The Handmaid's Tale: Motherland (5x08)

Man, this is a good episode. This is a good show.

Cons:

The only thing I can think of as a con for this episode is the things it didn't include. Moira hasn't had a lot of connection to this season's main plot, and I've been missing her perspective on things. She and Luke and June are all co-parenting Nichole together, and she has been pushed to the side of things for a while now.

Pros:

June's plot in this episode centers around the big question of whether or not she should go back to Gilead for Hannah. On the one side, there's Lawrence, setting up this New Bethlehem project that will hypothetically begin to mend some of the human rights violations of Gilead. He wants June to come there, to be able to live with Luke and Nichole, to be near to Hannah when she becomes the head of her own household. And then on the other hand, Tuello is telling her to please, please not go back, that she is symbolic of American resistance to Gilead, and her giving in will be a huge blow. He promises to work as hard as he can to get Hannah out, as long as June will stay put in Canada.

I love this dichotomy. It's such a culmination of June's struggles over the entire history of the show. All she's wanted to do is save Hannah, she has felt like such a failure leaving Gilead without her. And yet this is a real issue, a choice that has huge ramifications. Rita says she'd do anything if her son was still alive and she could be with him. But Luke points out that Gilead cannot be trusted. The chance to be closer to Hannah likely isn't worth the risk of putting themselves, and Nichole, under Gilead's control once again.

This plot thread teased out the tensions between Luke and June brilliantly, and thus this was probably my favorite episode of the season in terms of exploring their dynamic as a married couple. When Luke tries to talk June out of going, June accuses Luke of not being able to understand what she's feeling, and she uses what Luke did to Serena as evidence of that. How could he separate a mother and child like that? But then Luke points out the obvious truth that June is putting her trust in Lawrence, the Architect of Gilead, and that she seems to be sympathizing with her tormentor, Serena. It's hard to trust that she's thinking rationally right now.

The thing is, they don't understand each other. And whatever happens from here, whether Tuello is able to return Hannah to them or not, I don't know if they're ever going to be entirely on the same page. I'm excited for Hannah to come to Canada, if indeed we're going to get that. We saw how hard reintegration was for June, and Hannah is going to have a much harder time, considering she was so young when her brainwashing began.

Commander Lawrence is a fascinating character, and this episode gave us new and important insight into his motivations and mind. Why did someone as irreverent and and seemingly reasonable as Lawrence, create something like Gilead? Well, because he was trying to save the world. Late stage capitalism was killing the planet and its inhabitants. He thought he could use religious fanatics as the delivery method, and then it all went way too far. He knows it's not enough, he knows the suffering he's caused, but he's hoping Gilead can improve, and that New Bethlehem can be a step in the right direction. He basically says that if he can't help make things better, he might as well kill himself like his wife. My favorite part of the scene with Lawrence was when June pointed out that Hannah is going to be a child bride, but he said Nichole wouldn't be. That in the next five, ten years, things will get better. His hope is palpable, but he also can't make any real promises. He doesn't know how to fix what he's broken, but this is the only way he knows how to try.

And then you've got Serena's plot thread. The magnetism between June and Serena remains one of the most compelling things about the show. I liked that they got this one-on-one meeting here, as it sort of wrapped up some of the things left hanging after last week. I appreciate that Serena didn't assume June had betrayed her, and indeed continues to try and reach out to her until she comes. June has to shut her down, telling her they're not friends, and June can never forgive her, but Serena clings to the connection she feels they've formed, after all they've shared together. In the end, June gives Serena some advice: go back to the Wheelers to be near her son. Play the meek Handmaid, and all the time, plot on how to get her revenge and keep her son by her side.

The Wheelers are so... spooky. Especially Mrs. Wheeler, who has this cultish devotion to Gilead but who's also clearly a super unkind and unpleasant person at her core. Serena is in this house, allowed to breastfeed her son but otherwise told she must keep away from parenting decisions. The irony is clear, and stated several times in the episode, that Serena is now a victim in the system she helped to create. That now she has to live with a woman who wants to steal her child, the same way she did to June. I can't wait to see where this goes.

The pieces on the chessboard are all set up. The American government is making its move, just as Lawrence and Nick make progress on their plan to make Gilead a better place. June is remaining with the Americans for now, even as mounting tensions with Canadian citizens makes it a hard place to live. Luke and Moira and June are dancing up and down and celebrating Hannah's imminent return, but how will it all shake out? Just a couple more weeks of this season to find out!

9/10