The Handmaid's Tale: You May Have Missed Oprah's Super-Quick Surprise Cameo
Spoiler Alert: At the end of The Handmaid's Tale season 3, episode 11, the Waterfords were arrested upon crossing the Canadian border, promptly ending their road trip.
But during their drive, we were treated to a voiceover cameo from our very own Oprah.
This was Lady O's second appearance in the series, as she was also overheard in season 2's "Holly."
In late July, we celebrated the renewal of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale season 4. But now, we're headed straight into spoiler territory when it comes to season 3, episode 11.
We'd hope that most fans were dancing in front of their screens at the end of this week's "Liars" when karma seemed to finally catch up with Serena Joy (though we have our suspicions about her) and Commander Fred Waterford after they were arrested by the Americans for crossing the border into Canada. The commander was arrested for "war crimes, human rights violations, torture, kidnapping, slavery, and rape."
The climactic moment occurred after the couple was led there under false pretenses by Mark Tuello, who promised Serena she'd regain custody of baby Nichole if they were to meet. Much of episode 11 revolved around Serena and Fred's road trip to meet Tuello, and it's because of their long drive that we got to hear Oprah—if only for a moment.
The surprise voiceover from Lady O happened when Serena and Fred were listening to the car radio, taking in the scenic view and saying that they "returned the world to its natural state," which was "something to be proud of." (🙄) That's when we hear the unmistakable voice of Oprah.
"This is Radio Free America, broadcasting from somewhere in the great white..." she says, before the commander promptly turns the radio off. Yes, the O of O's appearance was all of four seconds, but it was enough to get us excited. (We are OprahMag.com). But this wasn't her first stint on The Handmaid's Tale.
Last year in season 2's "Holly," she also appeared as a voiceover, though she had a little bit more to say, acting as an inspiring voice for a stranded June.
"We'd heard Oprah was a fan of the show, and had a story idea, and thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if ... So we asked and she said yes, and it was a lovely, easy process," showrunner Bruce Miller told The Holywood Reporter at the time. "The radio segment she recorded was inspired by the free radio of the Allies from World War II. It was an absolute honor to have Oprah featured on the show, and especially thrilling as she was the one who presented us with the Emmy last year."
So there you have it. And if you don't believe us, go back to the 14:05 mark of season 3, episode 11, and you won't be able to deny that that is in fact our Lady O. We'll definitely be keeping our ears perked up for any future re-appearances.
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