Present from the beginning of The Handmaid’s Tale, Emily plays a crucial role in June Osborn’s quest for liberation. Initially seen by the heroine as a withdrawn and hostile walking companion, she gradually establishes herself as a valuable ally for the one who is increasingly committed to the path of rebellion. It is the one who then calls herself DeGlen who will introduce her to Mayday, who will also help her save her baby from the clutches of Gilead. Even once June is on the other side of the border, Emily continues to be a central character and her journey allows viewers to see the consequences of a life in captivity from a new angle.
A parallel between the two rebels that we imagined would be explored until the conclusion. But at the end of season 4, The Handmaid’s Tale cuts it short by making Emily disappear. After months spent in Canada with his wife and son, the character decides to return to Gilead to fight the regime from within.
This choice raised many questions among viewers, particularly regarding his motivations. Later, The Handmaid’s Tale delves deeper into this sacrifice by confronting June with the same dilemmas. Emily’s departure still seemed particularly sudden, and for good reason. Actress Alexis Bledel made the decision herself to leave the series after four seasons.
She felt she was done with the dystopia, which, it must be said, seemed to be going around in circles since she had to improvise after the finale of Margaret Atwood’s novel. But more than just leaving Hulu, Bledel seems to have opted for early retirement. She hasn't appeared in the cast or production of a project since 2020. Tim Miller even said she was going through a rough patch when she decided to leave the series.
A departure that makes sense?
Creator Tim Miller thus had to deal with her absence. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he confided in 2022 that he was inspired by the team's feelings to inform the story.“We had planned and anticipated that this character would be there for season 5, so when we lost Alexi, who is such a dear member of our family, we felt the same way (as the characters abandoned by Emily, editor's note). This character ran away, what happens?
In the novels, DeGlen (whose real name we don't know) never has the opportunity to cross the borders of Gilead. After confiding in June about her involvement in the rebellion with Mayday, she is arrested by the Eyes for questioning. To protect the information she has and the other resistance fighters, she hangs herself. A sacrifice for the cause that is reflected in her departure from the series. While June is driven by her love for her daughter, a prisoner of Gilead, DeGlen abandons her family to help bring about Gilead's fall. The character played by Elizabeth Moss will not show the same self-sacrifice and will deliver crucial information to the totalitarian regime when her daughter Hannah is taken hostage.
The final episode of The Handmaid's Tale has just aired in the United States and is available on OCS via Canal+ and Prime Video.
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