Filming for season four of The Handmaid’s Tale may have been put on hold thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean the show’s creators have left fans in the dark about what might be coming next for the dystopian drama.

In a new trailer released yesterday (24 June) we got our first glimpse of what June and her aptly named ‘Squad’ will get up to in season four – and it’s safe to say we’re very excited.

At the end of season three, we see June successfully help a large group of children and Marthas escape the Gilead regime on a plane bound for Canada. Although June manages to get shot in the process, she also shoots dead the only guard who saw her at the scene of the crime, meaning she’s pretty much in the clear – for now.

In the new trailer, we get our first look at the aftermath of that night – including June’s reasoning for choosing not to escape Gilead (again).

As the trailer opens, we see June being carried away by her fellow Handmaids after she has been shot.

“I can’t rest,” June says in a voiceover. “My daughter deserves better. We all deserve better. Change never comes easy. This war isn’t going to win itself.” 

Throughout the rest of the trailer, we get glimpses of what we might expect in season four – including shots of June and her fellow Handmaids dressed in the clothes of the Martha’s, presumably on the run from the Gileadean authorities. 

It’s safe to say we were all pretty excited by the new trailer – especially the line “blessed be the Squad,” which is officially the show’s most iconic phrase so far.

What are the chances that line might be a subtle nod to the real life “Squad” – US congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib – who have repeatedly come under fire by Donald Trump for speaking out on behalf of women of colour and fighting for economic, social and racial justice against the president’s best wishes? We’re just saying, it’d be pretty cool if it was.

The only problem with all of this is that, thanks to filming delays caused by the pandemic, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting our next instalment of the series until 2021.

Until then, here’s everything we know about season four so far. 

What do we know so far?

The season has long overtaken the events of the 1985 novel – despite the 2019 pseudo-sequel, The Testaments – so we have no concrete idea what to expect for June and her fellow Handmaids. 

Like past seasons, filming will mostly take place in Ontario. The storyline will pick up where season 3 left off, but Bruce Miller, the show’s creator, told Forbes that June is now a “changed person”.

Nick (played by Max Minghella) will still be fighting the rebels in Chicago, but he’s definitely back this season. But after the revelations about his past in Gilead’s inception, it remains to be seen what path his relationship with June will take.

Who stars in season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale?

Most of the principle cast is billed to return. Moss will comprise her role as the defiant Handmaid-turned rebel. 

We also expect Alexis Bledel as Emily/Ofglen, Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred and fan-favourite Samira Wiley as Moira. Praise be!

How many episodes of season 4 will there be?

According to this City of Toronto post, Gilead 4 Productions Inc will film 10 episodes, in contrast to the previous two seasons which each featured 13.

Where and when can I watch The Handmaid’s Tale?

Because production on the show had to be paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, we don’t know when the actors will even be able to get back on set, let alone when the show will be released.

For now, all we know is that it’ll be on Hulu sometime in 2021 – as for UK viewers, it’s likely the show will debut on Channel 4 sometime next year too.

Image: Hulu/Channel 4