Mrs. Putnam Sees Something Terrible - The Handmaid's Tale
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Recap

For the first time, Luke gets a taste of the terror of being in Gilead. In the back of a transport van, he tries kicking the door open, but June stops him. She's been here before.

Whoever captured them isn't Gilead. June can tell by the smell. There's lots of disinfectant, which is too unhealthy for Gilead. Luke is beginning to panic.

The van opens, and they're ushered out. Photos are taken in some sort of booking scenario. June starts asking questions. They're refugees, a man tells June. When he asks her name, she says June Osborn, but he sees her ear tag and wants to know who she's of. She tells him to fuck off.

Dr. Landers comes to see Serena. He's come to her instead of her going elsehwere to get it. They climb to the top of the house, where there is a full birthing suite. She's getting a little more jittery. He says the Wheelers know how valuable and special she is. He hands her a gown to change into an turns around. It's an incredibly uncomfortable examination that seems to make Serena more uneasy.

Dr. Landers was encouraged by the Wheelers to ask her to dinner. The awkward scale goes off the scales. His Martha makes a delicious cedar salmon. He really admires her and would like to get to know her better. She says it's an interesting proposal, and he says to call him Allen.

Esther's uterus harvesting has been canceled because she's pregnant. Aunt Lydia is shocked. She hardly knows what to think or do, but she can visit with Esther, who is awake now.

Blessed day seems idiotic after a rape, but that's what they've got by way of greeting. Aunt Lydia pulls from Esther that Esther was raped, which Aunt Lydia then takes directly to Commander Lawrence. He doesn't dispute the facts and thinks it's very likely. Aunt Esther wants Commander Putnam punished, but Joseph wonders what crime Putnam committed. He laughs at her when she says the ceremony is sacred. She says one day, there will be justice. Joseph warns her that she's forgetting herself. She sniffs, and he shuffles her off.

Luke is sure that help is coming. Mayday are coming, right? Luke wonders how many times June has been in this situation. That's crazy! That's insane, he says. He's falling apart. June begs him to stop. She reminds him that she survived. He's only making things worse. But when he thinks of her in places like this, by herself, he just  wishes he could have been the kind of guy who would have come and gotten her, been with her through it. She assures him he was with her.

Later, Serena talks with Mrs. Wheeler about her visit with Dr. Landers. She says she doesn't want to date her gynocologist. She's not even sure she'll get married anytime soon. Alanis is like, uh, a baby needs parents. You cannot be a single mother. Then she demands that Serena rest and sends her to her room. Serena does as she's told and sobs uncontrollably, putting her hand over her mouth so she's not heard.

Luke and June settle in and joke about whether their accomodations are on Air BnB just before their captors come to take them away. Luke fights and they pound him while June begs them to stop. They choke him, and when they stop, they beat him some more. He's on the ground, bleeding from the mouth. June calls them animals.

Nick and Joseph are with Commander Putnam, and Joseph brings up that his actions could have political implications. As he says that, Commander Putnam says Joseph's New Bethlehem is dead in the water. Joseph always thought Commander Putnam was more of a Jezebel's kind of guy. It's a super crap conversation in a long line of them.

Serena is called to see Ryan Wheeler. She wonders if it's about the conversation she had with Alanis earlier. He trusts they will work things out. He asks her to sit. It was his team that apprehended June and Luke. He tells her that she doesn't ever have to worry about them ever again and can now just focus on her baby. Serena wonders what will happen to June. Ryan is going to send Ezra to No Man's Land and have him deal with her there. Like what she did to Fred, Serena asks. Ryan doesn't trust that sending June to Gilead will end well enough. Serena says she wants to accompany Ezra. Initially, she's told no, but Serena says she needs to go. She wants to bear witness. She wants to be able to tell her son that she knows what happened to his father's killer, that she's gone from the earth.

Luke is still on the ground. June is lying across from him, apologizing. He didn't know how bad it could be, and she did. She should have told him. She shouldn't have let him come to No Man's Land. It's her fault what happened, she says. But Luke says he decided this on his own, and she doesn't get to say that. Luke is losing hope, but June refuses to do that.

Serena leaves the Wheelers. Ezra has orders to bring her back upon the first sign of her discomfort. Serena already looks uncomfortable in the back of the car and breathes heavily.

June and Luke are on the move, and she learns that they don't want Luke. They're gong to dump him at the border. June is on a bus going somewhere else. She's crying, saying she's sorry.

Serena is an anxiety-ridden mess.

Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are eating dinner at a restaurant. Everyone is looking at them, and she wonder why. He's sure word has gotten around. She has no idea what he's done. He says she'll be thanking him for it. Three man come to their table and take Commander Putnam away. They drag him, dropping him to the ground in front of Joseph and Nick. He's been found guilty of sins of the flesh for the rape of unassigned property. Nick pulls out his gun and blows Putnam's brains out while everyone watches.

When Nick gets home, Rose is unhappy. He wonders if she's OK. Not really, she says. He wants her to tell him what's going on. She can't stop worrying about Lawrence and Putnam, wondering what kind of person it makes him. It makes him the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to make Gilead a safer place for their child. She wonders if he really did it for that reason.

Putnam is hung on the wall. Aunt Lydia has her girls there to show them there are consequences for your actions no matter who you are. She says this was justice. Janine says she wishes she could have watched. Aunt Lydia takes them home for warm milk.

The bus stops, and Ezra comes for June. June doesn't recognize him from their earlier encounter. She exits the bus, and Serena is waiting. Are you fuckin' serious, June asks? As serious as June was when she said she wanted her baby to die inside of her. June says that was the best day of her life. Serena wants June's bindings cut so she can pray on her knees. June gets down on her knees, and Ezra points the gun. She needs to do it. She begs for the gun. She gets to do it. God is giving her a chance for justice. She needs to do it. June has a smile on her face as she watches Serena take the gun. She just asks her not to do it. Serena smiles. Pray. June says she prays for their children. She prays that her daughters life a life of peace, a life without all of this hate and violence. Give them that life. Give them that happy life, she asks her dear God. Serena turns and shoots Ezra. She's still go the gun trained on June and tells her to get into the car.

She wants June to drive.

 

Show:
The Handmaid's Tale
Season:
Episode Number:
6
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The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Episode 6 Quotes

Aunt Lydia: I've just heard this morning's surprising news. I wonder if you could help me to get to the bottom of something. Three weeks ago. That was Commander Waterford's funeral, was it not? You remember that, don't you? Mm-hmm. Now, I want you to be honest with me. Do you understand me? Esther, do you understand?
Esther: Yes, Aunt Lydia.
Aunt Lydia: On the day of the funeral, you had a private audience with Commander Putnam. [Esther nods] Now, you can tell me the truth. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I need to ask you. Did you behave in a way that might have, even unwittingly, invited his attention?
Esther: No.
Aunt Lydia: God knows our truths.
Esther: I didn't do anything. He raped me.
Aunt Lydia: That's terrible. That's terrible! Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I'm sorry.
Esther: No, your not.
Aunt Lydia: I'm what, hun, I... what?
Esther: They all do it. You know they do. You're not sorry.

So, you're at the place right now where perineal massage is going to start being very effective for ya. Tearing is no picnic, so anything to get that tissue more flexible will be a great benefit when the time comes. Avoid the gels. Just stick with essential oils, witch hazel, that sort of thing. They've got it all stocked here.

Dr. Landers