10 Most Underrated ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Episodes, Ranked
Content Warning: The following article incorporates spoilers for the Hulu present The Handmaid’s Tale.For the period of its 5 seasons to this point, the dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale has offered a harrowing take a look at a disturbing dystopia during which girls are compelled to have kids for the ruling class in an try and treatment the nation’s, now-called Gilead, plummeting beginning charge. The sequence premiered in 2017 and is predicated on the novel of the identical title by Margaret Atwood. Season 6 might be The Handmaid’s Tale‘s final and is predicted to air in 2025, three years after Season 5. Its sequel, The Testaments, can also be in growth for Hulu.
The Handmaid’s Tale has delivered numerous standout episodes detailing the tough realities of life in Gilead, particularly for June particularly. But for each critically acclaimed episode with high scores, there’s one other that is neglected, regardless of being simply as intense and emotional. Like the present’s greatest episodes, its most underrated ones present an insightful look into its characters.
10 “Heroic”
Season 3, Episode 9
In “Heroic,” June’s (Elisabeth Moss) psychological state grew to become fragile as she was confined to and compelled to kneel on the ground of the hospital room of her strolling associate, Natalie (Ashleigh LaThrop), also referred to as Ofmatthew, who was brain-dead however was being stored alive to hold her being pregnant to time period. June’s punishment was supposed to final till the newborn was born and had already been underway for a month firstly of the episode. After an encounter with Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), June reconsidered her actions.
So a lot of what Gilead put individuals via amounted to psychological torture, corresponding to June’s confinement in “Heroic.” Star Elisabeth Moss has constantly delivered incredible performances on The Handmaid’s Tale, and this was an excellent instance as June unraveled. It was additionally an important episode for June’s character. But regardless of its emotional punch, it’s among the many lowest-rated episodes of the sequence on IMDb, presumably partially due to fan backlash to the deaths of two girls of colour.
9 “The Word”
Season 2, Episode 13
After Eden’s (performed by Sydney Sweeney) demise, June went via her issues in Season 2 finale “The Word” and located a Bible with notes written within the margins, indicating Eden knew the right way to learn and write – regardless of Gilead’s legal guidelines towards girls doing so. The incident motivated Serena and the opposite wives to aim to enact change. Meanwhile, Emily (Alexis Bledel) acquired to know her new Commander, who turned out to not be as merciless as his friends.
“The Word” was a reminder of what the ladies of Gilead had misplaced – all girls, not simply the handmaids. It was additionally a compelling episode a couple of mom’s love and willingness to do something for her baby – when within the midst of an escape, June trusted others with child Nichole and opted to remain behind to seek out and free her different daughter, Hannah, whereas Serena got here to phrases with what life in Gilead could be like for Nichole and willingly surrendered her.
8 “A Woman’s Place”
Season 1, Episode 6
The ambassador to Mexico visited Gilead in “A Woman’s Place,” and Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) hoped to rearrange a commerce settlement between the 2 nations. During the go to, the ambassador questioned the handmaids. Meanwhile, via flashbacks, the episode revealed the position Serena performed within the creation of Gilead and confirmed a really completely different model of her – she was an outspoken activist and author, removed from the submissive housewife she grew to become in Gilead.
“A Woman’s Place” is an important episode of The Handmaid’s Tale – it confirmed how different nations seen Gilead and the lengths these in energy would go to place forth Gilead’s greatest picture, proving they have been conscious of how merciless they really have been. And for the primary time within the sequence, it centered on a personality apart from June, with a glimpse of Serena’s earlier life. The perception into her character made the episode a must-watch.
7 “Home”
Season 4, Episode 7
In “Home,” June lastly made it to Canada, the place Luke (O. T. Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley) have been dwelling and elevating Nichole, and formally sought asylum for her security, and he or she started to regulate to her new life and skilled numerous conflicting emotions concerning the change. She was reunited with Luke, and after some preliminary awkwardness, he apologized for failing to get her and Hannah out whereas June expressed her guilt over Hannah not being along with her. Later, June confronted Serena.
After watching June come so near escaping Gilead so many occasions, it was nice to see her lastly succeed – and confront Serena on high of it. “Home” helped illustrate how vastly completely different life was in Gilead in comparison with exterior of it, in addition to the influence it had on June and Luke each individually and as a pair. The emotional moments between the 2 have been among the many episode’s greatest and helped to make it a compelling episode general.
6 “Faithful”
Season 1, Episode 5
Serena suspected Fred was infertile in “Faithful” and got here up with a plan for Nick (Max Minghella) to sleep with June within the hopes of getting June pregnant. Meanwhile, June and Fred spent increasingly time collectively in his workplace, largely enjoying Scrabble, and June was impressed by Emily’s act of revolt. In addition, flashbacks confirmed the beginning of June’s relationship with Luke – he was married to a different girl once they first met.
“Faithful” was the beginning of June’s relationship with Nick, which might in the end have a huge effect on the sequence shifting ahead, and in addition confirmed a softer, extra humane aspect to Fred. While the sequence largely focuses on June, it sometimes presents a take a look at the lives of different handmaids, among the many most attention-grabbing of whom was Emily, who had some nice moments on this episode, her violent revolt particularly.
5 “Holly”
Season 2, Episode 11
In “Holly,” after a quick assembly with Hannah organized by Fred, June was left alone in an deserted home – though she had been accompanied by Nick, he was shot and brought away by guards, leaving June on her personal, closely pregnant, with apparently nobody coming to retrieve her. After spending a while looking the home, she ultimately went into labor and gave beginning to a daughter she named Holly.
“Holly” was a compelling episode that juxtaposed the births of June’s two daughters, Hannah and Holly – named after June’s mom and later renamed Nichole by Serena – displaying the vastly completely different circumstances below which they entered the world. And as a result of childbirth in Gilead included a ceremony for the wives, it was nice for June that Serena was robbed of that have. Moss delivered considered one of her greatest performances of the sequence within the episode.
4 “The Crossing”
Season 4, Episode 3
After being captured by Gilead, in “The Crossing,” June was taken to and interrogated concerning the whereabouts of escaped handmaids by a livid Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). Meanwhile, Nick and Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) labored collectively to do as a lot as doable to assist June. In the episode’s last moments, the handmaids headed in the direction of escape throughout prepare tracks, just for a few of them to be hit and killed by an oncoming prepare. The episode was additionally notable for being Moss’ directorial debut.
Aunt Lydia is without doubt one of the most merciless characters on the present, if not probably the most merciless – however Dowd is incredible within the position, and “The Crossing” offered Dowd at her greatest and Lydia at her worst, or near it, from the execution of different handmaids to using Hannah to get June to cooperate. And after all of the trauma Janine had endured, it was troublesome to look at her within the aftermath of the handmaids’ deaths.
3 “Late”
Season 1, Episode 3
In “Late,” June visited Janine’s (Madeline Brewer) child. Meanwhile, Emily was arrested and confronted the horrific punishment of genital mutilation for having an affair with Martha, who was executed. Elsewhere, June met the brand new Ofglen, who acted like Emily by no means existed. June’s flashbacks confirmed the early days of the revolution which led to the creation of Gilead, which included girls being denied service at companies due to the way in which they dressed – in Moira and June’s case, exercise garments.
“Late,” Emily’s storyline particularly, is among the many most annoying episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale and will be troublesome to look at, however that’s additionally what makes it so compelling. The episode depicted not simply an unthinkable punishment however the weird means during which handmaid – particularly extra compliant ones – have been stripped of their identities and downplayed a few of Gilead’s most egregious crimes. But among the episode’s greatest scenes have been the flashbacks, which confirmed how adjustments in what grew to become Gilead began out small.
2 “Household”
Season 3, Episode 6
In “Household,” June traveled to D.C. with Serena and Fred to take part in a public prayer ceremony, with the objective of pressuring the Canadian authorities to return child Nichole to Gilead. While there, they stayed within the giant, stunning house of the highly effective Winslow household, a big household with six kids – most presumably kidnapped from their actual dad and mom – headed by Commander George (Christopher Meloni), who was implied to be homosexual, yet one more crime in Gilead.
The Handmaid’s Tale was nearly solely centered on a selected location, however in “Household,” the present supplied a take a look at how different elements of Gilead functioned, particularly D.C. – and in some way, it was even worse than what had been proven beforehand. It was jarring to see the way in which the federal government of Gilead had fully taken over town, from the transformation of the Washington Monument right into a cross to the way more disturbing handmaids with their mouths sewn shut.
1 “Vows”
Season 4, Episode 6
After June emerged from the rubble of a Gilead-sponsored air strike on Chicago, she was nearly instantly reunited with Moira in “Vows,” who was serving as an support employee and offered an opportunity for June’s freedom. As a outcome, June made it to Canada and was additionally reunited with Luke – and he or she was frightened that he would by no means forgive her for not with the ability to get Hannah out of Gilead, as effectively.
“Vows” was a turning level for The Handmaid’s Tale. Moira’s return was a really welcome one – she’s an excellent character and nice to look at, it doesn’t matter what she’s doing. Her reunion with June was understandably emotional, and the episode offered a touching give attention to their friendship, which in some way managed to face the take a look at of America’s descent into Gilead and the horrors it triggered them. But considered one of its greatest and most emotional moments was June’s tearful assertion to Luke that Hannah wasn’t along with her.
