Polarizing, incredibly brutal, and exceptionally honest, The Handmaid's Tale is about many things—control, most of all. In the show's fifth season, control changes its tormentor, as the roles we’ve known from the beginning transform completely.
It’s more evident than ever that the fight has always been between the two major women of the show: June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and Serena Joy Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski). One of the most interesting aspects of this season is the dynamic transformation between them, showcased remarkably well in “No Man’s Land,” the new episode written by Rachel Shukert and directed by Natalia Leite that premiered on Hulu on Wednesday.
(Warning: Spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale lie ahead.)
As the new season begins, Gilead is in ruins. Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), Nick (Max Minghella), and others work to restore the country’s good reputation, which has been tainted by June killing Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes). One of the other big twists of Season 4 was Serena’s pregnancy. The grieving widow considers the pregnancy to be a gift from God, completely giving up on trying to reclaim Baby Nichole’s as her own—a decision that paints a harsh picture of those in Gilead.
But the fight for a child is far from over. This time, however, the battle is June’s, who is working tirelessly to save her daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake).
At the end of last season, the dynamic between Moss and Strahovski’s characters already began to shift. June, now safe, begins to rebuild her relationship with Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and Nichole. Her desire for further retaliation doesn’t go away; the show is constantly tempting us to applaud June’s rage toward Serena. That comes to a head in Episode 7 when, after last week’s cliffhanger, the episode begins with Serena pointing a gun at June and forcing her to drive in an unknown direction.
The first unexpected twist happens when Serena’s waters break and she goes into labor. June finds herself unable to leave Serena behind. The internal conflict registers on the former Handmaid’s face: She’s torn between abandoning Serena—as retribution for all the horrible things she did—and helping her. In the end, June feels for the child who is about to be born.
The scene already hints at how much their relationship has changed. Serena is in the same situation that June once was, lonely and terrified for her baby’s future. “I was alone,” June tells Serena. “I remember thinking that if anything went wrong, we would die. And no one would even know. No one would come looking for us. It will be like we never existed.” As she says this, she looks straight into Serena’s eyes. When their eyes meet, it is as if there was a transfer of power happening. .
The entire narrative of “No Man’s Land” revolves around their relationship, dating back to June’s time as a Handmaid in the Waterford household. It exemplifies the strange, intimate bond they've always shared. The director cuts back and forth in time, allowing the audience to see this layered relationship in a different light.
Shortly after she gives birth to a son, Serena expresses her curiosity as to why June didn’t shoot her when she had an opportunity. “Because I didn’t want to,” June says. After the words are spoken, something changes in both of them. Both June and Serena start to shed their typical characteristics. June is sympathetic, although not forgiving—possibly never forgiving. In exchange, Serena does something selfless—which is completely unlike Serena Joy Waterford. Not only does she apologize to June, but is ready to give her her son named Noah, too, believing he’d be safer with her.
Then the former Handmaid delivers a poignant monologue: “A vessel. That’s what you thought I was, we were. Who we were. Where we came from. What we wanted. None of that mattered to you. To any of you. I don’t care you’re sorry. We mattered. We were…we are people. We have lives. And that’s why I'm going to save yours. Because it isn’t Gilead. And I am not you. It’s not for you. It’s for him... You are the only voice that he recognizes. You love him, and you wanted him so much. You’re his mother, and he belongs with you. That is God’s will. Do you understand me?”
That last line is a wink to the audience, as well as, as awful as it sounds, their inside joke. It’s the sentence Serena yelled while kneeling above injured Offred, and the same sentence June screamed in the other’s face while Serena was detained and pregnant. There is no doubt that the two are linked in some way.
Serena, in most people’s opinion, isn’t a redeemable character. After all, Gilead might not have existed if it weren’t for her. Moss’s June, however, decides to not only help her, but also spare her life. It doesn’t mean June has forgiven her. At that point, it must be virtually impossible. But, deep down, June may realize that one side must stop and show mercy.
The episode ends with another cliffhanger, as Luke notifies the Canadian government of Serena’s location and her son is taken from her.
The episode was a spectacular showcase for Moss and Strahovski’s work as these characters.. Especially when they play opposite one another, they deliver layered, emotional, and rich performances every single season. The actresses refer to June and Serena’s relationship as the “Juliet and Juliet” relationship. The fact that they have similar feelings about this love-hate relationship reflects in the complicated dynamic they’ve managed to craft. That’s never been more apparent than it was in this episode.
