The wheels are in motion for the revolution in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 8, ‘Exodus’, kicking off proceedings at Serena and Commander Wharton’s prestigious wedding ceremony.
Until now, Commander Lawrence and Serena have been fronting Gilead’s reforms through the liberalized territory of New Bethlehem. But in Season 6 Episode 5, Lawrence discovered the High Commanders’ plan to lure US refugees back, reinstate the old regime, and have him killed.
Meanwhile, Mayday and the US government-in-exile have joined forces to bring Gilead down. A dry run at Jezebels – led by June, Moira, and Luke – went south fast when Nick betrayed June. Wharton responded with a massacre, sparing only Janine.
In response, Lawrence visited June and they devised a bold new plan: strike at Serena and Wharton’s wedding, where the Commanders will be in one place – and vulnerable. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Let the revolution begin
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 8 kicks off with a badass sequence: June, Moira, and co. prepare for their attack.
Set to the backdrop of Radiohead’s ‘The National Anthem’, we see shots of them dying their cloaks, fitting them with weapons, and putting their bonnets on in unison.
Meanwhile, June narrates a goosebump-inducing speech on how Gilead fought so hard to oppress them. “They used our clothes to divide us, to dehumanize us – but tonight, those robes will be our weapons.”
Finally, they put their masks over their faces and Aunt Phoebe opens the door at the Red Center, where a whole army of Handmaids are waiting for June and Moira to join them.
They all head into the grand church where Serena’s wedding to Wharton will take place, taking a seat in the pews at the back.
A close shave
At the ceremony, everyone has arrived, with their seating spaces dictating their social status: Nick, the other High Commanders, and their wives are at the front; econopeople are in the middle; and Handmaids are at the back (perfect for going incognito).
Commander Lawrence walks down the aisle, looking tense yet confident. Nick gives a speech, and as they all bow their heads to pray, the Handmaids slip knives out of their sleeves and begin passing them along.
Of course, this is Gilead we’re talking about, where nothing ever goes to plan. One of the Handmaids drops a blade, garnering the attention of the congregation. A Guardian heads over to check on them, but the Handmaid manages to conceal the knife with her foot.
They get away with it, and hide the weapons up their sleeves, ready for the reception.
Serena and Wharton celebrate their marriage
At the after party, the Handmaids arrive after the High Commanders – including the despicable Commander Bell – and their wives have already taken their seats.
Phoebe helps to keep the act up, telling the Handmaids to greet each other. They all make eye contact, giving them a boost of solidarity ahead of what’s about to go down.
Finally, Serena and Wharton make their entrance to an applause, before taking to the dancefloor.
Serena then heads over to Lawrence and asks why he’s “nervous,” which he denies. He soon realizes she’s off the mark – she thinks he’s nervous because she’ll lose sight of New Bethlehem now that she’s married.
“I am not abandoning our goals. I’m as committed to our reforms as ever,” she tells him, to which Lawrence says, “All the more power to you, Serena.”
She still believes she’s bringing real equality to the women of Gilead, so much so that she heads over to the Handmaids, thinking they’ll be grateful for her leadership.
It’s tense for June and Moira, who keep their heads down, masks up, and stand at the back to avoid meeting Serena’s gaze.
Serena is still living in denial
Listening to her speech is bad enough, but then she starts talking about her experiences with June, saying, “I could’ve been kinder to her. To be honest, she could’ve been kinder to me.
“We both said and did unforgivable things to each other, but that made us equal in vengeance and in spite. And now I can count her as a good friend. And although it has been a challenge to repair our relationship, I do believe that my former Handmaid forgives me.”
Oh, Serena. She will never stop living in denial about her wrongs. Thankfully, they’re saved by Rita, who shares some coded advice on forgiveness. “Keep your eyes on the prize, ladies,” she tells them.
If you remember, in The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 Episode 7, Rita decided to join the rebellion. Her role? Poisoning the wedding cake with a sedative.
Time for cake (with Rita’s secret ingredient)
Lawrence watches with glee as all of the attendants, including his wife Naomi, dig into the cake. The Handmaids, meanwhile, hide their slices in napkins and shove them under the pews.
Aunt Phoebe tells them it’s time to go, whispering to June, “We’ll meet you at the Red Center. God’s speed.”
The group begins to make their exit, only to be met with an unwelcome surprise: Aunt Lydia. Though Lawrence had sent her to DC to keep her out of the way, she’s returned just in time for the end of the celebration.
Worse still, Lydia catches a glimpse of June’s face in the crowd. June ducks away, but Lydia isn’t convinced. “I think June Osborne is here,” she tells Lawrence.
“You’re losing it, lady,” he replies. “June’s in Alaska.” Phoebe steps in quickly, playing it cool and suggesting Lydia must be exhausted from her trip. She asks a nearby server to bring Lydia a plate of food – including a slice of cake for dessert.
Commander Wharton shows his true colors
The Hulu series cuts to Wharton’s mansion, where he and Serena arrive home as newlyweds. A Guardian greets them with news: “A gift from Commander Bell Sr. is in the parlor.”
Serena’s smug smile is wiped off her face when she discovers said “gift” is actually a Handmaid. As we previously predicted, Commander Wharton’s progressive act was just that – an act.
Now that Serena is legally bound to him, the mask comes off. “She will help us fulfill our duty to God, to bear fruit and multiply as our sacred vessel,” he tells Serena, but she fires back, “She’s not a vessel, she’s a human being.”
Once the Handmaid leaves the room, Wharton’s tone turns angry. “I have continually indulged you, compromised, accommodated,” he says. “I have made radical changes to my life. I have bent to your liberal attitudes, but I will not turn my back on God.”
When baby Noah starts crying, Serena picks him up and heads for the door, but Wharton blocks her path, ordering his Guardian to stop her.
“I am a good man, a good husband,” he insists, but Serena replies, “You can’t be. You’re a Commander.”
At last, he lets her go, and Serena walks out. It’s not a full redemption for her past, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Aunt Lydia clocks the cake
We cut to the wedding venue, where Aunt Lydia finishes her late meal as the staff clean up. Just as she’s about to eat her cake, she spots one of the Handmaids’ slices on the floor.
She heads over to the pews and lifts the fringe curtains at the bottom to reveal a long line of abandoned cake slices.
Lydia heads back to the Red Center and, sure enough, finds a Guardian fast asleep at his post. Phoebe rushes over and attempts to divert her, but Lydia insists on checking on the girls.
There’s a slight issue with this: our army of Handmaids are seemingly at the homes of the High Commanders they’re set to kill.
Phoebe goes to stab Lydia in the back, but she retreats when a Guardian steps in to check on them (clearly, he didn’t eat the cake).
Lydia pushes into the dormitory, where it appears the Handmaids are sleeping in their beds… but something’s off.
She notices one girl grimacing, and when she pulls back the sheet, she finds the Handmaid still wearing her shoes and red robes – a clear sign she never went to bed.
Commander Bell gets his comeuppance
June picks Commander Bell’s home to target. He’s drowsy from the drug, but is awoken by a phone call.
June sneaks up behind him before making her presence known. He turns around and instantly recognizes her.
Then, in what might be one of the most satisfying kills in The Handmaid’s Tale history (other than Fred Waterford), she says, “Nice to meet you,” and drives the knife right through his eyeball.
Bell falls to the floor twitching in pain before taking his final breath. June picks up his whiskey and takes a satisfying sip, at which point Janine walks in.
They’re happy to see each other, with Janine thanking June for killing her aggressor.
The Handmaids have had “enough”
Back at the Red Center, Aunt Lydia stands before the kneeling Handmaids, her fury on full display. After an angry speech, she orders the Guardian to shoot Phoebe.
Just as he raises his weapon, Moira stands up and shouts, “Aunt Lydia, get the f**k away from her.”
“You’re working with her,” screams Lydia, threatening to shoot Moira instead if she doesn’t reveal where June is.
Before shots are fired, June steps into the room. “I knew it, you did this,” Lydia says. But just like Moira, June holds her ground.
“No, Aunt Lydia. You did it. You trained us to be like this – after you beat us, after you mutilated us, after you tortured us, after you took our children away. You did this,” June says.
“But I think you’ve seen things you can’t unsee, and I think you’ve learned things you can’t unlearn. And I know that, in your heart of hearts, you know that rape is rape. And you know it wasn’t our fault and we don’t deserve this.
“We’re not fallen women. We’re rising up because in each and every one of us is this immaculate soul that was given to us by God. It’s just crying out for dignity and freedom.
“I would like you to ask yourself, Lydia, if you think that God wants this for us, for your girls; that God would allow all of this. Or is there a God that would empower a woman like you to stand up for us, to arc toward the light, and to finally declare, ‘Enough’.
“Because we, all of us, together, we’ve had enough.”
Behind June, Janine walks in, causing Lydia to cry out. “He hurt me, Aunt Lydia. They hurt us. They raped us. You gave us to them.”
Lydia insists she only ever wanted to save her girls, so Janine replies, “If you want to save us, let us go.”
After a tense moment, Lydia finally relents. She urges the Guardian to put his gun down and apologizes to Janine. They hug, allowing the Handmaids to leave and continue with their plan.
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