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Border

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Border is the third episode of the fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale. It aired on September 21, 2022.

Synopsis[]

June and Moira join a rebel outpost. As a pregnant widow, Serena tries to restore her status. Aunt Lydia questions her strict methods of dealing with Handmaids.

Plot[]

June is still in shock after seeing Hannah on the big screen with Serena. She stares at Hannah’s picture on the couch until Luke comes to check in on her. June asks what Hannah was wearing, and Moira says it was a purple color, like nothing they’d seen in Gilead. It wasn’t the typical pink that the young girls wear. June remembers that Nick was there, and says she can talk to him and ask him, but Luke doesn’t think that’s possible.

Hearing this, Moira reveals that there’s a group of women at the border that has had luck getting messages to people inside Gilead. June gets upset, asking when Moira was ever going to tell her, but Moira reveals that she wasn’t: she thinks the women are traumatized and suicidal, and June doesn’t need to be around that. June doesn’t think it’s up to Moira to decide that, and Moira gives in, agreeing to ask the group to meet with her and June. June and Moira meet up with Lily, one of the women from the group. Lily reveals that their network of sending messages has expanded from only Jezebel’s, but then the Eyes caught her. She was one of the women that was exchanged for Fred. Lily is in awe of how June was able to get all of them out.

Serena tells Mark she’s glad that Fred got the respect he was due, and Mark reveals that providing her protection was the least they could do for their “miscommunication” that lead to Fred’s death. Serena pries to see if Mark is trying to get information on Gilead to bring back to Canada, but he says he isn’t. Serena tells Mark he shouldn’t stay long, and when he asks Serena if she’s worried about her reputation after everything that happened, she just says she doesn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.

Moira and June meet up with Lily’s group in the woods, close to No Man’s Land. Lily introduces them to the group, and leads them to a cabin. In there, they have Polaroids of how many women they’ve been able to get out of Gilead, and next to that are pictures of all they’ve lost in their fight. Lily says that everyone working with Mayday knows the risks. This shocks June, she didn’t know Mayday was in Canada, but Lily assures her they’re everywhere. Moira wonders how they haven’t gotten caught, but Lily says they don’t have a flag or anything, just small outposts all over, that’s how they stay safe. Lily says she used to be a Martha, and most of her people are still inside Gilead. She revealed that they got information out through that outpost, and they would send back weapons and explosives, anything to cause trouble. June reveals that they thought Mayday wasn’t real and that they just made it up to give themselves some hope. Lily says that just means she’s a part of Mayday, too.

Mark and Serena visit Commander Lawrence, but Lawrence tells Mark they have a “no spies allowed” policy and leaves him outside. Mark wants them to chat later, but Lawrence only laughs at him. Serena talks to Commander MacKenzie and his wife, who offer their condolences. The Commander wishes that Fred had been able to have a fair trial at first, and is disappointed that June ruined that possibility. Serena is surprised that he knows that it was June, but he knows that June didn’t act alone, and had a lot of help. Nick and his wife Rose arrive, and Serena is stunned to see him. Serena asks how they met, and Rose reveals they met in D.C. when Nick was there for work a few months prior. Rose gifts Serena a sweater for her baby.

Aunt Lydia visits Esther in the hospital, and even though Esther is unconscious, Aunt Lydia slaps her across the face. Aunt Lydia moves on to Janine’s room, and breaks down at her bedside. She calls out to God, saying that Janine doesn’t deserve this. She knows that God is unhappy with her sometimes, but all she wanted to do was keep her girls safe. She asks God to not punish Janine just to teach her a lesson. She promises that she will do things differently and turn things around.

Lawrence begins to talk about the broadcast and politics over the dinner table, but Commander MacKenzie tells him he’s boring the ladies. They all laugh, and MacKenzie’s wife assures Lawrence that once he remarries, he’ll have someone to stir up dinner conversation once again. Lawrence reveals that he doesn’t plan to get remarried, but MacKenzie tells him that a single man has no place in leadership.

After an awkward few moments of silence, Serena thanks MacKenzie and his wife for letting her see Agnes (Hannah) the other day and for making the journey there. MacKenzie says it was both to pay their respects and to discuss June. He reveals that he thought after June went to Canada, things would settle down, but both him and Serena know that June won’t stop. The fact that June was able to reach Fred scares MacKenzie, and he worries that next she’ll come after his family. Mrs. MacKenzie says they don’t want to traumatize Agnes by telling her something bad happened to her birth mother, but she doesn’t understand how their angel child came from someone like June, who she called a “devil of a woman”. MacKenzie says Agnes is strong, and she’ll understand when she needs to. He then calls June a cancer, saying they need to cut her out.

June and Moira sew clothes, and June asks Sam, one of the women, what else they sew into the clothes besides maps and things like that. Sam hands her little baggies, and tells June that the one she’s sewing is getting powdered arsenic, because they’re trying to kill a D.C. Commander in the coming week.

They hear a commotion outside, and run to check it out. A Guardian is there with a gun, and all of the women have their guns pointed at him. He assures them he’s a friend, and that he knows the code. However, when Lily gives him a phrase, he can’t think of the response. A young woman suddenly runs out, yelling the answer to the code. She tells them not to shoot, that Jonah is her friend. Rachel, the girl, hugs the man, thanking him for his help, and the other women lead Rachel away. As Jonah goes to leave, June asks him if he’s going back in, and the man says he has a wife and kid, and can’t leave them behind.

Nick meets up with Mark, and tells him that he wants to be the one to tell June about Rose. Mark asks if Nick has given any more thought to his offer, and Nick says he can’t right now. Just then, Commander MacKenzie walks up, wondering what the two have to talk about. Mark leaves them alone, and MacKenzie tells Nick that he’s keeping an eye on him; Rose’s father, High Commander Wharton, is an old friend of his.

Serena sits down with Lawrence and talks about his wife. Serena says she always liked Eleanor, but Lawrence said she didn’t feel the same. Lawrence looks at Serena’s missing finger, and says Fred shouldn’t have done that. He calls Fred weak, saying he overcompensated for his toxic masculinity. Serena wonders if it’s a blessing that Fred won’t be around to raise his child; boys need a strong father, and Fred made many mistakes. Lawrence assures her that she’ll have better luck next time. Serena notes that MacKenzie was right about an unmarried man not having influence in Gilead. Lawrence reads in between the lines, and assures her that marrying for power doesn’t work out well. Her baby begins kicking, and Lawrence feels her stomach, assuring her that she and her baby will be protected.

Naomi Putnam arrives with Angela at the hospital. Aunt Lydia asked her to come because she remembered how it helped Angela to be near Janine when she was sick. Aunt Lydia tells her that the doctor’s aren’t optimistic about Janine recovering. Naomi sets Angela on Janine’s bed, and grabs Janine’s hand as she assures her that Angela will grow up to know where she got her beautiful smile and kind nature from. Angela touches Janine’s hand as Naomi tells Janine that she won’t be forgotten.

As they’re leaving Lawrence’s house, Serena apologizes to Mark, saying she thought they’d let him inside at least. Mark isn’t surprised; men in power like showing how powerful they are. Mark tells Serena that he’s spent years studying Gilead, so it’s interesting finally being there. Mark says it’s not different than he expected, it’s beauty covering up hypocrisy. Serena thinks it’s a shame that Mark didn’t get to see all that Gilead has done right. As Mark is saying goodnight, Serena invites him into her room to talk. Mark wonders if the conversation can’t wait until they’re home, and Serena says she is home. Mark doesn’t understand why she’d want to throw away being a free woman, but Serena still has things she wants to accomplish in Gilead. Serena thanks Mark for all he’s done for her, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Mark tells her that staying would be a mistake, and that she must know that Gilead is unsafe for women, especially those unmarried. Serena says that that may not be for much longer, but when Mark asks if she has plans to remarry, she tells him that she’s still in mourning. They’re interrupted by a knock on the door, and a man comes in to tell Serena that the Council has invited her to attend the meeting the next day. With that, Mark says goodbye to Serena and tells her to stay safe.


At the Canadian border, Lily wakes June up to give her a phone, and Nick is on the other end. He assures June that Hannah is safe, and that she hasn’t been with Serena since the funeral. June asks Nick what the purple color that Hannah was wearing means, and Nick says that means Hannah is ready to go to a new school: a High Commander’s school where the girls train to be future Wives. Nick doesn’t have any more information, but assures June that Hannah is strong and that the MacKenzies love her. June doesn’t believe that, though. She asks Nick if he can transfer to Hannah’s district to watch over her, but Nick says he has obligations now, and he tells her that he’s married. June asks about Rose, and Nick asks how Nichole is doing. Nick asks June to promise to keep herself and Nichole safe, and she does. June tells Nick to try to be happy, and he remembers their past before he hangs up the phone.

Aunt Lydia wakes up to find Janine gone and frantically searches for her. A doctor leads her outside, where Janine sits in a wheelchair with a nurse. Janine woke up a few hours prior and has been making improvements. Aunt Lydia breathes a sigh of relief.

Serena runs into Lawrence before the Council meeting, and Lawrence says he’s not the one who called it. Serena notices Lawrence acting strange, and asks if something is the matter. He apologizes before they head in, and Serena is face-to-face with the Council.

Commander MacKenzie tells Serena they have an opportunity for her to be useful. They want her to use her expertise to be an unofficial global ambassador for Gilead. MacKenzie says having a woman speaking on their behalf would be positive. Serena believed they would give her a place in Gilead, but MacKenzie says they want her in Toronto to represent Gilead there. Lawrence calls Serena an “unusual woman” and says Gilead doesn’t have a place for unusual women within its borders. There are tears in Serena’s eyes, but she asks for a staff, a budget, and protection from anyone who would hurt her or her baby. Lawrence assures her she’ll get that.

Serena gets on the plane with Mark, but doesn’t respond when he asks her why she asked them to hold the plane.

June feels hopeless, telling Moira they’re right back where they started. She doesn’t know how to keep Hannah safe from there. Moira knows Hannah will be okay, because June is her mother. But Moira says Hannah isn’t becoming a wife, they’re not letting that happen. After Moira heads out, Lily informs June that Serena is coming back to Toronto.

From the airport, Serena gets escorted back to the detention center, and they see a group of people holding candles to welcome her back. Serena is pleased to see so many servants of God supporting her and Gilead’s mission. They turn the corner, and a car is facing them, headlights on, blocking their path. Suddenly, June slams her hands on the window and tells Serena to never touch her daughter again. The car backs up, and Serena is shaken up as they drive away.

Quotes[]

“June Osborne is a cancer. We need to cut her out.”  — Commander MacKenzie about 'his' daughter's biological mother.

“Women always say they were lucky when they've done something extraordinary.”  — Lily in reply to June's downplaying her success with Angel's flight.

Trivia[]

  • Mr. MacKenzie is addressed as High Commander, as is Rose Blaine's father.
  • Lily's Mayday outpost has contacts into Gileadean brothels. A former Mayday contact in the Jezebel's brothel was called Rachel, just like the refugee who showed up at the cabin.

Cast[]

Gallery[]


Music[]

Soundtrack notes[]

References[]

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