The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 9 recap & review: Allegiance

The Handmaid’s Tale ‘Allegiance’ sees June and Luke’s hope for a reunion with their daughter getting crushed violently while Serena continues to relent amid dire circumstances.

Recap

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 9 opens with Tuello familiarising June and Luke with the commander of the rescue mission. Everything seems to be going according to plan and hopes for a successful mission are up.

Serena’s son is to be taken to the fertility centre to show the supporters the miracle of birth and Serena wants to tag along as well. Alanis shuts her down and rejects the idea right off the bat.

In Gilead, Aunt Lydia and Lawrence meet Mrs Putnam, who’s informed that she can’t go on living in her old house being a widow like that.

While Naomi fears she might be sent off to the colonies, the purpose of the meeting is instead, to offer her a marriage proposal, from Lawrence.

Naomi expresses her doubts about getting together with the man that got her husband killed in front of her. Aunt Lydia tells her it’s a thing she must put look past, as Commander Lawrence has.

Even though she’s well aware she doesn’t have the luxury of choice/option, Lydia tries to convince her to marry Lawrence, seeing how he has such a lavish home, not to mention power and such. Lawrence tells Naomi to think it over.

At night, Serena meets Mr Wheeler to allow her to go to the fertility centre since it was her idea. He agrees to let her go eventually.

The next day, Alanis rushes towards Serena and plants two slaps on her, asking her to stay away from her husband. Serena gulps down the humiliation again.

At the fertility centre, Alanis asks Serena to go home and leave Noah to their care. Serena refuses as she has to feed him, for which she takes leave and asks for privacy inside a room.

As soon as the coast is clear, Serena sneaks out of the building and runs off to the middle of the road. A woman stops her car with a screeching halt, agreeing to let Serena in after she begs her to save her child.

Meanwhile, America’s raid efforts fail and all the aircraft are shot down, with no survivors. Gilead was one step ahead of the Americans and it’s later revealed that Lawrence was the one who spoiled the operation.

He tells June he had to do that because he’s legitimately trying to change Gilead, and can’t let America do what they’ve always done.

June asks him to give Hannah back to her in a desperate cry, he can’t do that, and it’s the last straw for June, who is seemingly done with the commander now.

Tuello later advises her to try and get Nick to their side instead. She meets with Nick covertly later on, and he tells her that he can’t leave his pregnant wife and life in a constantly changing Gilead now.

At the memorial service at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 episode 9, June shields a child from the incoming bullets fired by someone in the crowd of protesters.

Review

  • June’s hopes are shattered twice in The Handmaid’s Tale ‘Allegiance’, so it’s nice to see the show’s consistent treatment of the character.
  • Lawrence has gathered a lot of power for sure, but this power is surrounded, and perhaps soon will be ensnared by, a significantly perilous might of other commanders.
  • Lawrence is also breaking down faster than before, and the pace at which he’s getting into new transgressions is proof of that.
  • Whatever may come of Lawrence’s proposal to Naomi, it doesn’t seem that he has a loving and supporting companion written for his future in The Handmaid’s Tale.
  • Pieces are falling just right for June and other American refugees to migrate to New Bethlehem. The final episode might very well see June step up and use her name to convince others to go back to Gilead.
The Handmaid's Tale season 5 episode 9
The Handmaid's Tale season 5 episode 9 recap & review: Allegiance 1

Director: Bradley Whitford

Date Created: 2022-11-02 09:30

Editor's Rating:
3

Also Read: Commander Lawrence’s New Bethlehem plan explained

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