The Handmaid's Tale recap: June and Serena plot their next moves
After confronting Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) with a stern, wild-eyed warning last week, it seems June (Elisabeth Moss) is in a slightly better place at the start of this episode. She's at the park playing with Nichole, when an adoring female stranger approaches to fawn over the child.
But June's simmering rage soon resurfaces when the woman turns out to be a Serena supporter. "You're so lucky you were in Gilead," she gushes. Things escalate quickly, F-bombs are dropped, and before you know it, June has the woman pinned against a swing set.
Serena's having a better day. Agent Tuello (Sam Jaeger) releases her from the detention center – and the U.S. Government's oversight – and sees her off to the still-under-construction Gilead Information Center. Her new Toronto-based "home away from home" comes complete with living quarters, large office, and a menacing bodyguard/driver named Ezra.
Tuello next heads to June and Luke's (O-T Fagbenle) to break the bad news of Serena's release, and inform them of her ambassador-like role at the visitor's center. Broadcasting Fred's funeral around the globe apparently brought some positive optics to Gilead, and its commanders are ready to share more of its "values" with the world. Needless to say, more F-words fly, Tuello's invited to leave, and June begins plotting her next move.
Specifically, she digs her buried pistol from the ground before heading to Serena's new residence. June checks the gun's ammo clip, but is frustrated when she can't cock it due to it being caked in dirt. She settles for instead firing a death-stare at Serena, who happens to be admiring her new view. June later confesses to Luke she wants to shoot the former Mrs. Waterford in the head, and isn't confident in her ability to control that particular urge. Her husband attempts to calm her, suggesting they eliminate Serena via the proper channels – building code violations, city council, protests etc.
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The next morning, Serena's up bright and early to embrace her new duties. She calls Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) to complain he and the other leaders are stifling her potential to spread the good Gilead word. The snarky Commander reacts with a poutine joke, but also agrees to allowing her a bit more leeway. Serena also takes a moment to respond to June's surprise stalking by mailing her something.
When the mysterious correspondence arrives, June discovers it's horrifyingly addressed to "Offred," her former, assigned handmaid moniker. Worse than that, it's a painful dig flaunting Serena's newly appointed, strategic position in Canada. It reads: "The Republic of Gilead is pleased to announce the opening of the Gilead Information Center." Fearing it represents the first step in Serena turning Toronto into Gilead, June loses it, smashing a plate and promising to "put her in the f—ing ground."
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Speaking of the "Divine Republic," Janine's (Madeline Brewer) healing up nicely and is ready to head back to the Red Center. But she's also done indulging Aunt Lydia's (Ann Dowd) bible-quoting BS and brutal punishments. Her new attitude nicely dovetails with Lydia's own fresh perspective, following her promise to god last episode. The handmaid forewoman heads to Commander Lawrence's with some novel ideas. She wants serious reform, suggesting her girls reside at the center and only interact with Commanders when the "ceremony" calls for it. Lawrence delivers an on-brand response – "What are you smoking?" – before shooting down the idea. He also orders Lydia to get the "handmaid system" in order, as Gilead plans on giving the world a better look at how it does things. Disappointed, Lydia pivots to a new plan that could also get her back in Janine's good graces. She asks her favorite handmaid to help shepherd the new recruits, as well as assist in addressing problems early and with more compassion.
Back beyond the border, Luke's reacting to Serena's nasty mailing by confronting her in person. He goes to her office with a fistful of building code violations, but Serena's unimpressed. She humiliates him by having her new heavy give him a too-handsy pat down. But Luke has a plan. He leverages the face-to-face meeting to appeal to Serena's softer side, suggesting he and June will leave her alone if she helps them get Hannah back. Serena doubles-down on her sinister side, however, saying "Agnes" is not only happy, but being brought up by fit and loving parents, "just as the good lord intended."
But it's her passive-aggressive suggestion that Nick (Max Minghella) did more to help Hannah and June than he ever did that leads Luke to channel his wife's rage: "Stay away from my family or I'll f---ing kill you myself.," he yells, before throwing the code violations on her desk.
While Luke's response is all reactionary bark, June's preparing to bite back. She's parked outside the visitor's center, gripping her pistol. She exits her vehicle, tucks the piece into her waistband, and approaches the building. She encounters a Gilead supporter who's arguing with a group of protesters, including Moira (Samira Wiley). The man shouts, "There is no America," then assaults Moira, prompting June to put her gun in his terrified face. She fires a warning shot and tells him to leave, just as Luke intercedes and helps her flee the scene.
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Serena's also on the move, as she's being evacuated to a "secure location" by Ezra. During the chaos, the two women unexpectedly meet. June instinctively reaches for her gun, but rethinks her intentions when she catches a glimpse of her target's pregnant belly. Following a tension-ratcheting stare-down, Serena's escorted into her vehicle by Ezra.
As June and Luke hit the road, they get a call with some good news. The chief fire inspector – who lost his sister to Gilead – is shutting down the visitor's center. "Serena is homeless," Luke says with a smile. The couple happily head home to engage in some celebratory sex. But while the two are passionately kissing each others' bullet wound scars, Serena's nearing that secure location. Ezra drives through a pair of iron gates – denoted with a large "W" – before pulling up to a stretching estate.
Serena's greeted at the door by a maid, who asks her to wait for her host. The mystery deepens, for both Serena and viewers, when a breathless young woman hurries down the stairs to welcome her guest: "Mrs. Waterford, praise be, welcome to our home." As an awestruck smile stretches across her face, she introduces herself, "I'm Alanis, Mrs. Ryan Wheeler." She then drops to her knees, gently places her palms on Serena's abdomen, and begins praying. Serena seems slightly confused and uncomfortable, but slowly realizes this apparently affluent Gilead supporter is clearly a fan-girl who could help her cause.
Meanwhile, June's striking a match, but she's not lighting a postcoital smoke. No, she's outside, ominously standing over a fire-pit. She drops the lit match, then Serena's Gilead Information Center mailer into the blaze. As the card and its Offred-addressed envelope are consumed by the flames, June flashes one of her signature satisfied/scary smiles at the camera.
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