‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: What’s the Meaning Behind Hannah’s Purple Dress in Season 5?

The Handmaid’s Tale is only three episodes into its fifth season, but the dystopian series is already giving viewers plenty to ponder. As the death of Commander Fred Waterford continues to ripple not only through Gilead, but now Canada and the world, even more questions are being raised, including the significance behind the purple dress Hannah wore in Season 5’s two-episode premiere, and Hulu finally gave fans some answers in Episode 3. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, Episode 3, “Border.”

Throughout all four complete seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale, fans have seen characters in Gilead donning different colors. The colors of clothing in Gilead signify a ranking within society. When she was imprisoned in Gilead as a handmaid, June, for example, wore red, a color that notified others of her ranking as a handmaid and also signified fertility. The Aunts who guide the handmaids don brown. Meanwhile, within households, Marthas are always seen wearing dull green, and high-ranking wives, such as Serena Waterford, are seen wearing teal. However, the color purple was absent throughout Gilead up until the final moments of Season 5, Episode 2, “Ballet.”

As Gilead bid farewell to Commander Waterford with plenty of grandeur, an effort to show the world a softer side of the controversial totalitarian society, Serena Waterford was joined at the end of the funeral procession by Hannah, June and Luke’s daughter, who swapped out her traditional pink garbs for a purple dress.

Hannah’s color change from pink, a color associated with young girls in Gilead, to purple, left those not only outside of Gilead wondering what the color meant, but also fans — who finally got some answers. In episode 3, June, with the help of Mayday, finally manages to get in touch with Commander Nick Blaine, and one of the first questions on her mind is what the color purple means. Although their conversation wasn’t long enough for Nick to share any exact details, he did confirm what many fans believed: purple signifies yet another ranking, a new stage in Hannah’s life as she matures from a girl to a woman. According to Nick, purple “means she’s ready. For a new school. High Commanders’ daughters training for future wives.”

Undoubtedly, this news will only serve to further June’s justified disdain of Gilead and perhaps push her closer to finally being able to rescue Hannah. New episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale air Wednesdays on Hulu. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.