The first two episodes of the penultimate season of the dystopian drama, The Handmaid’s Tale, are out now on Hulu. The premiere largely deals with the consequences of Fred Waterford’s assassination, while Episode 2 ends with Serena making an interesting move to counter June.
Created by Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a fictional dystopian state called Gilead where fertile women are imprisoned as “handmaids” and subjected to child-bearing slavery. It follows the story of a young woman named June Osbourne and her struggle to achieve freedom for herself and all the other oppressed women in Gilead.
The series is based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name. In Season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale, June is finally able to accomplish her goal of exacting revenge against Fred Waterford by aiding in his killing.
The fifth season is supposed to take up the story from this point, focusing on the psychological effects of this murder on June and the consequences she has to face. The Season 5 premiere is directed by Elisabeth Moss and portrays the varying emotions that June faces, her turmoil, her mental state, and Serena’s plans for moving forward after the blow.
The Handmaid’s Tale Episode 1 Ending Explained
The Season 5 premiere largely focuses on the immediate after-effects of Fred’s murder. We see June dealing with her tumultuous mental state. There are various intense moments, such as the one where June washes her hands frantically to get rid of Fred’s blood from her hands.
It is clear that June’s next target is Serena. June and her fellow killers want her dead or at least tortured for her various wrongdoings. Serena too is made aware of Fred’s death in this episode, and she doesn’t take much time to figure out that she is next in line.
In the final moments of the episode, Serena asks to see her husband’s remains and berates Tuello. She reveals that she is aware June will come after her next and expresses concern regarding her safety.
Though Tuello offers her refuge in Canada, Serena is unable to depend on him. She whips off the sheets and takes a close look at her husband’s mutilated body. The glimpse of Fred’s body also reminds us of the violence that June is capable of and works as a silent warning to Serena.
The episode ends with June’s best friend, Moira worrying about June’s mental state. She is no longer comfortable with June living in the house and taking care of her own daughter, Nicole. What is surprising is that June herself agrees with Moira’s sentiments.
Finally, we also see Tuello updating June about Serena’s reaction to Fred’s death. He also thanks her for murdering Fred. In the last scene, June hugs Nicole warmly, indicating that she still has the capability to love and care.
The first episode is not too eventful, but helps in establishing June’s mental state and the aftermath of Fred’s death. It deals with June’s various emotional reactions, along with establishing Serena as the next target.
Episode 1’s ending indicates that there’s still hope for June, and that she might have a bright future ahead, away from her dark past.
The Handmaid’s Tale Episode 2 Ending Explained
Episode 2, titled “Ballet” is much more eventful compared to the season premiere. In this episode, we see Serena returning to Gilead for Fred’s funeral. However, by the end of the episode, we realize that Serena had her own evil scheme which she puts into action.
In the final moments of episode 2, June is still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In order to help her, Luke takes her to the ballet for some time to lighten the situation. Luke and June have a good time together, but their happiness is short-lived.
In the climax, June and Luke sees Fred Waterford’s funeral broadcast on all the billboard screens of the city. It is now clear why Serena insisted on having Fred’s funeral broadcast live on billboard screens across the city.
On television, Serena kisses the head of a young girl who was chosen from the crowd to bring her a bouquet of white flowers. This little girl is revealed to be none other than Hannah Bankole, the daughter of Luke and June.
Serena’s motive was to send a message to June, and show her that Hannah was with her. This is the reason she manipulated the other Commanders to telecast Fred’s funeral live on television.
Serena is most likely trying to blackmail June, indicating that if she tries to harm Serena in anyway, Hannah will not be spared. This also proves that though June has killed Fred, Serena is still a force to be reckoned with and has a psychological edge over June.
It will now be interesting to see how June will react to Serena’s clever move. Since June is already hellbent on killing Serena, she could end up taking a rash decision as well. But to defeat Serena, June must also think clearly and make an informed decision, as she surely has her own evil plan in place.
The ending of “Ballet” makes it clear that next week’s episode will be intense. You can watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.
About The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is an American dystopian television series created by Bruce Miller for Hulu. It is based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name.
Set in the fictional dystopian state of Gilead, where fertile women are kept as “handmaids” and are subjected to child-bearing slavery, the series Offred (June Osbourne) and her fight for her freedom from Gilead, along with all the oppressed.
The series has covered four seasons worth of runtime, and the fifth season will premiere on Hulu on 14 September 2022.
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