In May, the actress made her exit from the programme official.
Spoilers for the start of The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 are present in this article.
The fifth season premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale didn’t waste any time in explaining Alexis Bledel’s absence.
Following June (Elisabeth Moss) immediately after she killed Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) at the conclusion of the previous season, the opening episode of this one follows her. When she realizes she doesn’t know where Emily (Bledel) is, she is repeating the confessed joys of killing her tormentor, barely taking the time to wash his blood off her hands before scarfing down breakfast with her other murderous handmaid.
June visits Emily’s house where she lives with her wife Sylvia (Clea DuVall), their son Oliver and other family members.
The door is initially unanswered, but as June leaves, Sylvia approaches her and breaks the shocking news that Emily, who had previously been a rather disobedient handmaid known as Ofglen, Ofsteven, Ofroy, and Ofjoseph before finally escaping to reunite with her family in Canada, went back to Gilead after the Waterford incident. “She returned to the battle, I believe. if she can, to find Aunt Lydia. What she needed to do was this “June hears from Sylvia.
“What have you said? Have you spoken to her? “June, who is nearly mute, asks
She phoned. She said farewell. She refused when I asked if I could wake Oliver up. Sylvia says, “I don’t know why she’d say no, and June, who is obviously feeling awful about what has happened, thinks she can “fix this.”
Sylvia urges June to “shut the f— up” and that she and her kid will never see her again at this point since she has had enough. Sylvia informs June that it doesn’t matter despite her claims that it’s all her fault. I could care less. She has left. I don’t need someone to be at fault. Why is it important who is at fault? so that I can hate the proper target? so that I may detest you? How useful is that?
At the end of the scene, Sylvia tells June that she and Oliver intend to be content with the time they did spend with Emily again because it was more than they had anticipated. Still seeking forgiveness, June begs Sylvia whether she’ll let her know if she hears from Emily. Sylvia answers her bluntly: “No. Hello, June.” Ouch.
It’s a startling conclusion for a person who fought valiantly to escape Gilead in the first place and make an effort to start over in Canada. It does, however, leave just enough room for flexibility to write her back in should Bledel choose to do so or go her eventual destiny up to the viewers’ imagination.
Prior to the premiere of season 5, the actress, who had been a part of the drama since season 1, first said that she would not be returning. In a statement given to EW at the time, the actress said, “After considerable consideration, I decided I had to walk aside from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time.” “I am forever thankful to Hulu, MGM, the cast, and crew for their support,” said Bruce Miller, the show’s creator, “for crafting such honest and compelling sequences for Emily.”
Bledel was nominated three more times in 2018, 2020, and 2021 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in 2017.