"The consequences will be huge." Why Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale will be the most thrilling one yet.

Content warning: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaid's Tale season four. 

It is a gross understatement to say that stakes in The Handmaid's Tale are really, really high.

It's been like this from the very first moment and has remained as such throughout June's entire journey, from Handmaid to resistance leader to refugee in Canada. There's never been a moment where you've felt like it's safe to exhale, to loosen your grip. 

But as we prepare for the series' fifth season, available to stream exclusively on SBS On Demand, I promise you: the stakes have never been higher.

Watch: SBS' trailer for Season Five of The Handmaid's Tale. Post continues below video.

Season five will pick up directly where we left off — with the gruesome end to the man viewers (and June) hated above anyone else: Fred Waterford.

Hope you're having fun down there in Hell, Fred.

But in true Handmaid's style, the rare victories guarantee only one thing: more bloody complications. 

Here's why season five will be the most thrilling iteration of The Handmaid's Tale yet.

Gilead's ideology has breached its borders.

I think the most terrifying part of season five is going to be watching how the extreme beliefs of Gilead seep into the rest of the world — especially Canada, where much of the story now takes place and where so many refugees are now living.

We've seen hints of this before, but following Fred's death it looks like the amount of Gilead sympathisers outside of the former-US is growing.

June has made Fred a martyr, and the Gilead sympathisers see Serena as the poor, grieving, heavily pregnant wife left behind.

Images of her mourning are beamed across televisions and big screens everywhere — and that is the exact kind of imagery that can spark a movement.

Serena is smart enough to know that Canada will never ever truly trust or accept her. She knows she can garner much more power if she leans into this new 'grieving wife' narrative.

As always, Serena is played by local talent Yvonne Strahovski and I expect this season to include a best-ever performance from her.

Image: MGM Television. 

She is undeniably the show's greatest villain.

With Fred gone, June sets her sight on Serena.

June and Serena have always had one of the most fascinating dynamics in this series, and with Fred dead, it makes sense that the next person in June's sights is his wife.

We know how much June loves the idea of revenge.

Serena will be shaken by the way Fred died — especially because it had to mean June had help from allies within Gilead — but his death also gives Serena an opportunity to garner more power and influence, which will make for an arm-wrestle of sorts between her and June.

Oof. The two of them going head-to-head again this season is going to be INCREDIBLE to watch.

Fred is dead, but Gilead is far from it. 

If June had left Fred's body to waste away in no-man's-land, we probably wouldn't be worrying too much about Gilead's reaction. But June's not exactly known for her subtlety. 

Instead, Fred's body is hung on a wall above a very pointed message, and one of Fred's own catch phrases: "nolite te bastardes carborundorum" (a Latin phrase used in Atwood's original novel, meaning 'don't let the bastards grind you down').

Way to give it away, June!

Serena, Joseph and Nick know it was a targeted attack, and if that information makes its way to other Commanders, there's no way Gilead will let that slide.

Image: MGM Television. 

To be clear: Gilead does not care about Fred Waterford. What Gilead does care about is power. If June's found out, the consequences will be huge.

We know we still have allies in Nick (and his perfect eyebrows) and Joseph, but what on earth could they do to smooth THAT over? 

(Side note: I am also so excited about the prospect of a Nick/Joseph dynamic duo this season.)

June and Luke would not go back INTO Gilead. Right? RIGHT?

June will not stop fighting until she gets her and Luke's daughter Hannah out of Gilead, but what if that fight leads her right back there?

The season's official synopsis says "June, Luke and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah" which should quell our concerns.

However, the rebellion, which seems to include a lot of refugees in Canada, will play a large part in season five, which leads me to believe people crossing no-man's-land to fight will be on the cards.

Knowing what we have learned about June across four seasons, returning as a rebel to fight from the inside (again) is absolutely something she would do. And is the best way to escape Gilead to hide in plain sight? Surely they'd never expect her to return.

Because while we watch on in horror, yelling at our TV screens, we know that for these two characters, the highest stake of all is their daughter, Hannah.

I. Am. Terrified.

Janine, Esther and thousands of other women are still slaves in Gilead.

Sometimes I remember June searching through the rubble of Chicago, screaming for Janine, and I cry all over again.

While June made it to Canada, sweet angel Janine didn't. 

When we see her again in season five, she'll be back at the Red Centre with a cattle prod-wielding Aunt Lydia. 

Madeline Brewer as Janine is one of this show's greatest assets — a fan favourite character who, despite absolutely everything she's up against, finds reasons for hope. We simply can't rest until Janine is safe!

We also know that Esther, the former Wife played by incredible 16-year-old talent Mckenna Grace, has been captured and brought to the Red Centre too. And she's definitely not wearing Wife teal anymore.

Esther has always had a fighting spirit, so she's bound to give Aunt Lydia a few headaches. Or, ideally, something worse.

Image: MGM Television. 

Janine and Esther act as our main touchpoints to the horrors thousands are living in across the border.

It's a reminder that this story is so much bigger than June. We need justice for everybody. We need justice for the Handmaid's like Moira and Marthas like Rita, who made it out safely, and for those like Alma, Brianna and so many others who didn't. We need justice for the children of Gilead, who were stolen and brainwashed. We need justice for their families. 

Oh, and we need to see the entirety of Gilead to burn to the ground.

Now that would be a Blessed Day.

The brand new season of The Handmaid's Tale is exclusive to and available to stream on SBS On Demand in Australia. 

Feature image: MGM Television.