The following contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale Season 5, now streaming on Hulu.
When Hulu renewed The Handmaid's Tale for Season 5, fans of the show were overjoyed to see the aftermath of the jaw-dropping fourth season. However, the first half of Season 5 has been disappointing and slow -- not at all living up to the season's tense trailer. There is little progression for characters in their storylines, and Gilead no longer seems threatening when most of the main characters have made it to Canada.
Hulu has also announced The Handmaid's Tale will return for a sixth and final season, and while it is definitely the right decision to end the show, it should be concluding with Season 5. The lack of tension is quite noticeable and a jam-packed remainder of the fifth season would be preferable to spreading the show thin just to get to Season 6. As great as The Handmaid's Tale has been, it doesn't need a sixth season at all.
Little Story Progression Between Characters
There isn't much tension between characters in The Handmaid's Tale Season 5. June turns herself into the police in Canada in Season 5, Episode 1, "Morning," but since many on the outside wanted to see Fred Waterford dead and his death wasn't a matter for their government, she doesn't face any consequences. Serena learns about Fred's death and discovers his body in sequences that take too long and don't add much suspense to the narrative. She returns to Gilead in Season 5, Episode 2 "Ballet" only to be sent back to Toronto and make June aware that she has access to Hannah in another messy parenthood story. While the action ramps up in later episodes, the slow start has brought down the entire season.
Gilead Does Not Seem as Threatening
Since June made her escape in the middle of Season 4, there isn't the same gut-wrenching feeling of tension that propelled The Handmaid's Tale before. June gets angry that she saw Hannah on the big screen with Serena in "Ballet," but what can she do? She learns in Season 5, Episode 3, "Border" that Hannah is enrolled in a wives' school at age 12. But there is no attention paid to Hannah to showcase how torturous and inhumane the school actually is. Janine and Esther are the only heroes in Gilead, and the only suffering they endure is because of Esther's suicide attempt. Despite the familiar faces of Aunt Lydia and the commanders, Gilead is no longer as terrifying as it used to be.
Lack of Cliffhangers Most of the Season
With the exception of Season 5, Episode 5, "Fairytale," there haven't been any cliffhangers to keep the audience coming back. Most of the episodes end on a light-hearted note, and while it's good for the main characters to not have to go through as much trauma as they did before, viewers need those nail-biting cliffhangers to maintain their interest in the show. "Fairytale" had June and Luke being captured at the border -- but that only served to highlight the overall lack of surprises in Season 5. The Handmaid's Tale has lost some of its excitement that is now found in other Hulu series.
Instead of meandering for half of the season, The Handmaid's Tale could have had a strong finish in its fifth season. However, the creators decided to renew the show for a sixth and final season. While the show still has the potential to end with a bang, it's hard to imagine that possibility with the beginning of season 5 being so stagnant. With more attention put into Hannah in Gilead, the audience could have been more receptive to June and Luke's pain, alongside proper story progression and development with the other characters.
However, the show chose to stretch itself razor-thin while attempting to make an impactful season. While some action ramps up a bit during the middle of the season, that does not excuse the painfully slow start from the beginning. Audiences deserve more from an Emmy-award winning show. It's up in the air whether The Handmaid's Tale will end its final season the right way, season 5 is proving to be its weakest.
The Handmaid's Tale streams Wednesdays on Hulu.