We Just Found Out If Aunt Lydia From 'Handmaid's Tale' Is Dead or Alive

From Good Housekeeping

We’re still catching our breath from the final moments of The Handmaid’s Tale’s Season 2 finale. With plenty of spoilers ahead, those still watching seasons 1 or 2 should proceed with caution.

First of all: What is June thinking? At the end of Season 2, we saw her leave her newborn daughter, Nicole, who fled to safety (hopefully) with Emily. June likely feels that she can’t leave Gilead (formerly known as the United States) without bringing back her eldest daughter Hannah. As she said in the official trailer released on May 1, "Now, Mom's got work." But there's a new clip that's revealing even more about season 3.

In the first glimpse in the premiere trailer, June told Serena, "As Mrs. Waterford, you have influence," and she replied, "Up to a point." Then, June clapped back with, "So move the point." (Chills, anyone?). In the latest video, June and Serena are negotiating about having more freedom, which makes us dream of an epic, crime-fighting duo. But the actors are teasing that it's not clear how the two women will treat each other, especially after the pain of giving up baby Nicole.

Lucky for us, the showrunners have also spilled a few spoilers about the upcoming season.

"There's a sense of accomplishment," executive producer Warren Littlefield tells GoodHousekeeping.com of the new season. "There's light in this dark tunnel and June is devoted to an underground movement. She's devoted to something other than herself, and so her journey this year is to try and make a difference in an oppressive world."

However, June's road to revolution will be far from linear.

"It's not a simple journey," he says. "We move forward, we step back. We move forward, we step back. But ultimately, there is a sense of achievement."

Here’s everything else we know about the twists and turns coming in Season 3:

When is Handmaid’s Tale coming back?

Mark your calendars for June 5! The show's Instagram account dropped a fiery clip and the hashtag #WakeUp in February alerting fans. Though vague, the clip is an allusion to the haunting adaptation of Ronald Reagan’s 1984 “Morning in America” commercial that aired during the Super Bowl.

How can I watch and stream Handmaid’s Tale?

This is a Hulu original series, so the most popular way to watch the show is on Hulu. You can start your free month trial by clicking here. If you love the show, you can keep your subscription going for just $5.99 a month.

Season 1 and 2 are currently on Amazon Prime, if you need to catchup before the Season 3 premiere.

Are there any Season 3 spoilers yet?

You bet. In an interview with USA Today, Littlefield confirmed that we'll see June walking back into Gilead during the premiere. "We’ll also pick up with Serena Joy and where is she, what happens to her with the knowledge that Nicole, who she considers her baby, has gone off to Canada, but not with June," he said.

Elisabeth Moss (June) and Yvonne Strahovski (Serena) shared even more about their characters' unique dynamic in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“They know one another too well,” Strahovski said about their characters. Moss added, “Together? Oh my God, they could topple the whole thing. Unfortunately, nothing is that simple."

Also, the handmaids make it to Washington, D.C. We’re not sure how, and we’re not sure why, but it appears that June is leading the pack to resist against Gilead’s dehumanizing regime. She's clearly building an army, but it's unclear who is willing to join her fight.

We also see June in a Martha uniform, so perhaps Rita (the Martha who initially tried to help her escape Gilead) will come to her aid again.

Littlefield said in the interview that “there are bigger players” than the terrifying commanders we’ve already met on the show. The writers’ room has also adopted the mantra, “blessed be the fight,” derived from the show’s recurrent phrase, “blessed be the fruit.”

One of those "bigger players" might be Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), who has become a series regular in season 3. In the new promo, it's tough to tell whether he's there to help or torture June.

"He has a big brain, and it has overwhelmed his humanity," Whitford told EW about his character. "But his humanity is trying to fight back. He's testing her. Is he going to open up to her? Is she going to be a partner in something I don't think he even understands?"

Executive producer Bruce Miller told Vanity Fair that Moira and Luke are about to step up their game. More specifically, Luke is ready to come for the man who raped his wife June: Fred Waterford. All of that being said, showrunners claim it’s not quite as disheartening as what we’ve seen in seasons past.

"I think there are a lot more rays of hope in the battle that we’ll be feeling and experiencing in Season 3," Littlefield told USA Today.

Is the entire cast coming back?

Yes. A rep from Hulu tells GoodHousekeeping.com that all the series regulars will return for Season 3. The trailer confirmed as much, showing all of our favorite members of the resistance (and yes, the evil characters too). Plus, there are new (but certainly familiar) faces you’ll see on the screen. Christopher Meloni (best known as Detective Stabler on Law and Order: SVU) and Elizabeth Reaser (from Twilight and The Haunting of Hill House) are set to join the Handmaid's Tale cast as Commander and Mrs. Winslow.

Wait, does that mean Aunt Lydia survives?

Shocking as it may seem, Ann Dowd will be back as the fearsome Aunt Lydia. The new trailer shows her looking, well, miserable. Miller previously confirmed that we haven’t seen the last of Lydia, who is responsible for preparing these women for the rape, pregnancy, and delivering a child they’ll ultimately have to give away. After Emily stabbed her and she fell off a staircase, things were looking pretty grim, but her story isn’t over.

"Aunt Lydia doesn’t die [laughs],” Miller told reporters, according to The Wrap. "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 by extension, the incredibly strong, fabulous Ann Dowd I think is with us for a long, long time, as well."

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