The highly anticipated return of The Handmaid's Tale [1] is a brutal episode filled with shocking revelations [2], and as always, it's impeccably acted. Not even immersing ourselves in heaps of details [3] about season two, all the alarming photos [4] (especially one of June covered in blood), and a very grim trailer [5] could have prepared us. This time around, we venture into new territory due to the fact the first season has the same ending as the book [6]. We only have an epilogue [7] to guide us now. But before we can really dive in, let's talk about the cast. Who came back from season one? And which fresh faces were added to the flock? It's time for a good old-fashioned roll call.
Elisabeth Moss as June
Moss returns as our bold and brave heroine. At the end of season one [8], June is taken away to some unknown location. Fortunately season two doesn't waste a single precious minute addressing her fate.
Max Minghella as Nick
When it comes to Nick, things are a bit up in the air. We know he has some semblance of an allegiance to Gilead and that he might be an Eye in the Waterford home. But we also know that he's clearly smitten with June and seems to be protecting her. Either way, he has a pretty big role in season two.
Alexis Bledel as Ofglen
Bledel's Ofglen/Emily is tragically sent to the Colonies with the Unwomen, aka the women who have been deemed unfit to live in Gilead. Will she survive those toxic fields?
O-T Fagbenle as Luke
Luke is back both in the present day timeline (in Canada with Moira) as well as in flashbacks. Now that he's found his way to safety, hopefully he can focus on rescuing June.
Madeline Brewer as Janine
Janine, scared and disheveled, arrives at the Colonies after her suicide attempt in season one. We have a feeling her adjustment to life there will come at a price.
Samira Wiley as Moira
Moira may be safe, but she's still dealing with a lot of emotions, especially after seeing June in season one. Can she rescue her girl?!
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
Aunt Lydia has quite the issue on her hands: all of her girls have rebelled against her and refused to kill Janine. How will she deal with such blatant insubordination?
Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy
We didn't know what to expect from the Waterfords in season two since June was taken away. It shouldn't come as a surprise to know that Serena will do whatever she can to get June back.
Joseph Fiennes as Commander Waterford
Commander Waterford is in a very dicey situation, since Nick seems to know that he's hiding some dark secrets. Perhaps the Waterfords are in danger, or perhaps they'll rise even higher in the ranks.
Marisa Tomei as a Commander's Wife
Marisa Tomei has also joined season two [9]. She appears in episode two as a (presumably former) wife of a commander. Her episode is "featured in a part of the fictional future-America not previously in the show's first season," aka in the Colonies. Time to break new ground, evidently.
Clea Duvall as Sylvia
The second episode flashes back to Emily's life before Gilead takes over, where it's revealed she was a biology professor in Boston and was married to a woman named Sylvia (Argo's Duvall). The two shared a son, Oliver.
John Carroll Lynch as Dan
American Horror Story [11]'s John Carroll Lynch plays Dan, one of Emily's colleagues at a university in Boston where she used to work.
Cherry Jones as Holly
Jones joined the cast as June's mother [12]. All we really know right now is that she's a feminist. As for where she is in this terrifying new world? We're not sure. She could be an Unwoman in the Colonies or she could be free in Canada — or somewhere else entirely!
Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence
Entertainment Weekly confirmed [13] that Get Out's Bradley Whitford bought a one-way ticket to Gilead for season two. He'll have a recurring role as the man in charge of Gilead's economy, Commander Joseph Lawrence. That likely means we can expect plenty of tense scenes between him and Fiennes's Commander Waterford.