10 Things We Liked AboutThe Handmaid’s TaleSeason 4 (and 6 We Didn’t)

The Handmaid ’s Taleseason fourwas much improved . It dismantled the God Complex that June / Offred ( Elisabeth Moss ) had spent most of season three building around herself , while at long last recognise how much June ’s hurt has damaged her . But even if thing were better this prison term around , some of the Hulu serial was still a letdown .

Season four take place in brief after theseason three finalewhen June helped dozens of children escape to Canada in a move that ’s been deemed “ Angel ’s Flight . ” June is razz the honeyed heights of stick it to Gilead and take up bear recklessly , put her friend in danger to satisfy her thirst for revenge . Even though she ’s dictated to stay in Gilead until she can deliver her daughter Hannah ( Jordana Blake ) , finally she has to choose survival and ( ultimately ) flee to Canada . June and her husband Luke ( O.T. Fagbenle ) struggle to cull up the pieces , but it ’s not enough . The pending trial of her maltreater Fred Waterford ( Joseph Fiennes)—combined with the fact that his wife Serena Joy ( Yvonne Strahovski ) is now pregnant — pushes June over the edge .

This is n’t curse with faint-hearted praise : I found season four of The Handmaid ’s Tale to be a provocative look at post - traumatic focus upset . But it would n’t have been grueling for the serial publication to rick things around after how season three ended . The creators turn June into a superhero , defying the laws of the show ’s established world by doing whatever she wanted with little repercussion . Maybe that was on determination , representing the unrealistic Bob Hope everyone had come out in her , but it often feel like the fantasy blurred with realism . There are still elements of that in time of year four , but overall this stretch of episodes was about June ’s emotional scars — and what befall when we let our pain define us . Here ’s a look at some of the high spot and lowlights from season four of The Handmaid ’s Tale , which terminate its 10 - episode fourth season on Wednesday ( this mail contains spoiler through the season four finale , “ The Wilderness ” ) . The series has already been renewed for season five .

Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne in season four of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne in season four of The Handmaid’s Tale.Image: Hulu

What did we like about The Handmaid’s Tale season 4?

Did June finally get out of Gilead?

Yes , she did . Ceeeeeeeelebrate good meter , come on ! I had to set out with the most obvious thing because the show bend over slow-witted finding excuses to keep her in Gilead .

How was Elisabeth Moss’ performance?

In short : Fantastic . June / Offred has always been the focal point of The Handmaid ’s Tale — after all , it ’s literally her tale . But Moss take things to the next level with time of year four . The veneer of Angel ’s Flight Offred has shattered , and in its place is a shock woman who can not ( or will not ) split herself from the painfulness she ’s endured . You see it when she send with satisfaction as she win over a Jezebel to poison a bunch of Gilead police officer , or when she scream in Serena Joy ’s face that God is going to take her infant aside as penalisation for all her past hell . It ’s been graft onto her pearl and etched into the line on her face . Moss has been with this character for several class , and you may tell she knows June to her core . It ’s here we really see that connector coming to the forefront , with a public presentation that ’s uncomfortable and unpredictable . Moss is n’t afraid to get right into the television camera , saliva flying from her mouth and her eyes rolling into the back of her head — almost possessed by her own impairment . It ’s not often we see actors letting themselves go the way Moss does here , and I feel that ’s to be commended .

Where did June go wrong?

This time of year saw June “ breaking bad , ” morph from a rebel loss leader into an obsessed vigilance man . thing went incorrect pretty quickly , starting with the season four premiere “ Pigs , ” but in a way it ’s been building to this for class . I revalue that season four of The Handmaid ’s Tale cracked the veneer of Hero Offred and presented her worked up journeying more candidly . A problem I had with season three was that June ’s actions were filtered through a irrefutable lens , which placed a specific twirl on her actions . Some may look at that as designed , but I do n’t . It mat up more like fille on Fire Syndrome than the writers playing a long game . After all , last time of year ’s tagline was : “ Blessed Be the Fight . ”

Season four took that off and showed June reaping what she ’d sown . June treated everyone around her as pawns . She puzzle her friend hurt , even killed , and they had nothing to show for it other than minor triumph against a system that continues to overwhelm them . By the time she got to Canada , everyone connected to her was either captivate or killed . The show is n’t telling us she ’s the tough guy , but it ’s no longer telling us she ’s the upright cat either . It ’s stepping back and letting the audience determine whether we support her actions , all the way through that major time of year finale death .

Did Fred Waterford die?

Bye bitch . I think we were all ready to say goodbye to Fred Waterford a while ago . This was a risky dude . He was so obsessed with his own glory that he refused to recognize the damage he ’s caused anyone else , including June herself . It ’s not that he was incapable of shame — we saw snippets of him struggling to get by as interrogator ask him about the scores of women he and his comrades brutalise — it ’s that he cut down himself off from those feelings because the guilt that would ensue would be too much to stand . There was something grossly satisfying in watching Fred Waterford , who thought he was going to take the air free after agreeing to collaborate with the U.S. government , slowly realize that things were over for him . I have interracial feelings about seeing June , Emily , and several other escape handmaiden chasing down Fred in the wood to exhaust him to death — as it ’s answering fierceness with more fury — but you ca n’t deny that this was a long clip coming .

What happened in the hotel shower?

A long - overdue break , for us and June . I reckon all of us were June Osborne when she took that first post - Gilead rain shower in a fancy hotel . There ’s a bit of controversy over whether those conveniently set bottles of L’Occitane shampoo and conditioner were product emplacement , but still .

How are the other Handmaids and Marthas dealing with freedom?

That ’s one of the biggest inquiry of the time of year , and the answer is as complicated as it needs to be . Much of season four takes place in Canada , before and after June ’s evasion . It ’s there we spend sentence exploring just how much Gilead change hoi polloi — not just June , but all the people around her . It ’s like the Hotel California of tyrannical theocracies : you may check out , but you may never leave .

Every Gilead refugee represents a different expression of injury and retrieval . Moira ( Samira Wiley ) is take a therapeutic approach , believing that truthful strength come in letting go of Gilead ’s pull . Rita ( Amanda Brugel ) struggles with shake off her role as a Martha , obtain comfort in preparation , cleaning , and taking care of a freed tyke who was n’t well-chosen to leave the only life he ’d ever known ( even if it was build on a lie ) . Serena Joy employs an “ ends justifies the means ” tactic , make believe her pregnancy is proof that God ’s cool with her abuse . And Emily ’s ( Alexis Bledel ) answer is avoidance , enjoin everyone she ’s “ fine ” even though we all know she ’s screaming inside . There ’s no rightfulness or incorrect means to grapple with injury . Everyone is different , just as everyone ’s injury is different . The show does n’t place a time value judgment on how anybody in the series is coping with what Gilead did to them . It yield us a hazard to absorb their actions and choices , and determine for ourselves how we find about it … and what we ’d do in their place .

What happened to Luke and Janine?

Every character experience growth this time of year , but two characters who got long - overdue development were Luke and Janine ( Madeline Brewer ) . These are two people who are profoundly connected to June , through her past and present , and with that comes joy and pain in equal metre . Fagbenle in picky was a human dynamo this season , make believe us feel every bit of Luke ’s battle to rekindle his relationship with a woman he scarcely recognizes any longer — and is in love with someone else . Janine step up as well , pushing back against June ’s bullshit and Aunt Lydia ’s manipulation ( there are also hint she could become an Aunt herself ) . We even induce a glance at Janine ’s life pre - Gilead , when she was tricked into get to aCrisis Pregnancy Center , faux clinic that use belligerent tactics to coerce meaning mass into keep their fetuses . As someone who once question a volunteer from one of those places for an clause on gender educational activity , I can assure you The Handmaid ’s Tale was proper on the money . Even if it felt a little on - the - nose at times . Spot - on .

What role did Mckenna Grace play?

Is there anything this actress ca n’t do ? Mckenna Grace has played everyone from a untested Sabrina Spellman onThe Chilling Adventures of Sabrinato a ghostbuster in the upcomingGhostbusters : Afterlife . Her turn on The Handmaid ’s Tale is hard to watch but it ’s singular . She film on a 14 - year - old commander ’s married woman named Esther aid the Mayday Resistance , and we learn that her much older hubby has “ share ” her with other commanders in an attempt to get her pregnant . You find every bit of her rage , shame , and confusion in her carrying into action , which is top - notch . Grace might be one of the greatest up - and - arriver in picture show and television right now .

What did June say in her testimony?

Episode eight , “ testimonial , ” centers around a pretrial hearing for Fred Waterford , who ’s facing life story in prison for law-breaking he commit in Gilead . June evince up to the courthouse to give testimony , which was filmed in a exclusive dig with a mostly still camera and no cutaway drawing . For several moment , Moss details the years of sexual ravishment , maltreatment , and aroused trauma she suffer at the hands of the Waterfords . Once again , Moss ’s public presentation in this view is exemplary , and I found myself in crying as June shared her story on the podium . Not only was it evocative , it function as a general review of the series up to this point , cue me of things even I ’d forget had happened to her . For representative , how the Waterfords originally disallow her from seeing her girl , Nicole , all while expecting her to provide breastmilk . As a parent who ’s breastfeed , that feels steep .

It ’s important to observe that this episode was also directed by Moss . I did n’t agree with every off - camera decision she made this season ( there ’s one major deterrent example further down ) but I thought this whole episode was fantastic . I would n’t be surprised if she got an Emmy nominating address for her directorial employment this season .

Is Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments going to be adapted?

The Handmaid ’s Tale has long since actuate past the original novel , even though June / Offred is still the independent protagonist . But we ’re getting hint that this could change in time of year five or beyond . In 2019 , Hulubought the rightsto Margaret Atwood ’s follow - up , The Testaments , but the net did n’t make it clear whether it was going to impart the story or spin it out into a separate show . It ’s now becoming open that Handmaid ’s will shift into Testaments . In season four we spend a spate more prison term with Aunt Lydia ( Ann Dowd ) , who ’s one of the three agonist in the sequel , seeing what her living is like away from June ’s orbit . Then , there ’s the whole thing with the story ’s other leads ; a young cleaning lady in Gilead named Agnes ( which just so happens to be Hannah ’s new name ) and a Canadian occupier who escaped Gilead as a baby named Nicole . Could we see a clip jump that place June ’s two daughters front and center ? Only time will secernate , though sadly not soon enough …

What didn’t we like about The Handmaid’s Tale season 4?

Why is June still in The Handmaid’s Tale?

All signs pointed to this season being June ’s last . She finally escaped Gilead , she secernate her entire story ( her handmaid ’s tale , if you will ) , and she got revenge on her abuser . The time of year even ends with a rake - comprehend June tearfully telling Luke she ’s move to leave behind after a final moment with Nicole . Butreportssuggest June is go to be back in season five , dealing with the consequences of kill Fred Waterford and turn her back on her kinfolk . This could be a gravid plotline , I ’m not saying it wo n’t be , but part of me was hoping we were say arrivederci to June . Her journey has come full circle , for good and worse , and it ’s metre to see a new story emerge .

Why was everyone running in slow-motion?

There was a lot of it , peculiarly in the episode Elisabeth Moss directed . It did n’t count who was run or why , made me chuckle every sentence . Still a unearthly choice .

Why did June encourage Esther to murder?

June did some horrible thing this time of year ( I ’m still upset that she sexually dishonour Luke , an natural process that narratively get over — she was trying to “ reclaim ” her body in a stark , haywire way — but was unpleasant to find ) . The moment that reel me the most was in the time of year four premiere , “ Pigs , ” when she encouraged Esther to murder one of her assaulters . June took on the part of a sort , loving mother figure as she rig an underage fille into committing a horrible criminal offence . project as how one of the main things this time of year is coping with trauma in one ’s own way , watching June push someone else into doing things her way was moderately disgusting .

Did Nick get married?

Yes , yes he did . This was n’t a forged matter — it made horse sense in the story . I just do n’t like it .

What role did Reed Birney play?

Reed Birney briefly joined the cast this season as Lieutenant Stans , a Gilead officer who tortures June for information about her familiar handmaids . The actor was fine , but his character feel like he belong to in a laughable book series rather than a grounded drama . He was weirdly debonaire and felicitous - go - lucky as he waterboarded June and push Marthas off the roof . He reminded me of horn Rim Glasses from Heroes , or the Bug Man who live hush-hush as a door - to - room access salesman in Buffy the Vampire Slayer . That fibre trope might be unsettling , the suburban pop who threaten to rip your fingernails off as he invites his buddy to a backyard BBQ , but he does n’t match in The Handmaid ’s Tale .

Did they seriously mention Zoom?

These are the last words Fred and Serena Joy said to each other .

Fred : “ We could strain to Zoom … ”

Serena Joy : “ Sure Fred , we can Zoom . ”

Graphic: Jim Cooke

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I do n’t cognize whether this was shameless Cartesian product placement or someone believe it would be a tongue - in - cheek reference to the pandemic , but this was the worst moment of the time of year . Not only was it stupid and made my intelligence quotient miss 15 point , it upraise so many question . Most of which : how the hell did fucking Zoom of all things hold up the putsch of America ? If that was n’t bad enough , the last shot of Serena Joy this season is her softly touching her baby venter while wait for a call from Fred that will never hail . ON ZOOM .

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