The original post is located at www.elle.com
Spoilers below for The Handmaid’s Tale.
Blessed be the fruit! The Handmaid’s Tale is back after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus for its final season with an intense three-episode premiere. Despite escaping Gilead, June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) cannot turn her back on her daughter Hannah, whom she has been fighting to rescue since day one of this totalitarian regime. Despite multiple efforts, Hannah remains in Gilead, and until she is free, June will not stop. The series from Bruce Miller, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian 1985 novel of the same name, debuted on Hulu in 2017 and continues to hit on relevant themes like reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, misogyny, and patriarchy eight years later. In the current political landscape, the events in the series read more like a warning than science fiction.
As June’s story progresses, she catches glimmers of freedom while facing more obstacles. Canada was once a place to seek political asylum. However, at the end of season 5, tension between American refugees and Canadian citizens hit a boiling point, and a mass exodus began. June nearly died in a targeted hit-and-run, and her husband, Luke (O-T Fagbenle), in self-defense, killed the man who was driving the truck and was arrested at the train station. Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) had her baby, but found herself in a role similar to a handmaid, and escaped from the family that would raise her child, Noah, as their own. Now, enemies become temporary allies as Serena flees on the same train as June.
In this final season, Emmy-winner Elisabeth Moss continues to pull double duty, directing the first two episodes of the season (and the last two), and is an extraordinary talent in both departments. The Handmaid’s Tale is a tough watch at times as it veers toward art-imitating-life territory. Still, the final season begins with a bang. Kicking off with three episodes, season 6 establishes new characters, alliances, Mayday rebellion plans, and the push to make New Bethlehem successful. Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) pet project to set a new, more liberal standard of living in Gilead offers hope, but is it too good to be true? Only time will tell.
Read on to discover what happens in the first three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale’s final season.
Episode 1, “Train”
Steve Wilkie
June and Serena
Despite everything that has happened between June and Serena Joy, the former handmaid continues to (reluctantly) come to Serena’s aid. Last season, June helped Serena deliver her baby, Noah, trauma bonding them further and putting Serena in June’s debt once more. Now, on the train leaving Toronto with other American refugees who fled Gilead, Serena (traveling under an alias) is under the illusion that she is now an ally with June, as Gilead is angry with both of their acts of defiance. “We’re not the same,” June emphasizes. Scenes between the two are highly charged; Serena downplays what she did, whereas June can never forget, especially as she is still separated from Hannah.
On the train, June must get some medical attention as she is still in pain from her broken arm. June might be resilient, but she was literally run over the day before, and the stress of carrying Nichole and being crammed in this carriage is not ideal. The wound is infected, and the train doctor recognizes June, which is hardly surprising considering she is the face of the rebellion. Does he know who Serena is? Serena insists she wants to help June and sees this as her way to gain forgiveness for her past sins.
Serena turns one train car into a space for mothers and children, and these women begin to share horror stories about surviving Jezebel’s or having their children stolen by Gilead. Serena mentions the violence they have experienced, which is not a lie (Fred cut off her finger, after all), but as a wife, Serena was an active part of this too. It turns out the doctor does know who Serena is (he also used to be in Gilead). Instead of keeping this to himself and turning Serena in to the authorities as a war criminal, he calls her Mrs. Waterford in front of the other women.
It is incredibly tense when Serena’s identity becomes known, as the mood shifts to a desire for bloody vengeance. June can’t watch Serena be ripped apart (like June and other former handmaids did to Fred) and facilitates Serena’s escape, along with baby Noah. Serena has to jump off the train, but cannot do it so June gives her a push. The other refugees call June a “fucking traitor,” but leave her be.
New Bethlehem
Despite punching Commander Lawrence in front of other Gilead leaders in the season 5 finale, Nick (Max Minghella) is driven home to his New Bethelhem beachside home without further interrogation or punishment. He has friends in high places, and his father-in-law, High Commander Wharton (Josh Charles), pulled some strings. It is thrilling to see Charles make his Handmaid’s Tale debut (I am still not over his Good Wife exit), even if he is a notable part of the Gilead hierarchy.
Nick tells Wharton that he “wasn’t thinking straight,” which Wharton is sympathetic about. Wharton tells Nick it is “time to put away childish things” because he will be a father soon and has a bright future. Wharton is taking time away from DC to spend time with his family, meaning it is unlikely that Nick will have the freedom he has previously enjoyed. Under his eye, indeed.
Steve Wilkie
Moira and Mayday
While Luke is in jail, Moira (Samira Wiley) does everything she can to get him out so he can reunite with June, coordinating with American political operative Mark Tuello (Sam Jaeger). Tuello has some bad news: The Canadian government is looking to stop helping American refugees to normalize the relocations with Gilead as part of Commander Lawrence’s New Bethlehem program.
The time for action is now, even if the U.S. military is depleted. However, the Mayday rebellion is fighting back, and Tuello is now working with this group as a last resort. “I want to help,” says Moria. Not only did Moira escape from Jezebel’s, but she also killed a commander to do so, and Tuello is impressed.
The Big Alaska Twist
Instead of traveling to Vancouver, the train takes the refugees to one of only two American states not under Gilead rule: Alaska (the other is Hawaii). As everyone is processed, a doctor who looks familiar comes into view. June seems relieved to be on solid ground again, but nothing can prepare her for the big surprise. The doctor drops the clipboard when she sees a familiar name and calls out June’s name. I was already crying, but having the Sigur Rós song “Ara Batur” accompanying this moment as June is reunited with her mother, Holly (Cherry Jones), ensures I am a weepy mess by the time the two women hug. Both Moss and Jones sell the enormity of this moment.
All is not lost: Families can reunite.
Episode 2, “Exile”
Steve Wilkie
Serena and June’s New Communities
Serena Joy has a habit of landing on her feet, even when jumping off a train to escape an angry mob. Still going by the alias Rachel, Serena is taken in by a faith-based community home to only women and children. With the focus on growing fresh produce, prayer, and providing a safe home for her baby, it ticks every box for Serena, and it is hard to believe it isn’t a dream masquerading as reality. But Serena is awake; she lies about being a refugee and certainly doesn’t mention her previous Gilead role.
Meanwhile, June has much catching up to do with her mother, including introducing her to granddaughter Nichole. A good night’s sleep and some meds have done June wonders, and her mother’s medical qualifications helped her survive Gilead before she was liberated by the army about six months ago. Holly hoped that June would get through the ordeal because of how she was raised, but there is still unspoken tension. It is painful for June to tell her mother about losing Hannah, and that the last time she saw her daughter in Gilead, Hannah did not recognize her. Again, Jones and Moss are fantastic.
There is good news because Luke has been released from prison, though the charges have not been dropped. He immediately wants to join Mayday and kill the commanders who shot the American planes down, which stopped a plan to rescue Hannah and other Gilead children last season. Later, during the weekly phone calls in Alaska (communication resources are limited), June finally gets to speak to her husband and reveals that Holly is alive. Even over the phone, it is an emotional reunion.
Nick’s Deal and Finding Serena
Commander Lawrence and Nick have made peace, after Lawrence convinced Nick he had nothing to do with the attempt on June’s life. They talk about the New Bethlehem model, and Lawrence explains the more militant hardline commanders are open to the more liberal settlement as it means they will have access to products like Rolex watches and Mercedes cars—plus, the new trade route will make everyone a lot of money.
One issue is that Commander Wharton wants Serena to be part of the New Bethlehem sales pitch to the rest of the world. Lawrence lies and says Serena is on maternity leave but won’t be gone for long from her global ambassador role. After Wharton leaves, Nick says he doesn’t want to drag Serena back into this life, but agrees to investigate her whereabouts. Nick has an off-the-books meeting with Tuello, who says he needs to hold up his end of the deal (to give Gilead secrets in exchange for seeing June in the hospital), which includes schedules of patrols in No Man’s Land.
Steve Wilkie
A Two-Month Time Jump
Moving the action forward two months gives Lawrence time to locate Serena, and it turns out the woman who runs this community has always known who Serena is. But this woman was a fan of Serena’s pre-Gilead writing and didn’t let her identity come between them. Lawrence’s arrival brings a new opportunity, as he tells Serena she will be the face of progress and reform. In New Bethlehem, women can live alone and have influence, which Serena is craving. Lawrence might not be able to sell that he is a pious man, but Serena buys into his pitch that God had a plan for him and agrees to return to Gilead. The Handmaid’s Tale is full of people making choices based on how it might benefit themselves, and Serena’s desire to have power informs her decision.
In New Bethlehem, Commander Wharton talks to Nick about all the lousy father figures he has encountered: his birth father, Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), and now Lawrence. Again, Wharton belabors on the notion of making good choices, and Nick goes against his deal with Tuello by burning the SIM card from the encrypted phone (his means of contact) with daddy issues as fuel.
When June rings Tuello and finds out that Luke and Moira, on behalf of Mayday, are stuck in No Man’s Land because they didn’t know when patrols were happening, June knows she is their only hope. June tells her mother that she knows a commander who will respond to her, and Holly quickly deduces this is Nichole’s father and cannot be trusted. June defends Nick to her mom, saying he isn’t a monster and will protect the people June loves. Holly says June “fucked a Nazi” and insists that Nichole stays in Alaska, which is the smart play. In the heat of the moment, harsh words are shared about Holly abandoning June. I am with June on her Nick assessment, even if I would like to see him stepping up for Mayday. There are reasons to favor different pairings in this love triangle, but I lean Team Nick—for Moss and Minghella’s chemistry alone. However, Holly isn’t entirely wrong because Nick is part of the Gilead power structure on paper.
Mother and daughter apologize to each other the following day, and June agrees to leave Nichole in Alaska. June also shares that Nichole’s real name is Holly.
Episode 3, “Devotion”
Steve Wilkie
Nick and June in No Man’s Land
Luke and Moira are stuck in an abandoned waterpark because, while picking up intel as part of Mayday’s plan to kill extremist commanders, they had to hide in a gift shop to avoid the patrols. As June predicted, Nick forgoes his New Bethlehem duties to help her. The two tenderly hug when they reunite, and June tells Nick that Nichole is safe in Alaska with her mom. Nick is thrilled to hear her mother is alive and well, and June does not share what Holly really thinks about him.
June insists (of course!) on going with Nick, and the two playfully banter, immediately slipping back into their familiar dynamic. Nick explains that he only agreed to spy for the Americans because he had to see her in the hospital. Nick mentions that Rose (Carey Cox) can sense when he thinks of June, which is causing problems, and he only has this life because June chose Luke.
“I had you. I loved you,” June explains. But Luke waited for her, and June thinks she owes her husband for this sacrifice. Nick picks up on the past tense, and June corrects herself, saying “love.” It gets a little playful again, and the aforementioned chemistry between Moss and Minghella helps underscore why both characters continually find their way back to this dangerous match. June is caught between the ones she loves and says she cannot lose Moira and Luke. Nick feels similarly about June, and he has repeatedly lost her. “I’m here,” June says.
After this heart-to-heart, they move toward the gift shop and find Luke and Moira. It is the first time Moira meets Nick, and her “wow” reaction when June says who Nick is is very best friend behavior. As they return to Nick’s car, two guardians stop Nick, and he shoots them to prevent June, Moira, and Luke from getting caught. When they return to Tuello, instead of doing their usual “have a good life” dramatic goodbye, they agree to “see you later.”
New Bethlehem’s Big Day
Commander Lawrence has sold Serena on the idea of New Bethelhem, but now is the time for a PR blitz to foreign dignitaries. Nick has to ditch his duties for June (Lawrence makes excuses for him), leaving it to Serena and Lawrence. One issue Serena has is that she cannot feel God in Lawrence and wants to know what is driving him. “Could be God. Could be my dead wife. Could be my guilty conscience,” Lawrence says. He quotes from The Book of Mormon (the musical) before switching from jokes to sincerity. Lawrence says they broke this country and must fix it, and he needs Serena’s help to make it happen. While coming at this from different places, they share similar goals.
The dignitaries bring up the financial burden of refugees, but also cannot in good faith send them back to a country that will harm them. Serena Joy rises to sell Lawrence’s vision while underscoring Gilead’s fertility success, using her baby and Rose’s bump (she is five months pregnant) as symbols of the doubled birth rate. “All the good of Gilead, none of the bad” is the elevator pitch, which is working. Wharton looks particularly impressed by Serena, seemingly forgetting his son-in-law is nowhere to be seen.
Steve Wilkie
Janine at Jezebel’s
Meanwhile, Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) is trying to find out what happened to Janine (Madeline Brewer) after she was expelled from being Commander Lawrence’s handmaid at the behest of his wife Naomi (who is raising/stole Janine’s daughter). Aunt Lydia is horrified that Janine is working at Jezebel’s, and tells her former charge that she will get her out of there. Janine begs her not to because she always makes things worse—a spot-on assessment. Lydia was under the impression that the handmaids would be rewarded for their service, and this is far from the future she had in mind for “my girls.”
Lydia visits Commander Lawrence at home, asking him to help save Janine because she performed a “sacred service.” Unfortunately for Lydia, he claims he can do nothing and says, “At least it isn’t the colonies.” Lawrence is slippery, picking battles that benefit his agenda, which is pretty much the standard for Gilead. People are tossed to the wolves once they no longer serve a purpose. Aunt Lydia bought into the notion that her actions are in service to God, but that is part of the big lie. Will she wake up to the horrors that she helps facilitate? It is already too late for so many women that Gilead has left broken, beaten, and worse. Can June and Mayday make a move before more are lost?
