June convinces Fred to give his wife Serena a "voice behind the scenes" in order to give her a useful place in Gilead's society. June and some other handmaids attend a reception at the Putnam household. Flashbacks throughout the episode show June and Luke's baptism of Hannah before the hostile takeover. June learns that Ofmatthew has given birth to three babies in Gilead and she and the others are dismayed at her pious attitude. Janine pleads with the Putnams to invite her back into the house so that she can produce a sibling for baby Angela. Aunt Lydia furiously rejects her plea, and then savagely beats her until June throws herself between a beaten Janine and Lydia. Aunt Lydia then apologizes to everyone except Janine for what happened, and then leaves. She later privately breaks down in tears at home. June and the Waterfords later receive video footage of Nichole with Luke in Canada during a demonstration condemning Gilead's hostile assault on Chicago, while June herself is forced to - reluctantly - confirm her husband's identity. In Canada, Emily reunites with Sylvia and their son Oliver. Luke and Moira also have Nichole baptized by a priest, believing that the "little one should be absolved of their sins."
Tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: Fred is seen giving a plea to reunite with someone who is supposedly Serena Joy. But then we find out that it isn't Serena Joy with whom he is talking, it's a Jezebel.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The Commanders and their wives look upon Aunt Lydia with disgust and contempt after she brutally beats the very harmless Janine in front of them.
- Flashback: We get one from the baptism ceremony for Hannah.
- Kick the Dog / No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: A particularly brutal one from Aunt Lydia towards Janine when Janine asks to stay with the Putnams.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Lydia has this after her brutal beatdown of Janine. Which is the first time when the audience sees her showing remorse.
- Pet the Dog: We get a rare sight of Naomi Putnam being nice, when she lets Janine hold her daughter. Too bad it all goes downhill from there.
- Soapbox Sadie: In a flashback, Holly calls baptism "being validated by a bunch of holier-than-thou child molesters". In a church.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Janine displays to Aunt Lydia, with other Handmaids noting how disturbing it is. Implied with June as well, when she admits she doesn't feel hatred for Fred.
