The latest entry in the vicious saga of The Handmaid’s Tale is arriving on Hulu on September 14, 2022. Season 5 begins in the wake of the grisly murder of Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) by June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and a gang of women brutalized by Waterford and the totalitarian hellhole of Gilead. Built up as a depraved, power-hungry, and self-righteous predator, Waterford, and his death will likely be the engine of the latest season of the series. The backlash of murdering such a high-profile person of power will likely rile up the regime and see them double down on their cruelty.
Details on the fifth season of the Handmaid’s Tale had been scant, but a recently released teaser trailer preceded the drop of a full trailer this week. We’re up to speed on what season 5 will bring for June, Gilead, and the vast roster of supporting characters in the series. Here’s a breakdown of the Handmaid’s Tale season 5 trailer.
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Where We Find June
MGM Television
The trailer starts with a flashback to Waterford’s last moments before the former subjects tore him apart with their bare hands. “He was a monster,” states June. Waterford was always the well-dressed bogeyman of the series, hiding in plain sight because he literally made the rules. He ended up somewhere with no rules and didn’t walk away.
“He took away our country,” laments June, trying to justify her actions to her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle). He wasn’t just an abuser but a traitor to the United States, reshaping it into something barely recognizable according to his twisted religious ideology. The series often focuses so much on the more intimate horrors of this new nation that we sometimes lose sight of the wider world of despotic rule that permeates Gilead.
The tone grows darker still, with June stating, “I killed him, and I loved it so much.” June has been gradually developing into a revolutionary as the series has gone on, helping free dozens of children from Gilead to cap off season 3. Her rebel resume just got a standout line with the murder of Waterford.
Serena Joy’s Reaction to Her Husband’s Murder
The trailer shifts focus to Waterford’s now widow, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), and how she will lash out in the wake of her husband’s murder. Serena crying over Waterford’s draped body is overdubbed with June saying, “I want her to know it was me.” This moment shows us that June crossed a line from which she can’t backtrack. Serena Joy is in full investigation mode, trying to find out how June managed to get to Waterford on the night of his murder.
Perhaps scarier than Gilead mobilizing in response to June’s actions is the trailer’s suggestion that the entire world is following suit. It’s a strange potential plot point. After all, who weeps when a despot is deposed? The series may play on Serena Joy’s chameleon abilities to rage behind the scenes while playing the stricken widow in public. The trailer also suggests that she will bring Gilead to Canada’s safe haven. Does this mean diplomatically or with an invasion force?
It’s suggested that June has scared Gilead, turning the tables of fear on the repressive patriarchal nation. The handmaid is supposed to live in fear of her Commander and Gilead, not the other way around. But Gilead has the firepower to react with war while June is just one person. But June could be a symbol, which would make her equally powerful. Gilead knows the consequences of that status, and one high up describes June as cancer that needs to be cut out.
A Coming Revolution?
The Handmaid’s Tale has been building up to a massive showdown. There is an active military rebellion within Gilead and an Underground Railroad-like system to help people escape. Then there’s Canada. Will these factions all face down Gilead to cap off the series? We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves as season 5 has not been billed as the series finale campaign. But the next segment of the trailer focuses on revolution, so it could mark the beginning of the end.
June and Luke will continue to search for their daughter Hannah who is still being held over enemy lines. A group of guerilla soldiers comes into frame, with June and Luke preparing to venture into Gilead for Hannah. June and a group pass by a flying, tattered upside-down American flag, a relic of the national distress symbol of the United States they hope to bring back.
The trailer concludes with June in prayer, asking God to protect their children, pleading that they’re given a chance to do better.
The Handmaid’s Tale started off with a slow burn of drama and tension that grew as the seasons passed. Season 5 will hopefully see the action ratcheted up to welcome a final showdown between June and Gilead.
