The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Ep 3 is the third instalment of the fifth season of a dystopian alternate reality drama TV series based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name. In this alternate history, the USA has been taken over by hardcore fundamental religious fanatics and renamed as Gilead. In Gilead, women have become the property of men once more as the nation is ruled by theocratic patriarchy.
S P O I L E R S
Plot
Entitled “Border”, The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Ep 3 continues to set up the season’s major conflict between June Osborn and Serena Joy in the wake of Fred Waterford’s death at the end of Season 4. For June, of course, her dramatic need will be to rescue her 12-year-old daughter, Hannah, from Gilead, even as she is now been prepared to be a wife! The episode spends time to introduce us to the Canadian sect of Mayday – guerrillas dedicated to fight Gilead as June seeks their aid to get in contact with Nick.
READ OUR ANALYSES OF THE HANDMAID’S TALE
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Ep 3 also demonstrates once more that Serena Joy is not in control of her own destiny. Expressing a desire to stay in Gilead and perhaps even marrying Commander Lawrence, the Council sends her back to Toronto instead where she is to act as Gilead’s global ambassador, and potentially put her in June’s crosshairs. Serena Joy’s journey has great promise for development – her growing fanbase might provide her with an unlikely power base to exploit!
Characters
June’s response to Nick’s news about Hannah drops her deep into depression which is only lightened by Serena Joy having to return to Toronto. Her crazed threats to Serena Joy at the end of the episode highlight how over the edge she now is and there’s no telling what lengths she might resort to in order to get Hannah back. For Serena Joy, her utter confusion at her plight will probably drive into also into desperate measures in order to protect herself and her unborn child.
The Final Analysis
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Ep 3 sets up a battle royale between our two female protagonists/antagonists. Something to look forward to for the rest of the season. Highly recommended!
Now streaming on Hulu.
… still there’s more …