'The Handmaid's Tale' Recap: 'Night'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I've spent a lot of time when it comes to these recaps, discussing how dark The Handmaid's Tale continues to be and with good reason. Because truthfully, week in and week out, the series continues to remind me of a rotten onion, and every single time we peel back a layer in the hopes of finding something far less disgusting, we reveal something far worse and also because...I think part of me is still in awe over the fact that such a dark and twisted world can come to fruition on the small screen, and stay that way.

Normally shows that provide us with a dystopian society or world eventually shift their focus to the characters or some overreaching plot to give our minds a break, but not this one. We are truly immersed in the horrors of Gilead and it really seems as though there is no escaping this awful, awful place. So, in many ways, we stay in awe of this place and what it stands for as a mental safety net, because there's no reward coming for the audience, just raw and visceral terror. But as it turns out, that was apparently all part of the plan. Because there was a reward waiting for us after all and it just so happened to turn up in the stunning season one finale, 'Night'.

Because in this particular tale, the frustration brewing beneath the surface of Gilead, came to a boil and some of it came from the most unlikely of characters...Serena and Fred Waterford.  Yes, the architects of this disgusting place suddenly found pause within its rules since Serena could not properly express her dissatisfaction with her husband's infidelity since he was happy to invoke his 'superior masculinity' upon her and the Commander quickly discovered that the age old adage of 'turning the other cheek' doesn't apply when it comes to his peers, who shot down Fred's every attempt to have Gilead go easy on Commander Putnam for his transgressions, and while it was nice to see Serena stand up for herself and see Fred get the business...this was not our reward.

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No, that was merely the beginning of it. Because this episode had so much more to give us. It was finally ready to deliver us a true sense of hope and give us the fight and resistance we've all been waiting for and it accomplished this, by way of Moira and June. Moira's story we will talk about first, because it absolutely lifted our spirits since Moira...finally found herself free when she quietly crossed the border into Canada; Ontario, to be specific and well...this little look at our neighbor to the north, was downright tear inducing. There were no questions of loyalty, no terror to be sent her way, just pure freedom and kindness and family since Luke picked her up and to see someone give Moira a choice again, and to see her get an opportunity to start over and be reunited with someone who genuinely cares for her well being...was utterly beautiful.

As for the resistance and fight we've been waiting for...well that came from June's story. Which started off in bleak fashion once she discovered she was pregnant with Nick's child, and while she seemingly resigned herself to her 'final purpose' for Gilead, a critical error from Mrs. Waterford set things in motion. Because dear Serena decided to ensure the safety of her baby...by showing June that Hannah was alive and safe...and the only way Hannah would stay that way, is if June made sure the Waterford heir remained in the same state. That little stunt set off a fire in June we've never seen before and that fire was only stoked by opening the package Moira helped get to her, which contained the harrowing stories of other women like her, allowing her to realize that her voice is her power and that fire burned at its brightest...when Aunt Lydia asked her and every other Handmaid in town to stone Janine to death for threatening baby Angela. It was more than any Handmaid could bear, and after one took punishment for refusing to stone Janine, June followed suit and led a wonderful and beautiful silent resistance that spared Janine's life, and that act eventually forced June to be taken away by the Eyes.

But regardless of that dark ending, at last...she rose up. She fought back. She resisted, and while she will clearly pay the price, it will not be in vain. She led others to do the same, and she got those letters to someone trustworthy and that kind of fearless fight...is the stuff of legend and it can only grow from there and really...this is the perfect ending to this disturbing first season. Because June's plight in season two, will hopefully become a rallying cry, and it will hopefully embolden others to continue to follow her lead. It makes the final moments of this episode surprisingly hopeful, because the seed of insurrection is beginning to grow and I have no doubt that now that we have established this awful world in fine fashion in season one, season two will be about nurturing that insurrection and bringing down this awful world so no one will ever suffer these kinds of horrors ever again. That means it's going to be an excruciating wait for season two but one that will no doubt be worth it, because this is truly one of the finest television shows I've ever seen and I cannot wait to see where this tale takes us next. Until next season.

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