The Handmaid’s Tale premiered on Hulu in 2017 and has been a hit ever since. Based on the 1985 book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, it’s about a woman named Offred who is a sexual slave in the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead. She is a handmaid, a woman who is forced to have babies for government leaders and their wives.
If there’s one thing the television adaption does well, it’s making the audience form a connection with the characters. One of the newer characters, a 14-year-old girl named Esther Keyes played by McKenna Grace, is someone you can’t help but feel for. Barely a teenager, she is married to an elderly man and then forced to become a handmaid.
The handmaids suffer abuse at the hands of Commanders, Wives, and Aunts, the women who train them. It’s a struggle to watch this happen to grown women like the main character June Osborne (aka Offred), so it’s even worse to watch a child go through it. At the end of season 5, viewers learn shocking news about Esther and her future is a mystery. Here are some theories for season 6.
*Possible Spoilers Ahead*
Who Will Get Her Baby?
When viewers last saw Esther in the Handmaid’s Tale season 5 finale, she was pregnant and lying in a hospital bed. She was assaulted by Commander Warren Putnam before she was officially “assigned” to him, a crime in the twisted Republic of Gilead. He was executed, and now it’s unclear who Esther’s baby will go to. It could be to Commander Putnam’s widow, Naomi, and her new husband, but there doesn’t seem to be a precedent for the situation.
On top of that problem, Esther is unconscious after she and another handmaid eat chocolates that she poisoned. By the time season 6 drops, months could have passed. She could be unconscious for a good portion of her pregnancy and if she survives, her health might not be the same.
An even more unexpected option could be that Esther will be reassigned to a completely unrelated couple in the middle of her pregnancy, and who knows what storylines will come from that?
Janine Saves Esther
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Remember the handmaid that Esther gave poisoned chocolate to? Her name is Janine and at the end of season 5, she was taken away by guards after confronting Naomi, who she was a handmaid for before Warren’s execution. Viewers have no idea where she was taken and if she stays alive, what she’ll do
Fans have a theory that Janine will become an aunt, but that’s unlikely because of her past escapes and behavior problems. Others think that Commander Lawrence, who has helped people escape Gilead in the past, is finally getting Janine out. If that’s the case, she can help Esther escape too.
Janine protects Esther like a big sister, and there’s no question that she would help her if she had the power. By the time the show ends, Esther could be free and try to rebuild her life in Canada with the other American refugees.
Esther Could Be Nick’s Handmaid
Nick Blaine used to work for the same family who enslaved June and he’s been promoted to Commander. He has a wife and even though he’s currently in jail for attacking Commander Lawrence, his story won’t end there. To test his loyalty to Gilead, his fellow commanders could assign him a handmaid: Esther.
If or when she wakes up and her baby’s fate is decided, she might be reassigned and unfortunately, continue life as a handmaid. That being said, there’s no guarantee Esther won’t be punished for hurting herself and Janine and be allowed to keep being a handmaid.
There are so many possibilities for Esther’s future in the upcoming final season. Fans can only hope that if Gilead doesn’t fall, at least Esther will be free.
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