Train

Train
Season 6
Episode 1
Air date	April 7, 2025
Directed by	Elisabeth Moss
Written by	Nika Castillo and Bruce Miller
Episodes
Previous	Safe
Next	Exile

Train is the first episode of the sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale. It aired on April 7, 2025.

Synopsis

June and Serena's journey doesn't continue as expected. Nick meets a powerful visitor.

Plot

June is seen rocking Noah in the last car of the train with Nichole nearby. Serena joins them and takes Noah back so he can nurse. She asks about June’s arm and is shocked to hear that a truck ran her over the day before. When June blames Gilead for the assassination attempt, Serena replies that Gilead seems to be unhappy with both of them, and that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." June admits it's true "on a case-by-case basis." As the conversation continues, an exhausted June falls asleep and dreams of Hannah, grown now, dressed in purple, and being trained as a wife. When she wakes up, Nichole along with Serena and Noah is nowhere to be found. Searching the train, June finds Serena tending to both kids in the dining car. Serena explains to an incensed June that she didn’t want to wake her. Although June isn't doing well and is possibly feverish, she refuses Serena’s help. Serena finds a doctor to see June anyway, who only agrees to let him examine her in exchange for the use of a satellite phone afterward.

In Gilead, Nick has been released following his assault on Commander Lawrence, and returns to his and his wife's new home in New Bethlehem, where Rose is still upset over his inability to forget about June. Rose's father is up from Washington D.C. to check on his daughter and greets Nick with a big smile, giving Nick lots of advice and talking positively of Nick's future.

Back in the train, June gets a call through to Moira, who confirms Luke has been arrested and is in jail. She also tells June that Vancouver is overwhelmed, and they won’t let the train full of refugees disembark in the city. As Serena tries to comfort June about Luke soon being released, June reminds her that Hannah is still being held prisoner back in Gilead.

At Mark Tuello's office, Moira urges him to get Luke out of custody. He replies he can't do much, as the tiny American embassy is losing support and may close soon. Gilead's control is spreading, and Canada is beginning to normalize relations with it. With America's military nearly depleted, Mark tells Moira that the rebel group Mayday is the country's last hope. Moira insists on joining them.

Serena creates a space in the car that’s just for women and children, and the refugees share their stories. June tells the story of how the Guardians Ran her and luke off the road and chased her through the forest and pulled Hannah from her arms only half a mile from the Canadian border. The doctor pulls June aside and whispers her that Serena is a war criminal traveling under false papers, and an official is on the way to come get her. He then asks Serena if he can look at Noah, and as he examines the boy, he calmly lets "Mrs. Waterford" know that he recognizes her from when she and Fred visited the Gilead fertility center where he worked. He eventually hands the baby back to Serena, but not before outing her to the entire car. When the other women get angry, June tries to de-escalate the situation by telling everyone that police are on their way to arrest Serena, which terrifies Serena even more, fearing Noah will then be given back to the Wheelers. In the following dispute, Serena defends Gilead's policies claiming the refugees' missing children weren't taken but "saved". A police officer arrives, examines Serena's papers, and determines that they're legit, mentioning his family was also lost to Gilead: rather than arresting her, he leaves her for the increasingly angry and violent assembly of refugees. As the situation is about to escalate, June pulls the train's emergency break. The distraction of the screeching halt allows June and Serena to escape to the exit of the last car, pursued by the attackers. June tells Serena she must leap from the stopped vehicle. As she refuses to jump, June pushes her and Noah from the train as it begins to pull away, just as the mob is about to reach them.

Shunned by the other passengers, June sits on the floor with Nichole and falls asleep as the train hits the end of the line in Alaska. June is taken to a refugee camp, where an American flag, with just two stars remaining, flies above the settlement. A female medical volunteer approaches to help with the new group of arrivals, checking names on a clipboard. As she finds June's name, she suddenly drops it, and begins yelling, revealing herself as June's mother Holly. June turns toward Holly and sees her face. Still in shock, she slowly walks into her mother's arms.

Trivia

• The air date is two and half years after the last episode aired.

Goof

• The train taking the American's west has only 3 train cars and 1 engine at the end of S5E10. At the beginning of S6 E1 the train has 5 cars and 1 engine.

Cast

Starring

• Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
• Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
• Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
• Max Minghella as Nick Blaine
• Samira Wiley as Moira Strand

Guest Starring

• Josh Charles as Commander Gabriel Wharton
• Carey Cox as Rose Blaine
• Cherry Jones as Holly Maddox
• Jennifer Gibson as Beatrice
• Rong Fu as Amy
• Bridget Ogundipe as Lauren
• Darrin Baker as Dr. Brandt
• Suzanne Miller as Female Refugee #5
• Anita Olanick as Female Refugee #1
• Fanny Poon as Female Refugee #2
• Emi Yasuo as Female Refugee #3
• Annelise Hawrylak as Female Refugee #4
• Jose de Freitas as Refugee Man
• Adam Fawns as Train Officer
• Sebastian Gonzalez as Railroad Worker
• Dani Pagliarello as Linda (Aid Worker)

Music

Ára bátur - Sigur Rós== References ==