The Handmaid's Tale: why is show ending after season six?

The Handmaid's Tale is coming to an end with season six, but plenty of people don't want it to go! According to a recent HELLO! poll, 1,100 fans voted that they would like to see more of the show, while 537 agreed that it was time for it to end. So why is the show ending when the majority of people would love it to go on for more seasons? Find out here…

The story has come to a natural conclusion

The showrunner, Bruce Miller, and the show's star Elisabeth Moss have both spoken about the show reaching it's natural conclusion with season six. In a press release, Bruce said: "It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood's groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale.

"We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point."

He added to Digital Spy: "We’re going to wrap it up on our own terms. It’s something we never get with just the way the business is set up. And also, more importantly, not something everyone would give to the audience."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Bruce confirmed that the ending was a long time coming, explaining: "I’ve been thinking about the end since the beginning. I’ve been thinking about the end of this story since I read The Handmaid’s Tale the first time. It’s one of those books that when you finish reading it, all you think about is the end. So in the end, story-wise, we’ve been able to stay pretty close to what we had thought, from our initial discussions and what Lizzy and I had talked about, and what Margaret and I had talked about."

© Sophie Giraud

Elisabeth added: "I’m a big believer in that there’s a beginning and an end to every story. The book is about this one woman’s journey. It’s not about the whole war or the fall of Gilead. It’s about these people in this moment in time. I don’t think anything should ever go on forever. History shows that series tend to maybe not get so good, though there are exceptions."

The showrunner is working on a sequel

Bruce isn't working on the final season of The Handmaid's Tale as he is focusing on the production of the upcoming sequel series, The Testaments, which is based on Margaret Atwood's follow-up novel and follows a Nick and June's daughter Nichole around six years in the future of The Handmaid's Tale.

© Sophie Giraud

The show is being developed by Hulu, and Elisabeth spoke about the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "We’re definitely talking about The Testaments, I definitely will be involved in The Testaments. In what capacities, I cannot say. But I definitely will be involved in some capacity. It’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences, creatively, of my life making this show.

"I’m very grateful that we have The Testaments to make so I don’t have to say goodbye to the world of the show and to all the people who make it — that’s a big consolation prize. I haven’t even begun to think about [saying goodbye to June], honestly, I’m just focused on making the final season the best one yet."