‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Recap: ‘Safe’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season five finale of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular observation/question that has come up often during our discussions of the Hulu series, The Handmaid’s Tale, is what will take to finally enact change in Gilead? Because despite being embarrassed on multiple fronts, such as having their most ‘precious’ resource delivered to Canada and having a Commander’s business exposed to the world before that very Commander died at the hands of his former Handmaid… no one has really stood up to say… enough. In fact, despite finding an opportunity to rise up and take control and do the right thing, even Commander Lawrence has maintained a status quo where women are raped, and morals are forgotten in the name of advancing an anti-America agenda in this world. 
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Which keeps that question permeating through and through, since we just don’t see anyone finally standing up and having enough of what Gilead stands for… to the point where they want to be an agent of change. But thankfully, that moment finally arrived in the season five finale of the show, and that made ‘Safe’ quite the powerful and heartbreaking affair. Mainly because in order to finally have people open their eyes and decide that enough is enough, great sorrow and suffering had to come into play. The kind that finally struck home and made the parties involved realize that they’re on the wrong side and that their support for that side has to stop, and the first person that crossed that particular threshold was Aunt Lydia.

For she did her best to get Janine placed in a home where she wouldn’t endure the horrors of the Ceremony and would find peace and happiness in these trying times. Which as it turned out, was to be the Lawrence home. Since Naomi Putnam was finally ready to marry Commander Lawrence and since Lawrence wasn’t keen on touching Handmaid’s in his home, she would in fact be safe and ready to live a good life. One complete with her daughter since she would move in. But alas, that bliss and gift all went to hell in a hand basket when Naomi Lawrence opted to push the bulls*it values of Gilead on Janine, which prompted her to snap, and she was sent packing yet again… with consequences. Wherein the Eyes grabbed hold of her for reconditioning again. But this time around, Lydia wasn’t good with such an act and demanded agency and answers and paid the price with physical pain. A move that seemingly changed her views on Gilead in all the right ways, bringing home a fascinating journey this year.

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But she was of course, not the only one to say enough is enough. For Nick also changed his attitude toward Gilead, courtesy of the fact that the nation pushed things a little too far. For they covertly had a Gilead sympathizer come after June near her own home, and brutally harm her with their car. And had it not been for Luke’s quick thinking and aggressiveness, she may have suffered badly before death. But once Nick found out about such matters, all bets were off and that motivated him to haul off and give Lawrence a knuckle sandwich and… sign a deal with the United States to aid them at last. Making it clear that having the injustices that he turned the other cheek to… hit home, finally made a difference in helping him understand the need to fight against Gilead and the nonsense it stands for. 
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As for June, well it finally appeared as though having Gilead come for her and being hammered constantly by anti-immigrant sentiment alongside having Luke face charges when the injuries, he rightfully inflicted on that man in family defense turned fatal… was enough for her to change her views on her role in this life as well. Because clearly, Gilead would keep coming and do everything to make her and her family suffer and of course… there was a chance that the darkness that consumed the United States could spread. Prompting her to just… run. Run and head to Honolulu and try to regroup and perhaps, be the voice she needs to be since now she had a complete story to tell, and well… she did that first option, and lost her husband along the way since he sacrificed himself to the police, to get her out of dodge. But she did find Serena on that train as they barreled toward an unknown but hopeful future.

One where perhaps they can speak out against Gilead and fight the fight where Lawrence and MacKenzie cannot harm her since Gilead’s reach, while far… has been impossible in the true remnant of the United States of America. But while we wait to see what comes next for June and everyone who’s life she’s touched, we can bask in the wonder of a shockingly hopeful finale. Because at last, we saw key players stand up to Gilead and tyranny in a way we haven’t seen before. Giving rise to the possibility that the sixth and final season of this brilliant and poignant show, might finally give us what we want, a fight against Gilead and its subsequent fall. Which is going to make the wait for season six a rough one since the stage is set for the final chapter in this Handmaid’s tale, and we are all dying to see how it comes to a close. Until next time.

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