Seeking more information about Hannah, June and Moira meet a resistance leader who leads them to a border outpost, where they wait for a chance at a phone call with Nick. Serena makes a proposal to Commander Lawrence that might secure her future in Gilead. Aunt Lydia visits Esther and Janine at the hospital and prays for the latter's recovery.
Tropes present in this episode
- Call-Back:
- To "Women's Work", the episode where baby Angela was hospitalized and Janine spent the night providing skin-to-skin contact. In this episode, Mrs. Putnam brings Angela, now a toddler, to Janine's bedside, where the little girl touches her hand. The next day, Janine wakes.
- The leader of the Mayday outpost is one of the 22 women involved in the prisoner exchange with Commander Waterford.
- Character Development: Lydia has a turning point in just how she needs to go about treating the Handmaids after seeing Janine in a hospital yet again; Naomi also goes through more and tells the comatose Janine (and Lydia) that Angela will absolutely know who her real mother is and how wonderful a person she is as well.
- Heel Realization: Lydia slapping the comatose Esther and then seeing Janine in a hospital bed makes her realize just how awful she's been, and she tearfully prays to God that if Janine recovers, she'll be better to the Handmaids.
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: At the end of June's call with Nick, where she learns about his wife among other things, she tells him to be happy. Also doubles as a Call-Back to the prior season; Nick told her the same thing after she made it to Canada.
- Kicked Upstairs: Rather than being allowed to remain in Gilead, Serena is told to return to Canada to act as an unofficial ambassador for Gilead. Apparently no one in Gilead's top brass wants to associate with the widow of a traitor, especially if Serena was the one who set Fred up for capture, not even Lawrence, despite his waning influence on account of refusing to remarry.
- My God, What Have I Done?: A very literal example; Lydia calls out to God from Janine's bedside, admitting her own many mistakes and begging Him not to punish Janine any further for them.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: Serena is being driven from the airport back to the detention center. The car stops in a dark street and is blocked from moving by another vehicle. Without warning, June appears right at the Serena's window to give her a message:June: Never. Touch. My daughter. Again. Never. Touch. My daughter. Again.
- Rejected Marriage Proposal: Serena proposes a Marriage of Convenience to Lawrence, who has been vocal about not being interested in remarrying. She sees it as a solution for both of them: he has been explicitly told that unmarried men have no place in leadership, and Gilead really has no place for a pregnant former Wife. He declines.
- Rewatch Bonus: Starting from this episode, you can see how Gilead likely had intentions regarding Serena given her treachery with the Americans ultimately forced Gilead to execute one of their own. They never intended to allow Serena to have a "normal" life in Gilead and her subsequent interactions with the Wheelers likely meant that they wanted her baby to be taken by the Wheelers.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: June is aware that the change in color of Hannah's outfit (from pink to plum purple) means something. Her fears are confirmed when she learns from Nick that Hannah is now attending a school that will prepare her to be a Wife.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: As established in future episodes, the talk about Serena being an unofficial "ambassador" was nothing more than talk. They are likely well aware that Serena set up the events that led to Commander Waterford's capture and ultimately, his execution. The fact that they don't bestow any official title to her (mostly because as a woman, she has zero rights to any title) likely means that they wanted to deal with her outside of official Gilead politics. It's likely Serena also knew this as well, which is why she wanted to propose a Marriage of Convenience to Commander Lawrence. Too bad that Commander Lawrence refused.
- Wham Episode: Against her wishes to stay in Gilead, Serena learns that the Council wants her in Toronto as an unofficial ambassador. Janine wakes from her coma. June learns that Hannah is now attending a school for daughters of Commanders where they are trained to become Wives.
