No Man’s Land
In episode 7 of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5, June and Serena set off on a road trip to find an abandoned barn in order to take in a baby. Despite the pair hating each other, they try to do the right thing. However, it will be interesting to see if they take the baby and leave.
June and Serena return to the barn and help deliver their child. They are all smiles and laughs, reflecting back on their early moments together.
This week’s episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale” focused on June, a young woman who is taken in by the Waterford family as a handmaid. At first, she has no idea that she’s entering into a life of servitude and oppression. However, as the flashbacks interspersed throughout the episode show, June soon learns that she is living in a world of violence and terror. ..
Serena decides to call her child Noah. She also breastfeeds him while the pair talk. June admits she didn’t want to kill Serena, apparently. Of course, we’re forgetting the whole subplot earlier this season with June literally taking a gun to try and kill Serena, stopping at the last second. Anyway, I digress.
Serena realizes she has nothing left, unable to go back to Canada as she waived her rights not wanting to go to Gilead either. So instead, Serena decides to hand over her child for June to raise, and make him a better man than Fred. ..
Serena believes that this is God’s will and that June is an angel sent to her. June takes the offering but before leaving, she reflects back on how June was just a vessel to her. She decides to save Serena’s life for the sake of her child. ..
June has not said a word about Hannah or Luke since the beginning of this endeavor, which was the whole point of this venture was it not?
June takes Serena to the hospital in Canada, and rings Moira to let her know she’s safe. Serena thanks her for helping and holds her hand, seemingly putting water under the bridge for their rivalry. Luke is also in the waiting room too, pointing out that he’s managed to take the USB back and they’re getting answers on Hannah. ..
As Luke watches, June follows and watches as Serena is detained by immigration officers. Luke called the immigration team and she is on-course to being sent to a detention center. Serena’s not allowed to go with her son Noah either, and Luke watches from afar, gleefully, as he whispers “justice” at the fact that Serena now knows what it’s like to be ripped away from your child. ..
The Episode Review
Gilead has turned everyone into monsters. June’s whole mission was to find out about Hannah, and she didn’t even ask Serena about it. And why did she go all chummy and claim she didn’t want to kill her, despite spending an entire season trying to kill her?
The show tries to take the moral high ground with June but honestly, I don’t think it works. June has always been consumed by rage and her one desire has been to get Hannah back. But yet, through this entire episode she doesn’t ask Serena once where she is. ..
While I appreciate the idea here is to show the bonds of motherhood are strong and girls stick together, there’s far too much bad blood between these two to actually see this happen. I certainly can’t see Serena and June becoming best friends. ..
It’s hard to feel sorry for Serena either, given she willingly threw herself back into Gilead’s system and it’ll be interesting to see exactly how June takes this news going forward. As it stands though, it does feel like June’s character motivations are a little skewed.
