June vs. Serena: War Without Mercy
From the first episode of season 5, June Osborne and Serena Joy Waterford are locked in a bitter clash that’s less about Gilead’s politics and more about personal revenge and survival. You’d think Fred Waterford’s murder would settle things, but it’s just the start. June stays in Canada, trying to protect her daughter Nichole, keep tabs on her stepdaughter Hannah (still trapped in Gilead), and dodge Gilead’s long reach. Serena? She’s mourning Fred one minute, then stealing headlines the next, manipulating the public eye at his grand Gilead-style funeral in Toronto.
Canada was supposed to be safe, but things quickly turn. Political attitudes shift. Anti-refugee protests break out. Suddenly, the land of maple syrup feels more like Gilead North. Serena gets shipped off to live as a pseudo-Handmaid in a family tied to Gilead—talk about brutal irony. Her only mission is keeping her newborn, Noah, safe in a country that’s lost its conscience. June, meanwhile, barely survives an assassination attempt orchestrated by Gilead operatives, a chilling warning that even in Canada, nowhere is safe anymore.
Collateral Damage: Hannah, Nick, and the Refugee Crisis
While June fights her moral battles, her drive to rescue Hannah grows desperate when news leaks that Hannah faces forced marriage in Gilead, thanks to a callous showing at Fred’s public funeral. Every move in Gilead sends ripples north—June witnesses this firsthand as even Canada bends to pressure. Her one ally, Nick Blaine, tries to walk a tightrope: he marries a high-ranking Gilead Wife for cover, but he’s also a source for US government agent Mark Tuello. Nick wants to help June and Hannah, but can’t risk exposing himself to the Gilead elite.
Meanwhile, Commander Joseph Lawrence hatches an idea for “New Bethlehem”—a settlement for Gilead refugees inside Gilead’s borders, supposedly safe, but it sparks suspicion. Can a place dreamed up by one of Gilead’s architects ever offer sanctuary?
The season pulls no punches with Esther Keyes and Janine, two Handmaids trying to survive under impossible circumstances. Esther tries to escape fate by sharing poisoned chocolates with Janine. Esther survives, barely. Janine, ever the fighter, claws back from death—broken, yet relentless. Their storyline stings because it’s not some grand political intrigue; it’s survival, plain and ugly.
The season builds to a tense, almost surreal finale: June and Serena, rivals turned fellow fugitives, end up on the same escape train, running from Canadian authorities no longer sympathetic to their pain. Their destinations are unclear, and so is Hannah’s future—stuck in Gilead, on the verge of child marriage. Through it all, the show digs into the strength of mothers under siege, the way loyalty can twist, and how quickly safe harbors can turn hostile.
- Handmaid’s Tale fans are left reeling by betrayals, desperate alliances, and a world that gets smaller and scarier every episode.
- June and Serena’s journeys echo the relentless fear and confusion that define the lives of women caught in Gilead’s shadow.
- The refugee backlash in Canada hints at real-world problems, making the show hit way too close to home.
