June attempts to contact a member of the Mackenzie household to try to formulate a plan to get Hannah back, with disastrous results. Meanwhile, Emily is interrogated by the Swiss about her actions in Gilead, and both her and Moira are arrested when trying to confront a Canadian Government official. Fred and Serena rekindle their relationship while in Washington DC as Commander Winslow has plans for Canada in the dispute regarding Nichole.
Tropes:
- Book Ends: A Hanging and a subsequent interaction between June and Ofmatthew at the beginning and end of this episode.
- Call-Back: Emily's crimes in Gilead in previous seasons are discussed with the Swiss diplomat. What she doesn't tell her (and confides to Moira instead) is how she poisoned Mrs O'Connor in the Colonies. Moira also confides in her murder of a Gilead man while working as a Jezebel and using his truck to reach Canada.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: We finally see why Commander Lawrence keeps Eleanor in the house as evidenced by her Innocently Insensitive remarks to baby Angela, and her mental breakdown at the school.
- Crazy-Prepared: After June's stunt at the beginning of this season, it is revealed that Aunt Lydia had asked Ofmatthew to spy on June. This results in Frances getting hanged.
- Did Not Think This Through: June's plan to get Hannah back involves marching up to the school she is in and having a sympathetic guard hand Hannah over, not taking into account how fortified the school itself is, and the guard himself not being on duty. Not to mention that she had no escape plan in place if she were able to retrieve Hannah. And that her key cover, Mrs. Lawrence, suffers from some form of Alzheimers or Dementia. Seems that June has a nasty tendency of doing this.
- Foreshadowing: The hanging scene at the beginning foreshadows the death of a character on the show, and June's role in it. There's also Ofmatthew staring at June and Frances in the distance.
- Innocently Insensitive:
- Eleanor keeps referring to Angela as the "baby who nearly died". This flummoxes not only Naomi, but also June as well.
- Olivia shows Serena a potential home previously owned by a family before they were presumably erased by the Gilead government, complete with furniture and unopened mail. Serena even sees an intact baby's room but Olivia keeps insisting on showing her the master bedroom, in a tone similar to a real estate agent trying to sell a home.
- It's a Small World, After All: Moira makes a joke that despite her and Emily attending the same university as lesbians, that they have zero friends that they share between them.
- My God, What Have I Done?:
- Realizing that Eleanor suffers from deep anxiety brought by her bipolar disorder, June confesses her intentions and offers to walk Eleanor back home. Eleanor decides to ally with her instead. When the mission goes wrong, June apologizes to Eleanor.
- She has this moment again when she is forced to hang Frances.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: June's efforts to retrieve Hannah end with the death of Frances.
- Pet the Dog: June tries to help Ofmatthew with her morning sickness at the beginning of the episode, but then tries to throttle her at the episode's end when June realizes Ofmatthew sold Frances out, leading Hannah to be shipped off to someplace else.
- The Reveal:
- Eleanor Lawrence confiding in her bipolar struggles is an explanation for her socially unacceptable behavior in Gilead.
- Emily's last name is identified as Malek.
- Commander Winslow reveals to Fred that Nichole isn't the endgame in the discussions with Canada, the deportation of all Gilead refugees from Canada is.
- The Mackenzies have been moved from Brookline after being tipped off by Ofmatthew. Furthermore, Ofmatthew has been spying on June on orders from Aunt Lydia.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- In a country rife with oppression and Big Brother security type tactics, there is a good reason why pressing your agenda is likely to get someone killed especially when there is a mole in your midst.
- For Ofmatthew, doing anything that gets in between a mother and her child will likely pit you against a very furious Mama Bear. Especially when you admit to said interference. As the following episode indicates, if Ofmatthew had kept her mouth shut, she would not be ostracized, leading to her death.
- Even in a free country like Canada, verbally harassing a government official will likely earn you a night in the slammer.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- The family that owned the house that Olivia shows Serena. Nothing is mentioned about them but it is implied that they either fled Gilead or they were executed.
- Nothing is mentioned about Parker, the man who was supposed to be on duty at Hannah's school. It is hinted that he is the guard that is hanged alongside the Martha.
- What Were You Thinking?: Commander Lawrence hands a wordless version of this to June after Eleanor's mental breakdown.
