The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 4 recap & review: Dear Offred

In The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 4, June struggles with her need for violent revenge as Serena settles into her new role in Toronto; rattled by Janine, Aunt Lydia makes a surprising pitch for reform to Lawrence.

Recap

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 4 opens with June spending some time with her daughter when a deranged Gilead supporter starts penetrating into her personal space while processing her love for the kingdom and how she wants her daughter. It quickly turns into hurling abuses at June, who knows how to fight back, which she does.

Tuello offers Serena asylum but she refuses it again, following which she is finally released from government custody. Gilead has set up a building and named it the “Gilead Information Center”; Serena takes refuge at this new place, amidst cheers of support and a penetrating stare from June in the crowd.

Tuello tells June and her family about the development with Serena and they obviously don’t take it too fondly. Amid concerns that June would explode anytime — a concern she’s aware of herself — Luke assures her that they can take out Serena the legal way.

Soon, Luke meets Serena and warns her to move away, citing the dozens of legal issues surrounding the building. Serena tries to twist the knife and taunts Luke by suggesting he didn’t do much to save his daughter and let his wife do all the work.

Luke gives a warning that he’ll kill her himself if she doesn’t stay away from his family. Following this confrontation, Luke stops preventing June from trying to perform violence to get rid of Serena.

June and Luke do end up encountering Serena, who gets moved to a new refuge. June does go for the gun but looking at Serena’s pregnant belly kind of stops her.

Back at Gilead, aunt Lydia tries to help Janine in her recovery while going off about her usual god and prayer business. Janine protests and shouts at her but after Lydia shows actual emotions and indications that she’s trying to change her ways, Janine does visibly become less hostile to her.

Review

  • The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 4 sees June continue to spiral down the insanity route trying to destroy Serena
  • Meanwhile, Luke has joined her unhinged mission to ravage Serena, seemingly ready to walk down the same path of violence.
  • Serena has arrived at a new refuge which while seemingly a relief from June’s onslaught of attacks, appears to be another can of Gilead worms.
  • The ferocity displayed by Elisabeth Moss continues to be hair-raising and the actor does a great job nailing the extremities of emotions and psyche.
  • The Handmaid’s Tale also shows quite a bit of interesting turn of events with aunt Lydia in this episode and the changes she wants to bring into her regime of handmaids.
  • It’ll be fascinating to watch what, amidst the oncoming visits from other countries, becomes of this new, seemingly more empathetic treatment of the handmaids.
The Handmaid's Tale season 5 episode 4
The Handmaid's Tale season 5 episode 4 recap & review: Dear Offred 1

Director: Dana Gonzales

Date Created: 2022-09-29 15:30

Editor's Rating:
4

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