How Sydney Sweeney Reacted to Eden's Ending in *The Handmaid's Tale*

Sydney Sweeney’s Role in “The Handmaid’s Tale” and the Impact of Eden’s Storyline

Before Sydney Sweeney became a household name with her role in “Euphoria,” she had a small but impactful part in season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Her character, Eden, was introduced as a young girl who is forced into a child marriage within the oppressive regime of Gilead. Initially appearing to be a true believer in the society, Eden quickly becomes disillusioned when she realizes that her husband will never love her.

Eden's journey takes a tragic turn as she falls in love with a young man named Isaac. Rather than accept a loveless marriage, she decides to have an affair with him. The couple is eventually caught, leading to their execution by the state. This moment is widely considered one of the most emotionally devastating sequences in the already bleak second season of the series.

Sweeney reflected on her experience playing Eden during a 2018 interview with Refinery29. She mentioned that because this was the first season that went beyond the original book the show was based on, she wasn't entirely sure how Eden's story would conclude. “I knew she was going to have an ending. I wasn’t exactly sure how it was going to end. There was [the idea of], ‘Oh, she could end up running away.’ They weren’t quite sure what direction they were going in. I just knew there was going to be an ending. When I read episode 12, I was completely shocked. ... I was screaming at the page while reading.”

Sweeney expressed satisfaction with how Eden’s storyline ultimately unfolded. “I was glad that it went so dark for an ending. Because it's going to hit a lot of people and have a huge impact,” she said. When asked about how her character’s death might affect the main characters, she responded, “None of them will be able to be the same. It's definitely going to carry them throughout the next season.”

This prediction proved accurate, as the following season marked one of the most intense and rebellious periods for the show. It also marked the beginning of a significant arc for Serena Waterford, a character who had initially supported Gilead. After witnessing Eden’s death, Serena begins to question some of her beliefs. The loss of Eden, who represented the ideal young woman in Serena’s eyes, deeply affected her.

Despite the emotional weight of the scene, Sweeney described the behind-the-scenes experience as surprisingly lighthearted. “I was having a blast,” she said about jumping into the pool for the scene. “I was having such a great time. I wanted to keep doing it over and over again … My mom was in that day too. I wanted her to see it in person instead of just watching it on TV so it wasn't as shocking or scary for her.”

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