History Recap / TheHandmaidsTaleS5E9Allegiance

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: This episode shows how badly the Americans are outmatched militarily as the bulk of the American Armed Forces are still controlled by Gilead, and that the Amercan's successes in previous actions (capturing Commander Waterford, June's Angel Flight and her later escape) were due to simple lapses in the Gilead military apparatus. No one in their intelligence apparatus seems to think that the CD getting into June's hands appears to be [[LuredIntoATrap leading to a trap]], or doing an intelligence assessment of the point of insertion before the strike was to begin. As a result, the military operation is doomed from the start, with the event now allowing Gilead to deploy its forces along the Canadian/American border as a form of retaliation. Although it is possible that [[NeverFoundTheBody without physical proof one way or the other of the fates of the strike force]], [[spoiler:the Americans may be playing the long game on this one]].

* WhamShot: Literal ones, as gunfire erupts at the wake for the fallen soldiers, hitting the American flag serving as a backdrop.

** It's also not known if it is confirmed if everyone in the strike force perished in the failed attempt, if they were captured, or if this entire attempt was simply a diversion for a more clandestine attempt in infiltration. While subsequent scenes seem to imply that the strike force did perish, [[NeverFoundTheBody no one seems to have physical proof of the members of said strike force being dead or alive]].

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: This episode shows how badly the Americans are outmatched militarily as the bulk of the American Armed Forces are still controlled by Gilead, and that the Amercan's successes in previous actions (capturing Commander Waterford, June's Angel Flight and her later escape) were due to simple lapses in the Gilead military apparatus. No one in their intelligence apparatus seems to think that the CD getting into June's hands appears to be [[LuredIntoATrap leading to a trap]], or doing an intelligence assessment of the point of insertion before the strike was to begin. As a result, the military operation is doomed from the start, with the event now allowing Gilead to deploy its forces along the Canadian/American border as a form of retaliation. Although it is possible that [[NeverFoundTheBody without physical proof one way or the other of the fates of the strike force]], the Americans may be playing the long game on this one.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: ...As for the Americans, they clearly did not plan on the possibility that the northern border would be heavily fortified.

** The American forces hold one regarding the strike force as no one either anticipated the CD possibly being used as bait to lure the American strike force, nor did they consider that there were increased defenses on the northern border.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: This episode shows how badly the Americans are outmatched militarily as the bulk of the American Armed Forces are still controlled by Gilead, and that the Amercan's successes in previous actions (capturing Commander Waterford, June's Angel Flight and her later escape) were due to simple lapses in the Gilead military apparatus. No one in their intelligence apparatus seems to think that the CD getting into June's hands appears to be [[LuredIntoATrap leading to a trap]], or doing an intelligence assessment of the point of insertion before the strike was to begin. As a result, the military operation is doomed from the start, with the event now allowing Gilead to deploy its forces along the Canadian/American border as a form of retaliation.

* AmbiguousSituation: It's not known if Commander Lawrence was the one who sent the CD with a video of Hannah to June. It's also not known if this was a setup from Gilead to bait the Americans to launching their doomed strike force.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: For the first time this series, this is ''averted hard'' as they are able to shoot down the American Strike Force with ease.

* TemptingFate: The Americans appear to be ''very'' confident about their mission before it fails horribly, resulting in the deaths of the entire strike team.

* TheReveal: Despite years of Gilead education and previously having displayed signs of estrangement from June, Hannah hasn't forgotten where she comes from, as she is shown to secretly sign her drawings with her actual name.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: This episode shows how badly the Americans are outmatched militarily as the bulk of the American Armed Forces are still controlled by Gilead. No one in their intelligence apparatus seems to think that the CD getting into June's hands appears to be [[LuredIntoATrap leading to a trap]], or doing an intelligence assessment of the point of insertion before the strike was to begin. As a result, the military operation is doomed from the start, with the event now allowing Gilead to deploy its forces along the Canadian/American border as a form of retaliation.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The failure of the American Strike Force brings to mind the failed UsefulNotes/{{Bay of Pigs Invasion}} of Cuba, where "bad intelligence" led to the defeat of the Cuban exiles against Fidel Castro.