The Handmaid's Tale Wiki
The Handmaid's Tale Wiki
The Handmaid's Tale Wiki: This is not normal
623
pages
in: FBVideos, Serena and June, Episodes, Season 2

Women's Work

Sign in to edit

Women's Work is the eighth episode of the second season of The Handmaid's Tale.

Synopsis[]

A sick baby tests Offred and Serena. Janine finally faces Naomi.

Plot[]

Offred and Serena work together to do Commander Fred Waterford's work while he is recovering in hospital. Serena seems happy to work, but when asked by Offred if she misses working, she answers that "it's a small sacrifice to make to be welcomed back into God's grace". She then takes a moment and says that she truly detests knitting. Offred tells Serena that she is a good writer, to which she answers that she will not forget her help. She then tells her that the Commander is coming back from the hospital the day after. Offred seems unhappy about it.

The Commander returns to the house after being hospitalized and is welcomed back by Serena, Rita, Eden and Offred. Serena goes over the work she and Offred did for him while he was away. He says he is grateful but ushers her out of the office.

Upstairs, Offred finds a music box and a rose on her bed, believing it to be thanks from Serena for her work.

In their home, Eden tries to talk to her husband. She asks Nick if she can "spruce up" their house. He absently answers that it "sounds good" and quickly leaves again. Eden looks sad.

In the kitchen, Rita asks Offred to get more honey as Eden borrowed it and Rita doubts she will get it back. Serena arrives and tells Offred that baby Angela isn't well. She leaves to offer Naomi support.

Offred walks to the store where she runs into Janine and Emily. Janine calls her new posting a "blessing from God" since it is "only the Ceremony, no blowjobs". Emily replies that being raped is not a blessing and that the real blessing was the bomb. She adds that anyone helping Gilead deserves to be blown apart. An ambulance drives by causing everyone to kneel and pray for the sick baby. Brianna tells Janine she heard it is Angela (Charlotte). As Janine panics, June promises her she will find out more about what is going on.

Later, Serena tells Offred that the baby is not doing well and that they don't know what is wrong with her. Offred asks if there is something they can do and Serena says that they could ask one of the top female doctors to help, but that would mean bending the law. Offred says that if it was her baby that she would do whatever she could.

Serena asks Fred if he can allow the female doctor, who is now a Martha, to check on the baby. Fred refuses, saying they can't question the will of God. Serena tells Offred that Fred said no and that they must pray for the best. Offred tells Serena about Janine and how she knows about the baby. Offred asks if Janine could see the baby but Serena tells her to not be stupid.

In the hospital, Serena Joy asks Naomi if Janine, who is brought by Aunt Lydia, could see the baby. Though Naomi is unhappy, Commander Warren thinks they should allow it.

June takes an emotional Janine to see the ailing baby in the ICU. A former famed neonatologist named Dr. Hodgson, now a Martha, arrives and is briefed on Angela’s condition by Dr. Epstein, who is very happy to see her. Dr. Hodgson cries as she puts on her hospital wear.

She runs several tests on the baby, but is still unable to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with Angela. Naomi and Warren receive the bad news from Epstein as Janine helplessly watches. Serena is greatly upset with Dr. Hodgson, but the doctor explains that there is not much more she can do and suggests that Angela should be made to feel comfortable and warm. Upon June’s suggestion, Janine is able to hold her daughter, and even removes her mask and gloves in order to touch and kiss her baby.

Serena and Offred arrive home and are told by Nick that they are wanted in the Commander's office. Fred tells them that he knows that Serena forged his signature so that the Martha could see the baby. Serena says that she did it for the child, "[the] greater responsibility there is in Gilead." The Commander answers that obeying her husband is her greater responsibility. He asks Offred if that is her handwriting on one of the papers she helped with while he was in the hospital, and she says yes. Fred says that they now must make amends and, as punishment, brutally whips Serena with his belt while forcing Offred to watch.

Nick returns home to Eden and finds that she has organized the house. Not everything is to his liking: he sees the remaining stack of letters that Offred was trying to burn is no longer in its hiding place but is now sitting on the nightstand. He demands to know if Eden has read them, which she denies; he forbids her from ever touching his things again.


Back to your room  (Relationships/Serena and June)

Serena is in her room crying as she looks in the mirror at the bruising on her buttocks. Offred arrives and asks her if there is anything she can do but Serena only sends her back to her room. Offred goes via Fred's office and apologizes to him for what she did. She asks if he will forgive her and he says she should go to bed.

The next morning, Aunt Lydia wakes up in the ICU and finds Janine in her underclothes holding a cooing and happy baby, seemingly cured by her mother’s touch.

Cast[]

Guest Starring

Additional cast

  • Troy Blundell as Offred's Guardian
  • Ian Ronningen as Offred's Guardian #2
  • Karen Glave as Dr. Hodgson
  • Andy McQueen as Dr. Epstein

Quotes[]

  • June Osborne: [first lines, voiceover] We do our work in the evening. She writes, I read. It is the new normal. And an offense to God. In another life, maybe we coulda been colleagues. In this one, we're heretics. I was already on the naughty list: an adulteress, a fallen woman, as Aunt Lydia used to say. But this is new territory for Serena, I think. How does she feel about falling? She seems pretty fucking happy.
  • June Osborne: Blessed be the fruit.
  • Janine: May the Force be with you.
  • June Osborne: [voiceover] Someone once said men are afraid that women will laugh at them; women are afraid that men will kill them. We should have known better. I thought that there were still secret places hidden in the cracks and crevices of this world. Places we could make beautiful, peaceful, quiet, safe... or at least bearable.
  • Janine: How are you feeling?
  • June Osborne: I'm fine.
  • Janine: Yeah? Well, you'll prolly get to the cool part soon. The baby's foot pushes out of your stomach like in "Alien." Charlotte used to do that all the time. You haven't seen "Alien"?
  • June Osborne: Nah, I just thought the sequel was better.
  • Janine: [chuckles] You're nuts.
  • Janine: My posting's great. It's just The Ceremony. No blowjobs. Seriously, it's like a blessing from God.
  • Emily Malek: Being raped is not a blessing.
  • Alma: Shhh.
  • Emily Malek: Fuck him. The real blessing was that bomb. Anyone helping Gilead deserves to be blown apart.
  • June Osborne: Do you miss working?
  • Serena Joy Waterford: It's a small sacrifice to make, to be welcomed back into God's grace.
  • [pause]
  • Serena Joy Waterford: I do truly detest knitting... to be frank.
  • June Osborne: You're really a good writer.
  • Serena Joy Waterford: Thank you.
  • Aunt Lydia Clements: There is a reason handmaids are not told when a child is sick. It's far too upsetting.
  • June Osborne: She heard the rumors.
  • Aunt Lydia Clements: And you took it upon yourself to confirm them.
  • June Osborne: I think after everything she has been through, she deserves that. Some honesty, at least.
  • Aunt Lydia Clements: If this breaks her, I will hold you personally responsible. Do you understand?
  • June Osborne: Yes. Aunt Lydia. I will, too.
  • Fred Waterford: I hear the Putnams got the help they needed.
  • Serena Joy Waterford: Not enough, I'm afraid.
  • Fred Waterford: I'm surprised to learn they received help from a martha. A temporary transfer. It was an even bigger surprise that I signed the transfer order myself.
  • June Osborne: [voiceover] If Emily knew that I helped cover for The Commander with Serena, would she want me dead, too? I can't say I blame her. Stay in Gilead long enough and it starts to eat you from the inside out. That's one of the things they do. They force you to kill. Within yourself.
  • June Osborne: It was nice working with you too.
  • Fred Waterford: Tomorrow will be even better.
  • Serena Joy Waterford: I wish I could say the same for baby Angela. But... there is hope. God has blessed Gilead with one of the top neonatologists in the world.
  • Fred Waterford: That's excellent. How soon can he get here?
  • Serena Joy Waterford: He is a she. Now serving as a martha. If you gave her a temporary transfer for a day, she could examine Angela. Give her opinion. No one has to know.
  • Fred Waterford: I'm sure our physicians are capable.
  • Serena Joy Waterford: Fred...
  • Fred Waterford: We cannot question the will of God.
  • Janine: I need to see her.
  • June Osborne: Janine, you know that can't happen.
  • Janine: You sound just like one of them.

Gallery[]

Music[]

Notes[]

References[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.