'The Handmaid's Tale' Recap: 'The Word'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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When it comes to season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, I think we can all agree on one particular fact, in that, season two has been incredibly difficult to watch. After all, this year the show has featured one powerfully bleak tale after another, the kind that leave you stunned in silence when the story has come to an end and it’s also taken the time to toy with our emotions by dangling hope in front of us before snatching it away in heartbreaking fashion.
 
Yet, we’ve all soldiered on, because we have to know how this painful and powerful story is going to end and well, at long last, it would seem that the audience is finally being rewarded for sticking with such a difficult and harrowing tale since last night’s season two finale, ‘The Word’, provided us with quite the incredible gift. Because it would seem that revolution has finally come to Gilead, and this troubled and awful nation will likely never be the same after this stunning finale and what makes this particular twist so fascinating, is the sheer fact that it seemingly came out of nowhere.
 
Because early on, it seemed as though we were going to get more of the same since the story focused on the grieving process when it comes to Eden’s passing and it was chilling to learn that her own father turned her in to the authorities. But the discovery that Eden had a forbidden Bible hidden in her belongings, sparked something within June, to the point where she and the Commander came to blows and that spark grew into a tiny flame when she pointed out to Serena that Nichole/Holly would not be exempt from Gilead’s archaic ideal that women should not be allowed to read and that prompted Serena to challenge the Commanders in the hopes of changing that rule. 

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But alas, her decision to rise up, was met with disdain and great pain since she lost a finger for her troubles, and for reading from the Bible in front of the council of Commanders, and this was heartbreaking to see because June inspired Serena to ponder upon something that I don’t think anyone considered when Gilead was created; its future. Because the risk of raising generations of illiterate women is a distinct possibility and it’s a shame that Serena was punished for asking an honest question and the harrowing nature of this story didn’t end there, since it seemed Emily was going to be in great trouble as well for snapping and assaulting Aunt Lydia after she pushed Emily’s buttons, and oddly enough, Emily’s decision to attack…seemed to flip a collective switch on in Gilead.
 
For it became obvious in this tale, that the people have had enough. They’re tired of the lies and the misery and the silly backwards rules and in one fell swoop, Mayday and so many unexpected agents made their move, setting fire to buildings and cars, in part to get June and the baby out, but also…to rebel. Because Nick surprised us all by threatening Commander Waterford with violence if he didn’t comply and it was Martha after Martha that helped June escape her horrible household, with her baby in tow and in a stunning turn of events, we learned Commander Lawrence is a good guy after all since he helped arrange Emily’s escape from this place as well.
 
Yet, while it seems as though we were looking at our first ever traditional happy ending for this series, wherein Emily and June and baby Holly all made their way to Canada, that’s just not this show’s style. Because June came to realize, she cannot leave this place without her daughter and she stayed behind to find and rescue Hannah and that’s where we leave June in this tale, heading back into the darkness to bring her daughter into the light and that quite frankly is a brilliant stroke of storytelling. Because it speaks to June’s growth as a character, and her dedication as a mother and really, when all said and done, what a magnificent finale. We finally saw June overcome her fears and find motivation to do what’s necessary and right, and Gilead is rotting from the inside out and all of that, made this difficult journey worth our while and it has me excited to see what kinds of horror and hope await us, in season three. Until next year.

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