If you watched The story of the maid from the start and let STILL get your hopes up Hannah’s planned reunion with her parents in this week’s episode, a) you’re in good company, and b) we really should have known better, right?
For at least one person, the tense hour is potentially going well: Serena Joy Waterford, who uses an exit door and a sympathetic nanny and takes a break to freedom.
Read on for highlights of Bradley Whitford-directed Allegiance. (And click here for our chat with Whitford about this week’s episode.)
OPERATION: GET HANNAH | Before the rescue mission, Mark Tuello escorts June and Luke to an airplane hangar and briefs them on what is about to happen. Hannah attends a school in Colorado Springs, Colorado; That evening, three planes will fly into Gilead literally under the radar, and paratroopers will come by and recover the girl. “They will kill anyone who gets in their way,” Tuello assures June and Luke just before introducing them to the commander who is running the mission. June quietly hints to him that the girls will be scared, and he promises her that he understands: he has a little daughter, a well. “My plan is to take your daughter home and go to mine,” he says confidently. Though families aren’t typically allowed to view the mission’s live feed, June demands that Tuello let her and Luke stay in the control room while it all unfolds as a thank you for providing the information that made the move possible. He gives in.
Just before everything kicks off, we catch a glimpse of Hannah and her fellow students at Wife School getting ready for bed. When she is sure that the aunt responsible for her is not looking, Hannah pulls out a picture book; It looks like she’s drawn on the backs. She secretly signs her name in all caps—I suppose because that’s all she learned before she was kidnapped in Gilead, where women aren’t allowed to read or write. Ah, banana! June would be so proud!
Unfortunately, this is the last joy for a while. Back at base, with June and Luke watching, the plane icons on the map suddenly turn red and stop transmitting information. Hannah’s people are herded into the hallway, where a dejected Tuello later finds them to tell them the girls are safe, albeit still at school, and the information was wrong: Gilead foresaw the mission, and all three of them Planes shot down immediately crossed the border and there were no survivors. June and Luke are gutted.
“ELEANOR HATED YOU” | The next morning, June uses the burner to call Commander Lawrence, who apologizes but reasons that the attack was justified because “they invaded my country”. He dangles New Bethlehem again, but adds that he will need her to go public and say the mission was a “foolish act of aggression” on the part of the United States. She angrily refuses. “I can’t make Gilead look like the victim here, Joseph. It’s a bad F-King country!” She cries. He says he’s trying to fix it from the inside and is doing what he can to keep a promise to his dead wife. And the? Put our June out of her head.
“Eleanor hated you,” she growls into the phone. “She couldn’t face the sight of you.” After making it clear how embarrassed the late Mrs. Lawrence was for Joseph, June makes sure Joseph is crystal clear: “I saw her die… and I did nothing . NOTHING.” He admits that he already suspected it, but still — he cries, his speech is interrupted. That’s it influence him. “But Eleanor would still want me to help you with Hannah,” he says. June starts crying and begging that he hand Hannah over to live in Canada with June and Luke. “It’s never going to happen,” he says, so she tells him out loud what he can do with himself, then throws the phone away and starts destroying the yard next to the house in her anger. Luke comes out and wraps his arms around her, repeating that everything will be fine while June says brokenly, “Let me go. Please let me go.”
The call cements a fact: “I’m so done with that son of a bitch,” June tells Tuello to: Lawrence. He wonders if she’s done with Nick too; She is surprised to learn that he turned down immunity in exchange for being the US insider in Gilead. But the offer is still on the table, so if June “wants to use her power,” Tuello says, that would be a good way to do so. She thinks for a moment and then asks him to set up a meeting with Nichole’s father.
COMMANDERS MAKE MOVEMENTS | Do you know how bittersweet all Nick and June’s dates are? Well, this one set in the middle of nowhere is EXTRA so. He says he wishes she had agreed to move to New Bethlehem. She is surprised by the news that Rose is pregnant. “Gilead is changing. There are advances under Lawrence. We’ll do better,” he says. “‘We?'” she replies in disbelief. They realize it’s going to be even harder to see each other from now on, they exchange “I love you” sayings, and then he leaves without kissing her. “Hey Nick?” she says as he turns to leave. “Kids look to their fathers, you know? Set an example.” After he leaves, she exhales and cries a little.
Back in Gilead, while some women gather for Rose’s baby shower, the men gather in the study. They congratulate each other on China’s, Russia’s and North Korea’s affinity with Gilead and its tactics, then Commander MacKenzie brings up June and states that it’s time to “fix this problem”…which will become important later.
Oh, and when Lawrence puts his hand on Naomi’s shoulder at the end? He is not what is considered bold in Gilead: They are engaged! As we see at the beginning of the lesson, Aunt Lydia is supervising a proposal for the two mad children – and although Lawrence literally had her former husband killed in front of her, Naomi is so fearful of being sent to the colonies that she agrees – even though she does does it really make a choice? – to become the new Mrs. Joseph Lawrence. For what it’s worth, neither party seems keen on it.
SHOT FIRED! | Back in Canada, Tuello reads the names of the dead at a vigil for the victims of the failed mission. But it’s hard to hear him over the anti-refugee protesters who have surrounded the gathering. The mission commander’s infant daughter steps forward to recite the Pledge of Allegiance; When she falters, June steps up to help. They are almost at the end of the oath when someone shoots at them. We watch in slow motion as June lunges at the girl to shield her and bullets slam into the flag hanging behind them.
LOOK AT HER! | Meanwhile, Agnes oversees a photo shoot for Serena and Noah at the Wheelers’ home, but shuts down the new mom’s request to attend the opening of the fertility center with the baby in tow. When Serena claims that Gilead’s commanders sent her to Toronto as an ambassador for the fledgling country, Alanis snaps that she and her husband don’t answer the commanders. Interesting – and terrifying – to think about the potential of the villain faction, right?
Mrs. Wheeler really revels in her power when she demands that Serena pump Noah instead of nursing Noah when it’s time for him to eat, then refers to the baby as “my smart boy”. You can almost SEE the train of thought as Serena almost hits her, then remembers what June said about her plans for revenge, and then agrees. And that night, she approaches Ryan Wheeler in his study to announce her attendance at the center’s opening, a move that works.
However, the next morning, Alanis is so angry that she slaps Serena twice in front of her horrified nanny. “Stay away from my husband,” threatens the younger woman. “Who do you Think You Are?” Serena is done playing nice. “I’m Mrs. Frederick Waterford,” she says quietly, but frighteningly. “To me,” counters Alanis, “you’re just a whore.” Then they all get in the car, because I’m sure it’s going to be a super fun ride.
Serena, with Noah in her arms, holds court at the center until the Wheelers decide that’s enough and it’s time for her to go home. She is disappointed but asks to breastfeed her son first and since there is no bottle in the baby bag they reluctantly agree. So the nanny – who you probably realize is the real heroine of this interlude – takes Serena to a side room, hands over the bag, and gives mom some privacy… to dash through the exit door. She literally jumps into traffic, pulls over a woman and begs her, “Please help me save my son.” The drive agrees, and they’re gone!
Now it’s your turn. What do you think of the episode? And are you ready for the finale next week? Mute the comments!
#Handmaids #Tale #Recap #Desperate #Pause #Fatal #Mistake
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