Execution is the 9th episode of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale, and the penultimate episode of the series. It aired on May 20, 2025.
Synopsis[]
June faces her biggest challenge as Gilead cracks down on the rebels.
Plot[]
The Handmaids and Aunt Phoebe march through town to meet up with the Mayday trucks. As vehicles carrying guardians chase them, June yells for the ladies to run. Then some of the bombs that Mayday placed go off right as Guardians’ cars drive by. The group finally reaches the truck that will take them to the border. When Janine learns that Moira and June are planning to stay in Gilead, she announces that she’s staying too because "Charlotte’s still here, just like Hannah". Aunt Phoebe tells the women that her real name is Ava, and that her years of theatrical experience have paid off.
Serena is wandering around with baby Noah as she spies a Handmaid mercilessly stabbing a Commander's wife. She ultimately makes it to the Lawrences' home, where a surprised Naomi can’t understand why she left her husband. Recounting her latest observations in town, Serena urges Joseph to leave for New Bethlehem, but he says they can’t go due to the ongoing "Rebellion".
The Mayday truck stops at the place they’re supposed to pick up some other Handmaids but no one is there. Suddenly a Guardian rips open the door and hauls everyone out, demanding that June Osborne announce her presence. He pulls another Handmaid out of the group and is about to have her shot when June steps up. As she is pulled away, she tells the other women she loves them.
The next morning, Naomi learns that 37 Commanders were killed by their Handmaids the night before, dismissing Serena's "liberal nonsense" who tries to defend the women's actions. Naomi has also invited Gabriel Wharton, who asks for his Serena's forgiveness, suggesting they try to have a baby without the help of a Handmaid. When he reveals he's having her transported out of Boston to a safer area, she refuses to leave, so he advises her to stay with the Lawrences’ while he deals with the "heretic" June and "those ungodly women" who used their wedding as an opportunity to arm the handmaids and drug the Commanders. Serena is shocked about June because she thought that they were friends. He also tells her that he flies to Washington, D.C. this evening to convene with the High Council.
Gabriel arrives at the jail to meet June. He offers her a seat, to which June responds by sarcastically apologizing for ruining his wedding. He is not amused, telling her she should have had more patience with Serena’s ideas for Handmaid-related reforms. June retorts that patience is not an option when a state sanctioned rape. As he keeps pointing to his purpose, God's plan, and Gilead's pious path, she reminds him of the massacre at Jezebel's which proved once more the regime and its rulers are all about power, not piety. Before he leaves, she pleads with him to be the man Serena believes he can be.
Naomi and Angela prepare to be taken to the secure location. Joseph makes sure that his wife has packed the little girl’s art supplies and gives his wife a book to read their daughter before bed. When he kisses Angela goodbye, he encourages her to make some more pictures. Afterwards he tells Serena that he is going to meet up with the surviving Commanders to figure out what’s next. Serena is incensed that he can just go along with things as they were while June is going to die, but she eventually accepts his suggestion to pray for her.
A large crowd of Econopeople has gathered in the middle of town, where June is escorted on an elevated platform with gallows on it. Aunt Phoebe is standing under one, the noose already looped around her neck. Aunt Lydia is marched out on the platform next to June, then the other captured Handmaids, among them Moira and Janine, are escorted from nearby trucks and readied for execution. Wharton opens the ceremony by condemning the "detestable cowards" who murdered "God’s most noble servants", blaming specifically Aunt Lydia for turning the handmaids into murderers. As he offers her a chance to atone to God, she starts a prayer to have mercy on the "precious girls" who have been prisoners of "wicked godless men”. She is then hauled to an empty gallows where a noose is placed over her neck, Wharton telling her that she has betrayed Gilead and God.
By June's request to atone for her transgressions, Wharton then gives her the chance to speak. In the meantime, Luke, Rita and other armed resistance members move from the back of the crowd to the front. In her prayer, June apologizes for failing her friends, naming them God's humble servants, good people, who have too long been oppressed by those who have disgraced God's name. When the executioners place the rope over her head, she refers to the crowd to rise up and fight for their freedom. Crying "Don’t let the bastards grind you down", she is quickly pulled up into the air by a crane and hanged.
Suddenly Mayday begins its assault with grenades launched at the Gilead vehicles near the platform. Snipers on nearby roofs start to take out Guardians. Luke wields an automatic weapon, while Moira and the other Handmaids work to free each other from the ropes and fastenings that bind their hands. Rita shoots the man operating the crane that hanged June, reversing the mechanism so that she falls to the platform. Phoebe gets hold of a gun and joins the attack along with Moira and the other Handmaids, Luke makes it to the stage and ascertains that his wife is still alive. Moments later, American military jets appear in the sky and drop bombs.
American soldiers storm into Lawrence’s home, followed quickly by Mark Tuello, finding Serena there. He demands to know where Lawrence has gone, then he grabs her arm to move her out to "someplace safe."
Nick and Rose are in the hospital, where we learn their baby is going to be just fine. Still, it seems the sedatives in the wedding cake may have brought about Rose's complications. She wants her husband to end the rebellion and go after June. Nick nods, but does not respond as she insists he prove his allegiance to Gilead, God, and his family.
At Mayday's headquarters, June moves through the building looking for Mark. Rita asks if she's okay, as she's concerned that she shouldn't be up and about after nearly being killed in the public execution. June asserts that she's okay and eventually finds him and Ava in another room. She's surprised to learn that Ava is in actuality a CIA agent, Mark telling her that she graduated at the top of her class. They tell June that they need more information about the Commanders having run out of assets, and June asks if there's anyone that can help. Mark tells her that Serena is in protective custody in a location across the street.
Serena and Noah are taking refuge in a church when June arrives. Serena admits that she isn't surprised by June's presence, saying she always knew they would meet again as they are fated to find each other. The two then get into a heated argument, June saying she thought Serena had really changed. Hoping to get through to her, June says that Noah would be better off not being raised by a man like Wharton. This intervention eventually works, as Serena tearfully divulges the information about the Commanders.
Back at headquarters, Lawrence confers with Mark, Ava and June about the plan. Mark gives Lawrence a briefcase containing a bomb that would detonate at a specific altitude. He would have to plant it quickly and get off before the other Commanders arrive, so June volunteers as the getaway driver. Lawrence eventually agrees to the plan.
Later at the airport hangar, Lawrence heads to the plane ready to place the bomb, but is almost foiled when the other Commanders arrive. Wharton is pleased that he's joining them on the trip, and Lawrence allows Wharton to board ahead of him, deciding to turn the plan into a suicide mission. A stunned June watches from behind the getaway car as Lawrence looks towards her and puts his hand over his heart in reassurance before boarding the plane.
Another car arrives, and Nick gets out, patting the back of the driver in thanks. Frozen in fear, June doesn't reveal herself as he enters the plane. On board, Wharton praises Nick and his grandson as the future of Gilead as Nick sits down in the empty seat beside Lawrence (having moved the briefcase containing the bomb aside). The two chat, Lawrence saying one can never keep a good woman down. Nick confides that June had told him multiple times that he should have given up his Gilead leanings, and Lawrence replies that Nick should have listened to her.
The plane begins to taxi out of the hangar, and June follows to watch it take off. The plane reaches a low altitude and explodes. June watches as the fiery wreckage falls from the sky.
Quotes[]
“Dear Lord... I have failed you. I, uh... I have failed my... my friends. And my family. And I have failed the people of Gilead with my selfish and reckless... ways. Lord... please hear... my prayer now. Please protect your humble servants. Let them know their lives... are worthy. And their hopes and their dreams... mean something. For they are good people. Who have too long been oppressed by evil and those who have disgraced Your name. Rise up! Fight for your freedom! DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN!” — June's prayer turned rallying speech at her execution
“She told me to give all this up. She did tell me. Many times."
"You should've listened to her.” — Nick and Lawrence's last words
Trivia[]
- During her execution, June repeats the saying that she had found carved into the wall at the Waterford household: "don't let the bastards grind you down."
- The Mayday headquarters is the Boston Globe Facility that June had previously visited.
Notes[]
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
- Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
- Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo
- Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue
- Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
- Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements
- O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole
- Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
- Max Minghella as Nick Blaine
- Samira Wiley as Moira Strand
- Bradley Whitford as Joseph Lawrence
Guest Starring[]
- Josh Charles as Commander Gabriel Wharton
- D'Arcy Carden as Aunt Phoebe
- Athena Karkanis as Ellen
- Carey Cox as Rose Blaine
- Jonathan Watton as Commander Matthew Calhoun
- Tim Campbell as Commander Reynolds
- Lori O'Connell as Frantic Wife
- Christine Cleary as Handmaid Nora
- David MacInnis as Guardian Rudd
- Sam Wexler as Ambush Guardian
- Riley Monaghan as Jail Guardian
- Matthew Worku as Charlie
- Charlotte Cattell as Susan
- Kwaku Adu-Poku as Ralph
- Rosali Annikie as Handmaid
- Pooja Bhandari as Handmaid
- Chloe Coyle as Handmaid
- Ellen Denny as Handmaid
- Keren Edelist as Handmaid
- Udita Khanna as Handmaid
- Maggie May as Handmaid
- Rojan Molanian as Handmaid
- Lily-Fay Mowbray as Handmaid
- Rachel Sybblis as Handmaid
Gallery[]
Music[]
- Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
References[]
| Season 1 | Offred | Birth Day | Late | Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum | Faithful | A Woman's Place The Other Side | Jezebels | The Bridge | Night | |
| June | Unwomen | Baggage | Other Women | Seeds | First Blood | After | Women's Work Smart Power | The Last Ceremony | Holly | Postpartum | The Word | ||
| Night | Mary and Martha | Useful | God Bless the Child | Unknown Caller Household | Under His Eye | Unfit | Heroic | Witness | Liars | Sacrifice | Mayday | ||
| Pigs | Nightshade | The Crossing | Milk | Chicago | Vows | Home | Testimony Progress | The Wilderness | ||
| Morning | Ballet | Border | Dear Offred | Fairytale | Together | No Man's Land | Motherland | Allegiance | Safe | ||
| Train | Exile | Devotion | Promotion | Janine | Surprise | Shattered | Exodus | Execution | The Handmaid's Tale | ||