It’s the end of Gilead as we know it – and nobody is more ready to escape than the women who’ve survived it.
After six chilling seasons, The Handmaid’s Tale is gearing up for its final run, with the award-winning series promising a powerful, revolution-fuelled conclusion.
For Australian star Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), 42, who plays the cold, complex and polarising Serena Waterford, this farewell is deeply personal.
“It surprised me how sad I was for it to end because I’ve adored this entire journey and playing this character has been one of the greatest gifts of my career,” Yvonne tells TV WEEK.
“But, of course, it’s a heavy show and it’s a heavy role and I was looking forward to getting rid of Serena and not having anything to do with her anymore.”
Serena was Commander Fred Waterford’s (Joseph Fiennes) wife, a passionate anti-feminist instrumental in the formation of dystopian state Gilead, which overthrew the US, establishing a patriarchal society where women were stripped of their rights and assigned roles based on their fertility, such as the pivotal position of handmaid.
Serena had little compassion for her handmaid, Offred (Elisabeth Moss), who was originally named June before she was trapped in Gilead. In earlier seasons, June was subject to routine sexual assault with the aim of providing Serena and Fred with a baby as they could not conceive.
The show has never shied away from the darkness of its themes. But filming that content while raising a young family in real life? That’s a challenge that has faced Yvonne, who has had three boys since she started her role as Serena nearly a decade ago.
“When you have a baby, everyone talks about that feeling of being so in love,” Yvonne shares. “You do have that, but motherhood can be extremely self-reflective, and it can allow you to understand the way you carry yourself in the world and how your children watch you carry yourself.
“It was a big thing when I became a mum for the first time and it’s definitely influenced me in playing Serena, and I think ultimately that has influenced Serena as well.”
Yvonne’s also shared quiet, meaningful moments off camera with her co-star Elisabeth, 42, who became a mum herself in 2024. Their bond, forged across six seasons of on-screen power plays and real-life milestones, has only deepened.
“My third child and her baby are close-ish in age,” Yvonne reveals. “We definitely had some baby hangouts on set.”
This season, Serena’s journey has reached a boiling point as she has returned to Gilead following a period of exile to act as a figurehead for New Bethlehem. Despite her importance, she is once again iced out due to her gender and feels her power slipping away. Will she join the developing revolution or stick to her deep-rooted conservative ‘morals’.
Meanwhile, June is more determined than ever to dismantle the regime that flipped her world upside down, but as Gilead cracks down on rebels, her ability to achieve this looks bleak.
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