Margaret determined to do, however on the similar time honor Hannah’s presence. There’s actually no yet one more conscious of the viewers’s want for June to get Hannah again than me. It’s the primary query I’m requested. It’s the primary factor individuals need. I don’t wish to name it a burden, however I’ve carried this query with me for a few years. And I wish to say to each single one who says to me “Please inform me she will get her daughter again,” like, I get what you’re feeling, however that doesn’t occur in Margaret’s sequel. 

So the following logical step, being conscious that our viewers was going to be upset, presumably, or stunned, was to deliver Hannah in. We made positive of that each one season lengthy, as much as the ultimate scene the place we put Hannah within the room. 

Talking of “The Testaments” jogs my memory of Aunt Lydia. It’s attention-grabbing that she appears to have a change of coronary heart and begins serving to Handmaids to freedom, but it surely’s rooted, nonetheless, in these immutable spiritual beliefs that haven’t shifted.

What she believes, in the event you have been to boil it all the way down to one thing method oversimplified, is that she loves her women and she or he needs one of the best life for them. I’m not excusing the horrible issues she did. And now she’s seeing that these those that she thought she might hitch her wagon to are doing horrible issues to our women. That breaks down all the issues that she thought have been true. These guys aren’t doing it proper, so I’m going to want to take over and do it my method. However she’s good, as a result of she’s doing it from the within, which June at all times believed was the precise factor to do. That’s why June by no means left. June, notoriously, didn’t go away Gilead on the finish of Season 3. As a result of what are you going to do, file paperwork from Canada for the remainder of your life? You’ve obtained to be on the within; you’ve obtained to struggle. 

June’s greatest and worst high quality is her capability to imagine that individuals will change and that they are going to do the precise factor. Generally she’s proper and generally she’s incorrect, however she is going to by no means hand over on Lydia. I like the ultimate second between them, as a result of I did this factor the place I ended and appeared again at her once more, and that was purely for “The Testaments.” 

June makes the selection to inform Serena she forgives her. What was it prefer to play that scene? 

It was in all probability essentially the most tough scene, as a result of — how do you do it? In any case these years, how do you do it? She is aware of that it’s extra vital for Serena to listen to it than it’s for June to not do it. And that’s the selection June makes. I don’t know if she actually does forgive her for every thing, but it surely form of doesn’t matter.

She must set Serena free.

And that’s the reward that June is able to giving her. And I believe it’s good for June, too, to have the ability to give that to her and to let that go. And — this was only a silly sensible factor — but it surely was snowing once we shot her aspect, a fucking blizzard, and once we shot my aspect, clear as day. So I used to be coping with that as a director, we obtained the snow machine in and obtained the right quantity of snow within the shot. And I’ve to say the traces and never have all of it land on my face. 

I believed the best way June left one other character, Luke, was attention-grabbing, too; it was much less a “goodbye” than a “goodbye.” 

That’s precisely what we wished. We didn’t wish to reply it. For thus a few years, I’ve been requested “Crew Nick or Crew Luke?” And what I’ve wished to say and haven’t been capable of say till now’s that she’s not going to decide on both. Her journey shouldn’t be about that. That was actually vital to me. O-T and I had the concept to play the second half of that scene virtually like they simply met. The 2 of them have to begin over on this new place they’re in. I like the optimism of it — that they could meet up in New York or Chicago, might need a drink. However the ending isn’t that she selected Luke, and that was vital to me. 

The opposite aspect of the coin is Nick. Max Minghella informed me that you just revealed his huge heel flip effectively forward of Season 6 capturing.

The shock is what we wished. However the factor Max and I talked about was setting it up correctly. If we have been going to do it — not simply killing him, however him going to the darkish aspect — we needed to do it proper. It couldn’t be zero to 60. We needed to set it up from the start. From Episode 1, each single scene of his is ready as much as get him to the place the place he decides to inform Wharton about Mayday. 

There’s a really sturdy Crew Luke contingent, but it surely’s my understanding that Crew Nick is certainly very sturdy as effectively. And that’s as a result of an unrequited love story is one of the best one. That’s far more attention-grabbing than the stable marriage. However we knew that we needed to take a complete faction of individuals and persuade them that she shouldn’t be with this particular person. 

It’s notable that in his last moments of life, earlier than the airplane he’s on blows up, he’s asking about June. He does nonetheless care.

It’s so vital for us to not have black and white villains on the present — or black and white heroes. I personally suppose individuals can change, and that occurs selection by selection. These two males [Nick and Bradley Whitford’s Commander Lawrence] get on the airplane; considered one of them has determined to do the incorrect factor, and considered one of them has determined to do the precise factor. Each selections put them on the airplane. 

Within the penultimate episode, when your character, from the gallows, shouts “Don’t let the bastards grind you down,” a phrase that’s turn out to be so related to the present. How did that really feel?

It’s a type of moments the place it’s important to recover from a little bit of stage fright. It’s not the best factor to face in the midst of a sq. in Cambridge and scream on the prime of your lungs. It finally got here all the way down to, I can’t see the rest however the digital camera, as a result of it’s so shut. And I had the extras eliminated, after which there wasn’t a bunch of individuals watching me. And it’s simply me and the digital camera. That’s the one method I can do it — in any other case I’d truthfully be a bit embarrassed. 

The digital camera was so shut — it’s the “Handmaid’s” method. In the event you don’t hit your head on it, it’s not shut sufficient. However I used to be very targeted on the technicalities of stuff. The way in which that I direct once I’m performing is — it’s like I break up myself, and half of me is doing it and half of me is watching. The one method I might do it was simply to, on the one hand, take into consideration the technical aspect of it, and alternatively, simply go for it. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.