The New Handmaids Promo Is Sparking All Kinds Of Wild Theories

The Handmaid’s Tale spent three seasons deliberately failing to get June out of Gilead and into Canada, leading fans to believe that she would never get out while the series was on the air. But Season 4 disproved that theory and became a more exciting show for it, exploring June’s attempts to re-enter society. However, Episode 5’s cliffhanger suggested that was merely temporary, and The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Episode 6 promo seems to confirm June has been recaptured, and may even end up back in Gilead.

Warning: Spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Episode 5 follow. Having learned Hannah is wearing purple, meaning she’s training to be a wife, the Oct. 5 episode began when June and Luke got a message from Mayday promising someone with more info was coming. However, the young commander, Jaden, didn’t come to Mayday. Instead, Luke and June were forced to go to him, leaving Canada and crossing into the middle of No Man’s Land. They met at an abandoned bowling alley, of all places.

The moment Luke made the fateful choice to step off the safety of Canadian soil, with June immediately following him, viewers knew this would not go well. Like June, they kept waiting for Jaden to be a trap of some sort, except that was wrong. The poor kid was just that, a poor kid who genuinely meant well. Unfortunately, the poor kid then proceeded to step on a landmine, lose a leg, and bring soldiers down on their heads.

As June and Luke were dragged away after failing to escape, the cry of “Again?!” could be heard across the fandom. The promo for next week seems to confirm: Yes, again.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Episode 6 is titled “Together,” which, hopefully means at least this time June and Luke are together. The synopsis doesn’t give them much hope, though: “June and Luke’s mission puts them in serious jeopardy. Serena senses a threat from her benefactors. Lawrence and Nick make a shocking power move.”

Naturally, some are assuming the worst: June will become a handmaid again, and Luke will be executed the same way Emily’s lover was in Season 1. Some even have gone so far as to join the sight of Nick with blood on his face in the promo with the “shocking power move” from the synopsis to indicate he will be the one to end Luke’s life.

But not all the details line up so perfectly. From the looks of the promo, that’s Serena’s guard, Ezra, in the shot with June being held prisoner, which could mean she and Luke are actually in the hands of Gilead’s Canadian sympathizers. (That would also explain why Serena seems confident that justice will be done for her unborn son.) Even better, perhaps this is all a fake-out, and June and Luke will be back to safety in no time.

OK fine, that last idea doesn’t seem so likely. But fans will have to wait for the next ep to know for sure. The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 will continue with new episodes streaming every Wednesday on Hulu.