Despite the fact that the second season of The Handmaid's Tale [1] came to its shocking conclusion [2] more than six months ago, we've still heard precious little about the next instalment in the series. Which is strange, because it's definitely been renewed [3], and the first two seasons dropped in April. But worry not! The lake bed isn't entirely dry! This week, we learned that two new faces have joined the cast [4], so we figured it was high time to give you an update on the rollcall.
Of course, we can expect all the major players to return in the next go-round: Elisabeth Moss [5] as June, Max Minghella as Nick, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Waterford, Joseph Fiennes as Commander Waterford, Madeline Brewer as Janine, Alexis Bledel as Emily . . . but along with the new additions, there are a couple of characters whose fates are a bit more up in the air. Worry not! We have updates on those too. Let's dig in.
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
Aunt Lydia's fate is hanging in the balance at the end of season two, because Emily has literally stabbed her in the back and thrown her down a flight of stairs. Sadly, this isn't the end [6] of the villainous character: showrunner Bruce Miller laid it out pretty bluntly. "Aunt Lydia doesn't die. I don't think Aunt Lydia can die. I don't think there are forces in the world strong enough to kill Aunt Lydia." And in the aftermath of this experience? "She's transformed by this event," he said. "It makes her double down that she feels like she just wasn't strong enough in her discipline. So she, I think, has decided it's time to get tough." Woof. As if she wasn't already tough enough.
Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence
It would be easy to write this character off the show: he just helped a very notorious handmaid escape Gilead, with a newborn baby no less. He could be dead within hours. But Miller says we haven't seen the last of him. In an interview with Indiewire [7], Miller called him an "Oppenheimer character," aka "The man who designed an atomic bomb and then saw what it could do. I mean, he's a designer of Gilead, and now he's seen what it can do. So he is a mass of contradictions and dangers, so you never know what he's willing to do, what he's not willing to do."
While that all sounds very vague and mysterious, Miller had this to offer: "He's been protecting himself for a very long time. And his adventure to keep himself alive certainly is not always an adventure that's going to keep the people around him alive. But now that June has crossed paths with him, she's gonna cross paths with him a lot more in Season three." An unexpected ally! Cute!
Christopher Meloni as Commander Winslow
And now, it's time for new additions! The Wrap has reported that Christopher Meloni has joined the cast [8] as Commander Winslow. According to the story, "Commander Winslow is a powerful and magnetic Commander who hosts the Waterfords on an important trip." Sounds like he's going to get nice and cosy with Commander Waterford.
Elizabeth Reaser as Mrs. Winslow
Yes! Reaser is joining the fold [9] as Commander Winslow's other half, Mrs. Winslow. She reportedly becomes "a friend and inspiration to Serena Joy." It's worth noting that neither of these characters appear in the original Margaret Atwood novel. This means their appearance must be a pretty significant part of the story going forward. Can't wait.