Moss) means to smuggle 52 children out of Gilead, using a plane commandeered by the Martha resistance.
Meanwhile, things go south for Fred (Joseph Fiennes) and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) on their journey
north. Lured across the border to Canada by Serena’s “friendly” contact Tuello (Sam Jaeger), they are
arrested at gunpoint for their violations of basic human rights.
The Waterfords receiving great wobbling dollops of just deserts feels slightly too neat for the universe
wrought by Margaret Atwood. Nonetheless, how satisfying to see the loathsome Fred bundled into the back
of a military vehicle. It’s a Hollywood twist – but let’s go with it!
The second big dramatic flourish comes as Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), back from internal
exile, takes June to the Jezebels sex club so that she can reach out to the contact who can help her with that
plane. All goes swimmingly with Billy (she bribes him). And then June bumps into Winslow (Christopher
Meloni).
He takes her to one of the private rooms and attempts to rape her. June tells herself to submit. Yet, when it
comes to it, she cannot obey the voice in her head. She snaps, and gets happy-stabby with a weapons-grade
biro. After a short struggle, Winslow lies bleeding before her.
All is surely lost! Only it obviously isn’t. The Handmaid’s Tale continues to demonstrate an almost
endearing determination to keep June alive no matter what. And so the Martha arriving to clean the room
turns out to owe our heroine a moral debt. Quick as that Kate Bush is warbling and Winslow is sliding feet
first into an incinerator.
It’s a neat conclusion. Too neat given that we’re supposed to be staring unblinking into the dark heart of
women-hating fanaticism. Nonetheless, the smuggle-the-kids storyline has potential. Plus, we can look
forward to fresh helpings of Serena and Fred banged up abroad. For hardcore Handmaid fans that’s reason
enough to stay glued – notwithstanding the clear and present danger of further closing montages that
secretly want to be moody pop videos.