Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Handmaid's Tale season 6, episode 10!

Esther was one of the most interesting characters in Esther Keyes was a major character throughout The Handmaid's Tale seasons 4 and 5, with her getting a lot of screentime and having a big effect on Janine and Aunt Lydia's stories. Unfortunately, after last appearing in the season 5 episode "Together," Esther never appeared in The Handmaid's Tale again, with her being completely absent from the show's final season.

The Handmaid's Tale has come to an end with the release of season 6, episode 10, which showed June's final moments in the main series. The show ends with June saying her goodbyes to characters like Serena Joy and Luke, reuniting with characters like Janine and Emily, and continuing her quest to save Hannah and take down Gilead. Although the story of Gilead isn't over thanks to the release of The Testaments, the series finale wraps up most of the major storylines from The Handmaid's Tale, with Esther being the biggest exception.

McKenna Grace Hoped For Esther's Return In The Handmaid's Tale Season 6

So The Fact That She Didn't Return Is Strange

McKenna Grace played Esther in all of her appearances in The Handmaid's Tale, and as it turns out, the actress hoped for her return in season 6. While doing press for the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, McKenna Grace expressed her excitement to return for season 6 in an interview with ScreenRant. Although she said she was unsure when the final season would shoot, she seemed eager to reprise the role of Esther, giving the character some closure in the final season. Here are McKenna Grace's full comments:

I'm actually terrified. I won't even lie to you. I have no idea… I'm hoping that we'll shoot the final season sometime soon. Between all the strikes, and COVID, and everything that's been happening… and then Lizzie Moss had a baby, which is crazy [and] so exciting.

I'm hoping that we'll finally get to shoot the final season, but I have no idea what they're going to make me do. I'm game--whatever they tell me, I'll do it and I'm game—but I am a little terrified. With that show, you never know. You truly never know what's going to happen. I'm excited to see what Esther's up to this season.

While McKenna Grace was clearly excited to come back, her comments make it seem as if she was out of the loop regarding her The Handmaid's Tale season 6 return. The last line implies that she expected that she would be returning, continuing Esther's story. However, nothing else was ever heard about Esther's fate in The Handmaid's Tale, making McKenna Grace's lack of involvement in season 6 a mystery.

Why Wasn't McKenna Grace In The Handmaid's Tale Season 6?

No Official Explanation Has Been Given

There has been no official word as to why McKenna Grace wasn't involved in The Handmaid's Tale season 6, leaving things entirely up to speculation. It could be that McKenna Grace simply had scheduling conflicts. The actress has a lot of projects, with her set to appear in Nobody 2, Regretting You, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Scream 7, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, Anniversary, and New Year's Rev in the coming years. It may have been too difficult to fit season 6 in her schedule, especially since it was a lengthy TV season.

Another possibility is that the writers of The Handmaid's Tale simply didn't have a way to fit her into the main story. By the time season 6 started, Janine was at Jezebel's, meaning that she was no longer around Esther. While Lydia should have still had a connection to Esther, the writers could have felt as if this was too disconnected from the rest of the final season's story.

It's A Real Shame Esther Wasn't In The Handmaid's Tale's Final Episode

Especially Since Emily Did Appear

McKenna Grace not appearing in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 is one of the final season's biggest sins. The story involving the fallout from Commander Putnam's death wasn't done yet, and with how much Naomi Putnam was in season 6, it is weird that Esther wasn't involved at all. This was a major lingering plot thread after the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 5, and it feels like season 6 just swept it under the rug.

Even if Esther wasn't a major character, it would have been nice to see her in the finale at least. After all, Emily returned in The Handmaid's Tale finale, and she hasn't been around since season 4. Sadly, we may never know what happened to Esther in the world of The Handmaid's Tale.