The following contains discussions of suicide.
The Handmaid’s Talehasn’t revisited the Colonies in several seasons, but the show’s final chapter promises a return to these nightmarish sites. Notably, Gilead’s hierarchy assigns women distinct roles, including Wife, Handmaid, Aunt, Martha, Jezebel, Econowife, and Unwoman. Though the first four often take center stage, the rest have played crucial parts in the series' broader commentary. Following her uncertain fate atThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 5 ending, recent episodes reveal Janine is at Jezebel’s, the regime’s secret brothel, where women are forced into sex work to serve Gilead’s elite.
Reviews forThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6hint that its second half is worth the wait, suggesting storylines epically converge as rebellion hits all fronts and through every figure. While there are still many missingcharacters from season 6 ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, one of them could have wound up inthe colonies — the infamous place first introduced in season 2. It’s been a while since the site’s been seen, and a recap of its inner workings and purpose feels timely, especially sinceThe Handmaid’s Tale’s final season promises to take down the worst of Gilead.
Where The Colonies Are Located
Radioactive Wastelands Exist In Several Former US States
In season 1 ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, theColonies are alluded to as the most terrifying punishment for womenwho defy Gilead’s rules, a fate worse than death. Merely mentioning the Colonies sends a chill through the characters, reinforcing obedience through fear. In one ofThe Handmaid’s Tale’s saddest episodes, the show finally takes viewers into the bleak reality of these hellish places. When Emily (Alexis Bledel) is temporarily exiled there after running a Guard over with a car in an act of rebellion, the show offers a harrowing glimpse into Gilead’s most brutal form of retribution.
As the seasons pass, more variations of colonies are revealed, such as the Magdalene Colonies, introduced after June takes 86 children to Canada.
As is the case inshows likeThe Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead is formed in response to widespread pollution in the United States, which led to plummeting fertility rates — partially due to radioactive fallout from nuclear plants. Though the show doesn’t confirm exact locations,Gilead maps suggest radioactive colonies exist in areas like Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Missouri. As the seasons pass, more variations of colonies are revealed, such as the Magdalene Colonies, introduced after June takes 86 children to Canada. These are also called “breeding colonies,” where handmaids work the fields while still being subjected to the monthly Ceremony.
Why Are People Sent To The Colonies & What’s The Purpose Of Them?
The Colonies Hide Punishment Behind The Disguise Of Restoring Toxic Land
The Handmaid’s Tale’s colonies are radioactive wastelands that function as labor camps for convicted women, labeled as “Unwomen.” Overseen by Guardians and Aunts wearing protective gear,the Unwomen are forced to dig and collect toxic soil, supposedly to help clean up nuclear pollution. The Colonies function more as a death sentence than any meaningful environmental effort, one that could be the fate ofMckenna Grace’s character inThe Handmaid’s Taleseason 6. While framed as a necessary measure to restore the land, Colonies are most likely just another tool of control and fear used to oppress women.
The Testaments, the highly anticipated spin-off ofThe Handmaid’s Talebased on Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel, is said to touch upon the colonies and their origins through Ann Dowd’s character.
The threat of being sent to the Colonies looms large over nearly every female character. Emily is one of the first to face this fate, but others, like Janine andJune’s mom inThe Handmaid’s Tale, are also condemned. Whileit’s common for Handmaids to be punished if they fail to be fertile, things like gender treachery, adultery, or disobedience can also get anyone — whether Wife, Aunt, or Martha — sent to the colonies. It’s widely understood that being sent to the Colonies is a death sentence, though fertile Handmaids may be removed to increase the number of pregnancies.
Why The Colonies Are So Dangerous
Overwork, Starvation, & Exposure To Contaminated Resources Guarantee Death For Unwomen
The Colonies inThe Handmaid’s Taleare not only radioactive wastelands that cause everything from skin lesions to cancer, but the living conditions are also deliberately inhumane. The water the Unwomen are given to clean with is contaminated with E. coli, leading to intestinal tract infections.Combined with starvation and overexertion, most women survive no more than three years, though many die far sooner. Corpses are buried daily, and those who volunteer for burial duty are rewarded with a breakfast egg, a grim incentive that slightly extends their survival.
What Is New Bethlehem? Lawrence’s Gilead Replacement In The Handmaid’s Tale Explained
New Bethlehem is one of the most interesting storylines in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, and here’s what it is and what Lawerence wants to do with it.
As Emily describes the colonies, “We come here, we work, we die.” The radioactive wastelands haven’t appeared onscreen since season 2 ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, though the show is likely to revisit them in its final episodes. Notably, the whereabouts of Emily and Esther remain uncertain, with the former said to have returned to Gilead for revenge, while the latter was last seen pregnant and chained after a suicide attempt in one of thebest episodes ofThe Handmaid’s Tale. If their stories took a dark turn offscreen, it’s possible they ended up in the infamous colonies.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cast
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
