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Home is the 7th episode of the fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale.

Synopsis[]

June struggles with her newfound freedom, reuniting with loved ones and confronting her nemesis, Serena.

Plot[]

June steps off the boat and takes in the air and her surroundings. The US Government welcomes her on Canadian soil and explain that she is safe. They ask her if she returned to Gilead would she be in danger and be persecuted for being a woman; she confirms and agrees to seek asylum in Canada. June is taken to a fancy hotel that will be her home for a few days.

Moira leaves June in her hotel room and offers to bring Nichole the next day, so she can see her daughter. June takes a hot shower while Luke orders room service. She comes out in a robe and passes out on the bed for seventeen hours straight.

When June wakes up, she asks Luke to sit on the bed to talk. Luke tells her she needs to stop apologizing and that he tried his hardest to get her and Hannah out every single day. He calls himself a failure and doesn’t blame her — he can’t forgive himself and doesn’t expect June to forgive him. June tells Luke that she was allowed to see Hannah for ten minutes and that she knows her parents love her. She tells him that their child is “big and mad.” They tear up and hug each other.

The next day, Mark Tuello asks June questions about her experiences in Gilead. He specifically wants to know how she freed all the children. June talks about what Gilead deserves and how they take everything. Luke suggests that they take a break, and he tells Mark that he’s going to take his wife home to see her daughter. June is reunited with Nichole. Emily is there and passes her the baby.

Serena prays to God and asks for a healthy baby and not to be punished for her sins. Mark walks into the church and apologizes for eavesdropping. Serena is worried that June is going to complicate her case. Mark reminds her that Fred has requested to see her. Serena isn’t interested in seeing him, but Mark wants her to cooperate more, so it helps them. So Serena meets Fred. He tells her that God has granted them a child of their own, and he wants to be a good father to their son. Serena calls it “her pregnancy” and walks away. Fred tells her that their legal landscape has changed with June in Canada, so they need to team up — he’s willing to recant his testimony against her to ensure a good life for her and his son.

June wakes up the next day to Nichole’s cries and sees Moira and Luke preparing breakfast. Moira offers to take Nichole out and give June and Luke some space, but June wants to join her. She also wants people over — she claims she is ready for the culture shock. June heads to the supermarket. In the supermarket, June in shock at the normalcy around her — the calm nature of a normal supermarket is unsettling. She remembers being a handmaid and sees a spring water logo that reminds her of a symbol from Gilead with the angel wings logo. She begins to hyperventilate as intense memories from Gilead come to mind.

Emily and Oliver come over to the house and June asks Oliver for a hug. Rita also comes over, and June is overwhelmed and hugs her tight. The women talk later on, and June wonders if they deserve to be free again. Moira tells them they did what they had to do to survive. June asks about Serena, and the other women get quiet. Rita tells June that she saw her and that Serena wanted her help. June learns that Serena is pregnant and gets visibly upset. June says, “f**k her, I don’t care,” and everyone else agrees.

When the evening is over, Luke and June hug in the kitchen and kiss for the first time in years. In bed, June cannot fall asleep as she’s thinking about Serena. She heads out and meets Mark, who picks her up. June meets Serena in her prison facility. Serena tells her she prayed for this chance and thanks the Lord for a visit. She tells June she wants to make amends. June says she brought herself here to tell her the hatred she has for her and that she deserves a life of suffering and shame. She reminds Serena of everything she has destroyed and that she is not worthy of redemption.

Serena kneels and begs for June’s forgiveness. June tells her that the reason Serena became pregnant is so God could make her understand a fraction of the pain she felt when her baby dies in the womb — June is shaking with fury and grabs her face and asks, “do you understand me!?”

June heads home, climbs onto the bed and starts to undress the still sleeping Luke while kissing him passionately and forces herself on him. When Luke tries to stop her, she pins him down and forcibly covers his mouth while continuing to rape him. The next day, June and Luke spend time with Nichole before June heads to see Mark and describes the sort of person Serena is — pathological, toxic, sociopath, abusive — “she’s a monster”. June tells Mark that hatred and rage drives Serena, and underneath all that is pure misery, and will do anything not to feel that way.

As the episode ends, Serena meets Fred and tells him that she needs him.

Cast[]

Guest Starring

Additional Cast

  • Zaarin Bushra as Muslim Girl 1
  • Alicia Di Monte as Muslim Girl 2

Trivia[]

  • June's PTSD was triggered in the supermarket when she saw the display of Aquilae Pure Spring Water bottles because of the strong resemblance between its brand logo and the Gilead flag. It is not stated whether or not Aquilae Pure is a Gileadean export.
  • When June was formally requesting asylum, Rachel Tapping was conspicuously pleased that she did so as a citizen of the United States of America rather than as a refugee from Gilead. In doing so, June has stated that she doesn't recognize Gilead as a legitimate country and the U.S. Government would therefore have fewer obstacles to recognising her citizenship.[citation needed]
  • This episode was nominated for four Emmys: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Yahlin Chang), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (O-T Fagbenle), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Yvonne Strahovski). However, the episode lost to The Crown in all four categories.

Gallery[]

Behind the scenes[]

Music[]

References[]

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