‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Recap: ‘The Wilderness’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season four finale of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

If there is one thing that fans of the Hulu series, The Handmaid’s Tale, have been eager to see since the show’s inception… it would have to be the complete and utter destruction of the Republic of Gilead. Because this horrific theocracy is about as disgusting as it gets, and the thought of seeing the now deformed Washington Monument collapse while the crooked Commanders that run this place scramble for safety, truly is a satisfying thought and hope. But despite our collective and vocal desire to see Gilead burn and watch the wicked be punished, the show didn't make the decision to move the needle in that direction until now… four years after this journey began and it only now makes sense as to why.

Because as it turns out, showrunner Bruce Miller and his crack team of writers are looking to take us on a supremely unique journey. One that genuinely chronicles the origins of a revolution and what truly drives people to decide to take up arms and fight and what we’ve been privy to over the past few years has been the various stages of that process. Season 1 for instance, features the moment when people decide they’ve had enough, and that the time has come for change. Whereas Season 2 explored the early beginnings of revolution, wherein people test the waters to see if they can in fact… fight a force that dominates them. And Season 3 featured the formation of a network of freedom fighters and the fruits of that level of teamwork, since Mayday was able to deal one hell of a blow to Gilead by getting so many kids out of that nightmarish place.

Which means that in essence, Season 4’s overall revolution theme, revolves around what brings those that wish to fight to the hardest choice of all. In that, in order to topple a regime, blood will likely have to be shed and people will have to die. And those that want to lead others into that fight, must figure out how to inspire others to take a life and in turn, must be able to do so themselves and well, that’s precisely what the season four finale of this series focused upon. For ‘The Wilderness’ put June at quite the crossroads. Because Fred Waterford was quickly negotiating his release back into the world and now June had to decide as to whether or not to make peace with the reality that her tormenter and assaulter was about to go his own way, or if she needed to indulge the darkness within and make him pay for his crimes on her own terms and well… her decision came forth in one pivotal moment.

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Wherein she decided to visit Fred in jail and have one last chat. To see if by chance he was a man that was nothing more than a product of Gilead and its twisted teachings, or if he knew exactly what he was doing and made a choice to hurt others. As it turns out, the latter was the reality of the situation, something that Fred revealed by earnestly apologizing to June for his actions. Making it clear that he chose to harm her and every woman he encountered in Gilead and well… that was the turning point for June. Because just like that, she realized there was no remorse present within the commanders of Gilead and that the only thing they would ever understand was violence and fear in kind and that’s when she decided… to ignore the rules of etiquette and forgiveness that everyone was telling her to make room for in her heart… and punish Fred like never before. 
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But since this is June Osborne, we are talking about, and because she has made a lot of allies in her journey, she realized that pure revenge wouldn’t be enough to properly deal with Fred Waterford. No, he needed to genuinely feel fear and be dealt with in a manner that would show the world that Gilead’s elite were weak men that could be brought down. And that motivated her to pull some strings with Commander Lawrence and the remnant of the United States Government to plan a prisoner exchange. Where Canada and the U.S. would get members of the Mayday Resistance and Gilead would get Commander Fred Waterford and well… that was too sweet a deal to pass up and Fred’s freedom faded and to make matters worse for him… he never saw Gilead again. For June also worked out a deal with Nick and Lawrence, to let June and a group of former Handmaid’s to handle Fred's fate and well… that brought forth a horrible yet satisfying ending for dear Fred.

One where he was filled with fear before those, he wronged, ended his life and mutilated his body and well, while that should be upsetting… it is in fact, a perfect ending for a perfect monster. Because the only life that ever mattered to Fred Waterford was his own and he simply hurt so many and his death is also important and fulfilling, because it advances the plot in a unique manner. For now, June has a group of warriors that are willing to do whatever it takes to make the commanders of Gilead pay and now that they’ve made the decision to kill, the forthcoming war effort will be easier for them to conduct, and that war might come sooner than later. Because while Fred is now silent and Gilead is free of the trouble he’s caused, news of his death so close to the border might inspire others to rise and fight and begin the dismantling of Gilead that we’ve all longed for and in the end, all of these elements, will make the wait for season five a painful one. Since we are now eager to see what will come forth from June's decision to fight back and of course, to see what other rewards await us... now that this series is finally giving the audience, exactly what it wants. Until next year. 

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