Madeline Brewer has worn an eye patch, a red cloak, and now a velvet corset at Jezebel’s—but of all the trials Janine Lindo has faced on The Handmaid’s Tale, season 6 may be the most harrowing.
Fresh from her stint on Netflix’s You and days after wrapping Hulu’s dystopian hit, Madeline Brewer sat down to unpack Janine’s latest trauma, her complicated bond with Aunt Lydia, and that gut-wrenching twist in “Shattered.”
Returning to Gilead After You
Filming the final season began only weeks after Brewer wrapped her “cute-clothes, no-eye-patch” role on You. Jumping back into Janine’s battered psyche required what Brewer calls a “hard reset.”
The actress says, “Going from designer jeans to the scarlet dress reminded me how deeply Madeline Brewer inhabits Janine. Once the patch snapped on, the weight of Gilead returned.”
Jezebel’s: Freedom or Fresh Hell?
Viewers first visited Jezebel’s back in season 1 with Moira; now Janine is trapped in the brothel, forced to entertain High Commander Bell. Brewer finds irony in Janine’s new cage:
“It’s the most freedom Janine has ever had in Gilead—and also the most dehumanizing. She can speak, she can boss the other girls, yet every night she’s someone’s property.”
Brewer credits co-star Timothy Simons (Commander Bell) for shaping the disturbing dynamic: “Tim and I treated Bell like a pathetic high-school crush. He wants validation, Janine gives it—until she can’t.”
The Spark That Lydia Ignited
In episode 5, Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) hands Janine a drawing from her daughter, re-igniting the survivor’s spirit. “That drawing is Janine’s North Star,” Madeline Brewer explains. “She keeps it even after smashing her dressing room. It’s proof she still hopes.”
Brewer sees Lydia and Janine as a tragic mother-daughter pair: “They see through each other’s masks. Lydia cuts Janine because she loves her in the only twisted way she knows.”
Surviving “Shattered”
Episode 7 delivers one of the series’ most brutal set pieces: the mass execution of Jezebel’s women.
Brewer remembers the day vividly: “We shot with 40 extras, squib packs, and deafening blanks. Between takes, everyone was silent. It felt like a memorial.”
Janine alone survives—spared to become Bell’s private handmaid. “The audience saw her bruises, but we left the worst off-screen. Viewers can fill in those horrors,” she says.
Why Janine Still Hopes
Many fans wonder how Janine endures. Brewer offers a simple answer: “She’s a mother twice over. Hope is her rebellion.”
Having portrayed Janine through the Colonies, Chicago bombings, and now Jezebel’s, Madeline Brewer believes the character’s optimism is earned:
“When you’ve stood in a radioactive wasteland and lived, you realize tomorrow might be better. Janine clings to that.”
Working With Elisabeth Moss Behind the Camera
Elisabeth Moss directed two installments this season. Brewer calls the experience “a masterclass”: “Liz knows every lens, every lighting cue. She’ll whisper, ‘Give me one more look of grief’—and she’s always right.”
Saying Goodbye to the Eye Patch
After six seasons, the eye patch and Janine’s uneven curls have become iconic.
Will Brewer miss them? “I’ll miss Janine’s heart more than the patch,” she laughs, “but I might keep it for Halloween.”
The Legacy of Madeline Brewer’s Janine
Janine started as comic relief, evolved into tragic heart, and ends as a symbol of resilience. Brewer hopes her work sparks conversation:
- “If people watch Janine and ask, ‘How do real women endure oppression today?’ then I’ve done my job.”
- “I want survivors to see themselves in her and feel less alone.”
What’s Next for Madeline Brewer?
Though Brewer can’t reveal post-Gilead plans, she hints at lighter fare. “I’ve lived in trauma TV for years,” she says. “Maybe a romantic comedy without bloodshed is next. But if Margaret Atwood calls, I’m there.”
Key Takeaways
- Madeline Brewer relished exploring Janine’s slight freedom at Jezebel’s while portraying her deepest trauma yet.
- The drawing from Janine’s daughter reignites her fight for survival.
- Brewer credits co-stars Timothy Simons and Ann Dowd for nuanced relationships that elevate Janine’s story.
- Despite graphic losses, Janine’s hope—and Brewer’s performance—remain the beating heart of The Handmaid’s Tale.
With only three episodes left, fans will soon discover whether Janine’s optimism can survive Gilead’s final blow.
Whatever happens, Madeline Brewer has already cemented Janine as one of modern television’s most unforgettable survivors.
