We have finally made it to the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, and after being through hell, things now look a little brighter for our protagonist, June Osborne. Her husband, Luke, surrendered himself to the authorities for killing a local who attempted to run June over with his truck. Even though it was an act of self-defense, the growing hostility among the locals against immigrants made the situation all the more complicated. Luke surrendered himself so that June could escape with her toddler, Nicole. A dedicated train for refugees was heading towards Alaska, where volunteers had set up camps to cater to the needs of the Gilead refugees. Alaska, Hawaii and Guam were the last remaining safe spots in the United States; the rest had been taken over by the Gilead administration. Soon after boarding the train, June discovered that Serena Waterford and her newborn were also on the train. The traumatizing past she shared with the wife of her commander made the journey extremely uncomfortable for her.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Serena decide to return to Gilead?
Even though Serena tried to blend in with the refugees who had experienced extreme torture at the hands of the Gilean authorities, a part of her still believed Gilead was the answer to what had become of the United States. She knew she would be safe with June, and she tried to extend her support to her. But after everything they’d been through, June couldn’t trust Serena. She had seen the worst of her, and her “compassion” didn’t sit well with June. When the doctor on the train walked up to June to check on her broken arm, he asked her if she knew her companion well. The doctor had recognized Serena, and since she was an oppressor, he believed she deserved to be behind bars. When the doctor confronted Serena, she was hesitant. She knew that her identity could put her and her child in danger. The women who had overheard the conversation were furious, and why not? Serena was responsible for destroying their lives. Even though June didn’t trust Serena, she didn’t think assaulting her or murdering her would help them. She was concerned about the newborn, and she tried to protect Serena from the raging crowd. June assumed handing her over to the police would be a better and safer option, but the policeman, who had lost his family because of people like Serena, intentionally pretended as if the woman before him was not Serena, and therefore he refused to arrest her. He wanted the crowd to seek their vengeance, and he didn’t wish to interfere. June tried to shield Serena, but it was almost impossible to contain the bloodthirsty crowd. She advised Serena to jump off the train, since that was the only way she could survive. Serena was afraid; staying on the train meant trouble, but jumping off a moving train was not completely safe either. They didn’t have much time on hand, and seeing that they had no other choice, June pushed Serena off the train. Serena survived the fall, and she found a church in the small town she ended up in. As a believer, she could feel God’s presence over her, and she assumed this was where she was always meant to be. Serena was introduced to the church community, consisting of only women and children. She felt safe there, and the slow living helped her reflect on her past actions and mistakes. She was so busy working on plans to change the world that she didn’t have the time to look after her father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and tend to the rose garden he had grown with his heart and soul. She was so focused on the big picture that she didn’t have the time to look around. The safe space helped her rediscover the little joys in life.
Things took a turn in episode 2, when Commander Lawrence showed up. The woman running the facility told him that he was not welcome, but the commander insisted that he came in peace. Commander Lawrence’s dream project, New Bethlehem, needed a global ambassador, and who could be better than Serena? He believed her presence would encourage more and more refugees to return home and settle in the experimental community where rules were supposedly not as strict as the mainland. Serena was in search of a calling, and somehow the idea of representing all that New Bethlehem would stand for seemed promising. Spending time at the quaint town reminded her of all the things that used to matter to her, and she felt determined to bring a tangible change. Serena suffered from a savior complex, and she assumed she was the chosen one who was meant to do God’s work, but she conveniently chose to ignore the fact that she could end up, once again, a puppet in the hands of powerful men.
Whom did June meet at the camp?
June successfully made it to Alaska with baby Nicole. With a broken arm and empty stomach, June stood in a queue to enter the camp. She reminded herself that she was only a few minutes away from some sense of comfort, and quite unexpectedly, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. At the end of episode 1, June was reunited with her mother, Holly. A second-wave feminist who was very vocal about her ideals, Holly was one of the first targets of the Gilead authorities. Her apartment was ransacked, her books were torn apart, and all her possessions were destroyed. June had no idea that her mother was still alive, and when she heard her voice all of a sudden, she was overjoyed. Holly always knew that one day she would be reunited with her daughter. She had raised a tough girl, and she was confident that, no matter what, June would overcome all hurdles. June later learned that her mother was tried in a kangaroo court by men in masks. She was sent to the colonies, where she was held as a prisoner, and as a doctor she was forced to look after the Guardians while she watched her friends being killed. But Holly didn’t give up, because she was hopeful that someday she would meet June again, and that kept her going. Her colony was liberated by the U.S. army, and she was sent to Alaska. She waited for June at the camp and volunteered to cater to the refugees, and her dream of meeting her daughter had finally come true. June could finally rest a little while her mother looked after her and baby Nicole.
Will June return to Gilead?
Unfortunately, peace didn’t last long. June had been trying to contact Luke, who was supposed to make it to the camp in Alaska after his court case was resolved, but she didn’t hear from him. She tried to contact him, but there was no response. June soon discovered that Luke had volunteered to join the resistance group, Mayday. He felt helpless and wanted to do something tangible that would in some way help his daughter, Hannah, who was still trapped in Gilead. The problem was that they didn’t make it out of No Man’s Land, and the resistance could not get them out of there. June decided she had to go back to the dreaded state to bring home her husband and daughter. Holly thought it was a ridiculous idea, and asked her how she intended on saving her family. June responded that the American Embassy would help her fly to the location, and they would get them out of there. She added that she knew a high-ranking commander who had been helping the Americans but had lately been unresponsive, but she believed that he would surely respond to her because he cared about her and her daughter. Holly figured out that the commander was the father of Nicole, but she warned June that the man could not be trusted. She was worried that her daughter was stepping into a trap, but June refused to listen to her. She trusted Nick and believed that he was not like the rest. Holly scoffed at her response; she realized that rescuing Luke and Moira was just an excuse for June to meet her Nazi lover, Nick. She begged June to leave Nicole with her, because she would be risking a lot if she took along her toddler. June was furious after her mother accused her of falling for a traitor, and she vengefully blamed her mother for abandoning her as a child. Later, June apologized to her, stating that she didn’t mean what she said. Her mother had always been her role model. Holly sympathized with her situation and agreed that if she didn’t go out of her way to help them, Luke and Moira might not survive. She begged June to leave Nicole behind, and she promised to look after her baby girl. June agreed, and she also mentioned that, when her daughter was born, she named her Holly, after her mother, and that was her original name. The second episode of The Handmaid’s Tale ends with June joining the Mayday volunteers to bring home her husband and her best friend.
