‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Bosses Say [Spoiler]’s Big Return Wasn’t Always in the Plan

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 1, “Train.”]

June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) finally got a little bit of relief in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 premiere (the first three episodes debuted on Tuesday, April 8 on Hulu). Episode 1 delivered a twist in the final moments that’s sure to make anyone weep. Most of the episode took place on a train full of American refugees fleeing Canada after increased marginalization and violence against them as asylum-seekers. Gilead’s influence has creeped into Canada so much, even Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) boarded this train with her infant son, Noah (born in Season 5), to find safe harbor. Last season ended with June and Serena crossing paths in disbelief on the back of this train. But their time together on it — and Serena’s safety on-board — was short.

After its initial destination was elsewhere in Canada, the train was rerouted to Alaska, where a small American colony had been formed and was welcoming refugees. The passengers discovered Serena’s true identity and were ready to kill her, especially after she showed her true colors and yelled that Gilead “saved” America. But June stepped in and pushed Serena off the moving train with Noah in hand to save them. When the train arrived in Alaska, June was unexpectedly reunited with someone from her past.

Disney / Steve Wilkie

As June waited in line for medical attention at the Alaskan colony, baby Nicole in tow, a faceless worker saw her name on the intake forms and dropped her clipboard in shock. June heard her name called out by a voice she instantly recognized. It was Holly (Cherry Jones), June’s mother she’s long believed was dead. “Mom,” June whispered in disbelief as her mom walked toward her. The episode ended with the mother and daughter hugging. If this moment brought you to tears, co-showrunner Eric Tuchman says, “Mission accomplished.”

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Co-showrunner Yahlin Chang tells TV Insider Tuchman was the one who insisted on having Holly return in the premiere. “He was beating the drum on that,” she says. As Tuchman explains it, “We needed an uplift at the end of that episode.” June saw a picture of Holly in the colonies in a Gilead pamphlet in Season 1. Since few survive the toxic environment of the colonies, she presumed her mother was dead. Jones has appeared in occasional flashbacks, but the Season 6 premiere is the first confirmation that Holly not only survived but also got out of Gilead.

The series creators’ didn’t have a series-long plan to bring Holly back in the final season. Rather, they came up with this idea when trying to come up with an uplifting ending for the Season 6 premiere.

“I don’t think it was always the plan,” Tuchman explains. “It was ambiguous what happened to that character, so it was a possibility, but we didn’t aim for that. It just felt like, especially at the end of that story, the premiere episode, which becomes really scary and intense, you need something at the end of that episode that lifts you up, at least in this season. We wanted that vibe that there was a drive and a hopefulness that kept you watching.”

Chang says Tuchman was pushing for Holly’s return every day in the writers’ room until he convinced the team to commit to the idea: “That was Eric saying, ‘What if we have her at the end of this episode?’ And then the next day, ‘Let’s think about having her at the end of this episode,’ and then the next day, ‘Let’s have her at the end of the episode,’ until everybody got on board,” Chang says, praising her colleague for the idea.

Holly’s return in this episode, directed by Moss (who also directs Season 6 Episode 2), is the first piece of “wish fulfillment” in The Handmaid’s Tale‘s final season. As the showrunners previously teased, this is the season where everything fans have been waiting for will come to pass.

The Handmaid’s Tale, Tuesdays, Hulu